NYS Healthy Heart Program
For more than 20 years, the NYS Healthy Heart Program (HHP) has promoted the heart health of residents. Primary attention is given to making it easier for New Yorkers to eat well, be active and be tobacco- free. Funds are provided to local communities to conduct physical activity and nutrition interventions in schools, worksites and the community, and to ensure people receive appropriate health care for risk factors for cardiovascular disease. In 2004, the State Health Department released a comprehensive plan to address cardiovascular disease: "Cardiovascular Health in New York State: A Plan for 2004 — 2010." It has 19 objectives to promote healthier behaviors, further enhance the quality of care and reduce known disease risks. The plan promotes interventions in four sectors: communities, schools, worksites, and health care settings.
Where We Live
Expanding opportunities for heart healthy choices in communities is the cornerstone of the HHP. Local Healthy Heart programs involve more than 1, 000 organizations in wellness- related activities. County health departments, educational institutions, community- based organizations, wellness councils and faith- based organizations lead this work. The local Healthy Heart programs have implemented many interventions to increase opportunities for physical activity and eating well. Some examples are:
- creating walking and bicycle trails;
- opening schools for physical activity use by residents before and after school hours;
- increasing physical activity options in after-school programs;
- producing radio and television shows on heart health;
- establishing and promoting farmers markets; and
- changing menu selections in local restaurants.
More than 1, 500 community changes like these have been established around the state.
Where We Work
About 60% of adults work and spend much of their day at the worksite. To help employees incorporate physical activity and healthy eating into their daily work routines, the HHP funds local agencies to conduct worksite wellness interventions across the state. Since it began addressing worksite wellness, the HHP has reached almost 300, 000 employees in over 1000 worksites. A key tool in the worksite wellness programs is Heart Check — a survey developed by the NYS HHP to assess environmental and policy supports for heart healthy behaviors. The funded agencies conduct the Heart Check survey in worksites and then tailor the interventions based on the results. The interventions create and modify policies, change the environment and provide services to help employees be more active and eat well. Successful environmental and policy changes include:
- new programs and facilities for physical activity during the workday (e. g., stretching class at lunch, exercise room on- site);
- subsidies for health club membership;
- healthful food options in vending machines, cafeterias and at company events;
- walking groups;
- smoke-free environments, and
- farmers markets at the worksite.
Many employers are interested in employee health, but do not have the time and resources to develop programs. To help employers promote physical activity, the HHP developed the
Move for Life! kit. Move for Life! is an 8 — 10 week physical activity promotion program. It's based on a successful campaign used by the State Health Department to encourage its own employees to be active. The kit contains all the materials necessary to launch the program, including directions for implementation, tracking sheets, and promotional materials. The Move for Life! kit is avaible on- line at www. move4life. org.
Where and What We Eat
Restaurants
The average American eats 4. 2 meals out a week. The Just Ask Us! Campaign helps people make more healthful choices when eating away from home. As part of the campaign, restaurant servers suggest a healthful modification that customers can request. These modifications include low- fat salad dressing, noadded salt, broiled rather than fried entrees and double vegetables with half the meat in dishes.
Vegetables and Fruits
The 5 A Day -- for Better Health Program was developed in 1991 as a partnership between the National Cancer Institute and the Produce for Better Health Foundation. This program has been successful in increasing both the awareness of the health benefits of fruits and vegetables and their consumption. The HHP promotes fruit and vegetable consumption through establishing farmers markets, creating fruit clubs at worksites, developing community gardens and encouraging people to participate in community- supported agriculture.
Low-fat Milk
Milk fat is the third largest source of saturated fat in adults' diets. Simply switching from whole to fat- free (skim) milk would bring the average adult New Yorker within the recommended guidelines for saturated fat intake.
The HHP promotes low-fat and fat-free milk for people over the age of two years through media campaigns and communitybased activities. The 1% or Less media campaign has been a joint effort between public health and the dairy industry, and has been conducted in three major media markets. The media campaign consists primarily of six to nine weeks of paid television and radio commercials and taste testing in various community settings. The campaign was designed to address high consumption of high- fat milk, low consumption of calcium, and declining milk sales. The result is an increase in low fat and overall milk sales.
Where We Walk
Walking is the easiest form of physical activity for most people. Regular walking has been shown to have significant health benefits. Unfortunately, many communities do not have places where people of all ages and abilities can safely and comfortably walk — for recreation or as a way of getting to school or work or doing short errands. The HHP is working with numerous state and local partners to help communities become more "walkable." Local Healthy Heart programs have helped gain support for sidewalks, community trails, and other improvements that make it easier and safer for residents to walk. Through conferences, training workshops and videoconferences, local elected officials, planners and citizens are taught how to make their communities more walkable.
Where We Receive Health Care
Physicians and other health professionals have a unique and important role to play in the fight against heart disease and stroke. The evidence is clear that people advised by their doctors to be active or eat more healthfully are more likely to do so. The HHP is working to help health care professionals learn the skills needed to counsel patients effectively.
When a patient is identified as having heart disease, the standards of care developed by the American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiologists should be followed. The HHP helps hospitals, health care organizations and physicians' offices develop systems that make following those standards easier.
Many women don't realize that heart disease is the number one killer of all adults, including women. The HHP is partnering with physicians' professional groups to increase awareness and screening of women for cardiovascular disease risk factors. Through this partnership, more women are screened for identified cardiovascular disease risk factors and receive appropriate treatment and follow- up care.
Targeting Tobacco Use in New York
In addition to significant state funding, New York receives a comprehensive grant from the CDC to reduce the prevalence of tobacco use in the state. Funding supports the implementation of fundamental programs to reduce tobacco use and are specifically designed to reach those most at risk, including young people, members of racial and ethnic minority groups, women and people with low socioeconomic status. In addition, New York is also funding a statewide media campaign; partnerships with local governments to ensure retailers are not selling tobacco products to minors; and local youth oriented partnerships; and a quit line 1- 866- 697- 8487.
To learn more about the New York State Healthy Heart Program and strategies to promote cardiovascular health contact:
New York State Healthy Heart Program
NYS Department of Health
150 Broadway, 3W
Albany, NY 12204-0676
(518) 474-6683
hhp@health.state.ny.us
See www.health.state.ny.us for a list of funded programs and resource materials.