An op-ed by NACDD’s Cardiovascular Health Council Leadership Team Members: Justan Baker, Anne Gargano Ahmed, Nicole Hamlet, Ashley Minaei, Jim Peacock, Thelma Reis, and Patrick Wiggins

When communities, government, healthcare, and private sectors work collaboratively, they leverage diverse strengths and resources, leading to improved health outcomes and reduced healthcare spending.

Cardiovascular disease–which includes heart disease and stroke–has been the leading cause of death in the U.S. for over 100 years. While certain risk factors like age, ethnicity, gender, and family history remain beyond our control, there are factors we can influence with support: managing hypertension, curbing tobacco use, improving diet, and embracing exercise. These efforts are not just individual pursuits but collective actions that public health practices can tailor to meet the diverse needs of communities, particularly the social drivers of health.

Effective cross-sector collaboration leads to innovative solutions—services and infrastructure that one sector alone cannot provide because governments, communities, and health systems all play a critical role. For example:

• State public health agencies direct funding and inform policies supporting heart-healthy environments. They also support efforts to broaden the range of practitioners within the healthcare continuum, which increases the type of and availability of services and reduces the stress on our already overburdened healthcare systems.
• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Congress set national priorities for implementing evidence-based strategies to improve heart health.
•  Healthcare providers are supported to develop more effective systems to identify at-risk patients and ensure they receive appropriate care and services. 
•  Community organizations play a crucial role in ensuring that interventions are culturally competent, regionally appropriate, and reach priority populations.

Shared knowledge and joint initiatives result in programs tailored to specific community needs, ensuring that interventions are effective, equitable, and sustainable. Multi-sector partnerships not only enhance the reach and efficacy of heart disease interventions, but also optimize resource use to reduce the economic and health burden for the populations they serve. 

Public health leaders and practitioners are adept at tailoring strategies that prevent and manage heart disease, recognizing the inefficiencies of a one-size-fits-all approach. This adaptability is crucial in addressing diverse populations and their distinct health challenges, ensuring our efforts remain strategic and innovative.

One particularly successful outcome strengthened by multi-sector partnerships is effective control of hypertension through the implementation of self-measured blood pressure (SMBP) monitoring programs. SMBP enables providers to better diagnose and manage hypertension and empowers patients to actively participate in their health and well-being. State health departments are partnering with and supporting health systems, community-based organizations, and community leaders to create new and effective SMBP programs that emphasize engaging patients at greatest risk for uncontrolled hypertension. These programs operate in traditional healthcare settings and community locations, such as pharmacies, churches, libraries, and food pantries. This approach allows organizations to meet people where they are and connect them back to a healthcare provider for ongoing clinical support. Community health workers have also been an excellent asset to this work by helping patients access home blood pressure monitors and providing health coaching.

The future health of our nation depends on the decisions we make today. Investments and support in public health infrastructure have been shown to strengthen multi-sector partnerships for successfully preventing and managing chronic diseases at the individual, community, systems, and policy levels. So, we urge the following actions.

• Legislators: continue to support investments in public health such as chronic disease prevention funding to the CDC. 
• State and local health departments: convene community members with healthcare and community-based organization partners to make data-informed decisions and interventions to prevent and manage chronic diseases. 
• Community members: advocate for healthier communities in your area and participate in lifestyle change programs and events to improve your own heart health.

Today, we can make a difference. We are all public health, and we are all in this together.