RALEIGH — Building on its ongoing COVID-19 events, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services will host a live fireside chat and tele-town hall on Wednesday, Feb. 22, from 6 to 7 p.m. to discuss the importance of heart health as well as heart disease prevention and management.
Heart disease is the second leading cause of death in North Carolina. Black and African American communities continue to be disproportionately impacted by disparities in diagnoses and access to care.
Black and African American adults are 40% more likely to have high blood pressure, a main risk factor for heart conditions, and twice as likely as white adults to die from preventable heart disease.
The risks of COVID-19-related complications continue to be greater among people who have heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes, as well as those who have had a stroke. Individuals who are not up to date on COVID-19 vaccines and boosters are also at greater risk of severe illness or hospitalization from the virus.
The fireside chat and tele-town hall topics will include the following:
- Ways to support and improve heart health
- Heart disease prevention, detection and management
- Efforts to reduce disparities and provide culturally competent care
- Importance of COVID-19 vaccines, testing and treatment
Many people fell out of care during the COVID-19 pandemic. Resources are available across North Carolina to connect communities with health care providers, education and support to improve heart health and help loved ones do the same.
Event participants include:
- Elizabeth Cuervo Tilson, M.D., NC state health director and chief medical officer, NCDHHS
- Tiffany C. Randolph, M.D., MHA, FACC, cardiologist and director of the Advanced Hypertension Clinic at Cone Health
- Leatrice Martin, community and patient advocate
The fireside chat will stream live from the NCDHHS Facebook, Twitter and YouTube accounts, where viewers can submit questions. The event also includes a tele-town hall, which invites people by phone to listen in and submit questions. People can also dial into the event by calling (855) 756-7520 Ext. 91762#.
NCDHHS fireside chats and tele-town halls are part of the state’s ongoing public efforts to eliminate health disparities, reduce the spread of COVID-19 and ensure equitable access to timely information, resources and COVID-19 vaccines.
