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The Florida Department of Health works to protect, promote, and improve the health of all people in Florida through integrated state, county, and community efforts.
Heart Health Plus
Florida Department of Health in Dixie County
- (352) 498 - 1360
- WebInfoDixie@flhealth.gov
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Mailing Address
149 NE 241st Street
Cross City, FL 32628
Heart Health Plus
Each year, heart disease causes one in four deaths in the United States. There were 42,835 heart attack hospitalizations in Florida in 2014 or an average of 117 heart attack hospitalizations each day. About half of all Americans have at least one of the three risk factors for heart disease which include high blood pressure, high cholesterol and smoking. While all Americans are at risk for heart disease, the non-Hispanic black community is at the greatest risk.
The department recently launched a new pilot program in Dixie County to combat heart disease called Heart Heath Plus. The pilot program is being conducted in 17 Florida counties that showed the greatest need for heart disease prevention programs. Heart Health Plus implements evidence-based strategies to engage faith-based organizations, health systems and local communities in heart disease awareness and prevention activities.
Many of the risk factors for heart disease can be eliminated with diet, exercise and taking steps to quit smoking. During American Heart Month, follow these simple tips to keep your heart healthy and fight heart disease.
•Add exercise to your daily routine, even if it’s just taking regular walks with family and friends;
•Schedule a visit with your doctor to talk about your heart health;
•Increase healthy eating by cooking heart healthy meals; and
•Take steps to quit smoking by utilizing the Tobacco Free Florida’s Quit Your Way Program.
Self-Monitoring Blood Pressure Educational Classes
The Florida Department of Health in Dixie County offers free self-monitoring blood pressure educational classes as part of the Heart Health Plus initiative to address cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and tobacco cesation in Dixie County.
Weekly classes offer health education lifestyle changes and techniques such as: smoking cessation, diabetes education/screenings, healthy cooking/eating and more.
- Participants must enroll and complete the 12 week program
- Participants must be clinically diagnosed with hypertension.
- Participants will receive free self-monitoring blood pressure machine and much, much more.
Registration forms are available here, at the Florida Department of Health-Dixie and our local community health providers/partners: North Florida Medical Center, Tri-County Primary Care, Palms Medical Center, and North Florida Pediatrics.
If you would like to learn more about this program, please contact Lola Butler, Community Health Educator at 352-498-4584.
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