Connections for Cardiovascular Health

Posted by AstraZeneca HealthCare Foundation on September 25, 2017

The AstraZeneca HealthCare Foundation’s Connections for Cardiovascular Health (CCH) program is awarding nearly $1 million in grants to 10 organizations working to help improve cardiovascular health in their communities and is also announcing the availability of additional grants in 2018.

The organizations receiving grants this year will work to help improve the heart health of people in their communities through innovative programs for at-risk groups that tailor activities and information to the needs and culture of the people they are serving. Many of these programs use community health workers, provide peer-to-peer support, or adapt curriculum, materials and activities based on the needs of participants. The organizations also will draw on past experiences to share lessons learned from their programs through activities such as publications, presentations and program toolkits to assist other nonprofit organizations interested in helping prevent and manage cardiovascular disease in their communities to do the same across the country.

James W. Blasetto, MD, MPH, FACC, chairman of the AstraZeneca HealthCare Foundation, said: “We’re committed to supporting organizations that are working in innovative ways to address cardiovascular disease at the community-level. The funding not only allows the programs to help make a difference in their own communities, but provides an opportunity for organizations to share their expertise with others, expanding their reach and impact.”

Organizations interested in applying for funding for the 2018 CCH program can submit applications during the AstraZeneca HealthCare Foundation’s open call for applications beginning at 9:00 a.m. on Monday, Feb. 5, through Wednesday, Feb. 28 at 5 p.m. EST. For more information on the Foundation and how to apply for a grant, please visit: http://www.astrazeneca-us.com/foundation.

Since 2010, the Connections for Cardiovascular HealthSM program has awarded nearly $22 million in grants to 49 organizations nationwide. These grant recipients are addressing urgent, unmet needs in their communities to help improve heart health. More than 1.6 million people have been reached through activities such as a health fairs, screenings, educational materials and workshops, and over 56,000 of these people had their heart health progress tracked through a variety of programs funded through Connections for Cardiovascular HealthSM. As a result, program participants are making lifestyle changes and helping to improve their risk factors for cardiovascular disease such as losing weight, lowering blood pressure, eating healthier and exercising more, to name a few.

About AstraZeneca HealthCare Foundation

Established in 1993, the AstraZeneca HealthCare Foundation is a Delaware not-for-profit nonstock corporation and a 501(c)(3) entity organized for charitable purposes, including to promote public awareness of healthcare issues, to promote public education of medical knowledge and to contribute to charitable and qualified exempt organizations consistent with its charitable purpose.