KALAMAZOO, MI (WKZO AM/FM) — U.S. Rep. Fred Upton, R-St. Joseph, announced Tuesday that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is providing nearly $500,000 in grant funding to two southwest Michigan health centers: Intercare Community Health Network in Bangor and Family Health Center, Inc. in Kalamazoo.
HHS is awarding funding to 496 health centers across the country, including 13 total in Michigan.
These awards are part of the National Hypertension Control Initiative: Addressing Disparities among Racial and Ethnic Minority Populations (HTN Initiative), a partnership between HHS’ Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) and the HHS Office of Minority Health (OMH).
The grant funding will be used to increase the number of patients diagnosed with hypertension who have controlled blood pressure among racial and ethnic minorities.
We know COVID-19 has had a disproportionate impact on our minority populations here in Michigan and across the nation,” Upton said in a statement. “This funding will help us with understanding and eliminating disparities in COVID-19 outcomes by addressing hypertension among minorities, who often rely on HRSA-funded health centers for their care.”
According to HHS, the HTN Initiative seeks to implement evidence-based interventions that improve both cardiovascular health and COVID-19 outcomes nationally for racial and ethnic minority populations, given the association of hypertension with more severe COVID-19 outcomes and chronic cardiovascular disease.
The three-year project will include the use of self-measured blood pressure (SMBP) technology to increase the number of adult patients with controlled hypertension.
SMBP, also known as home blood pressure monitoring, can improve access and quality of care for patients with hypertension while making blood pressure monitoring more convenient.
More information on the grants can be found here.
