National Association of Chronic Disease Directors Awards St. James $50,000

St. James Healthcare, now part of Intermountain Healthcare, is pleased to announce it has been selected as one of six organizations to receive Million Hearts® Health Equity Implementation project funding to implement evidence-based strategies to improve cardiovascular health and advance health equity.

The funding will support St. James Healthcare’s “Hearts in the Mountains” initiative. The program will improve access to care for people with heart failure living in rural communities in Southwest Montana by supporting the availability of virtual and remote models of cardiac rehabilitation. Patients will be using self-measured blood pressure and weight monitoring and telehealth services to connect with specialists at St. James Healthcare; in turn, reducing hospitalizations, and readmissions, and improving overall outcomes for heart failure patients who reside in rural communities.

At St. James Healthcare, we provide the highest quality of care to our patients, so they can stay and heal close to home. The “Hearts in the Mountains” initiative will allow those with heart issues to continue their recoveries at home all the while allowing our caregivers to monitor their progress. We are extremely excited about partnering with the NACDD and working to address rural health issues in such a transformational way.

Jennifer Davenport, MD St. James Healthcare’s Chief Medical Officer

The National Association of Chronic Disease Directors (NACDD) reviewed more than 100 applications from organizations that submitted proposals in response to the Million Hearts® Health Equity Implementation RFP. Each organization will receive up to $50,000 to effectively implement Million Hearts® strategies among priority populations to advance health equity between January – June 2023. Each grantee will focus on a Million Hearts® priority population and implement appropriate strategies outlined in Million Hearts® 2027 Focusing on Health Equity to address their needs.