AHRQ Launches Initiative to Improve Heart Health in States with High Rates of Heart Disease and Stroke
The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality’s (AHRQ) has announced the launch of a new initiative that will invest up to $18 million over three years to help primary care practices prevent heart disease and stroke.
Through this new funding opportunity, the agency is expanding its commitment to ensuring that primary care practices have the support they need to put patient-centered evidence into practice. Building off AHRQ’s EvidenceNOW initiative, this effort focuses on building improvement capacity in states with the highest rates of preventable heart attacks and strokes.
Grantees will form state-based cooperatives that bring together existing state-based organizations to align their efforts to engage primary care practices.
Through these cooperatives, the grantees will build a learning network of primary care practices across their states. The cooperatives and networks will ensure that the latest primary care relevant findings and resources are delivered to primary care professionals to improve the health of their patients and practices. All cooperatives will also conduct a multi-component quality improvement project with at least 50 primary care practices to improve the heart health of their patients. Applicants will also propose evaluation and sustainability plans.
A technical assistance conference call for interested teams will take place at 3 p.m. (ET) Tuesday, March 17, 2020. To register, send an email to Robert.Mcnellis@AHRQ.hhs.gov. Letters of intent are due April 10, 2020 and applications are due May 22, 2020.
For individuals living with complex, often chronic conditions, and their families, palliative care can provide relief from symptoms, improve satisfaction and outcomes, and help address critical mental and spiritual needs during difficult times. Now more than ever, there is growing recognition of the importance of palliative care services for individuals with serious illness, such as advance care planning, pain and symptom management, care coordination, and team-based, multi-disciplinary support. These services can help patients and families cope with the symptoms and stressors of disease, better anticipate and avoid crises, and reduce unnecessary and/or unwanted care. While this model is grounded in evidence that demonstrates improved quality of life, better outcomes, and reduced cost for patients, only a fraction of individuals who could benefit from palliative care receive it. 
