Partnering with the American Heart Association and Mercy Health to “Check. Change. Control.”

Standard Textile is excited to be partnering with the American Heart Association and Mercy Health to help our associates take ownership of their cardiovascular health through hypertension management. Starting this month, Mercy Health will provide on-site blood pressure screenings for our staff every other week as part of a four-month long program.

The program, called Check. Change. Control., empowers participants to learn about, monitor and manage blood pressure through a combination of resources. According to the American Heart Association, high blood pressure, or hypertension, is a major and modifiable risk factor for heart disease and stroke.

“Mercy Health’s mission is centered on building healthy communities. One way we can do that is by helping people lower their blood pressure,” said Michael U. Todd, MD, who leads Mercy Health’s employer health initiatives. “High blood pressure, or hypertension, is a major contributing factor to heart disease and heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. While that is a sobering fact, 80 percent of heart disease is preventable and that’s where our partnership with the AHA on the Check. Change. Control. program can make a big difference in improving the health of those we love.”

Rhoda Thompson from Standard Textile gets her blood pressure checked by a nurse from Mercy Health.

“No single risk factor has more impact on the nation’s death rates from cardiovascular disease than blood pressure. Here in the Cincinnati area, heart disease and stroke are claiming the lives of over 5,600 people every year,” Missy Ford, Executive Director of the American Heart Association in Cincinnati said. “Controlling high blood pressure is a key component to improving cardiovascular health and adding quality, healthy years to people’s lives. We are grateful to both Mercy Health and Standard Textile for showing their commitment to the health and well-being of the community with the launch of this program.”