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SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY
Founded as a Christian ministry of healing , Baylor Scott & White Health promotes the wellbeing of all individuals , families and communities .
The leadership teams at Baylor Scott & White Heart and Vascular Hospital – Dallas and Fort Worth are committed to the mission of giving back to the community by providing health screenings and preventive health education . Community outreach also means informing and educating the broader community and identifying neighborhoods in need . It also leads to collaboration with civic organizations , city government departments and churches who strive to help improve community health .
Every three years , Baylor Scott & White Health completes a Community Health Needs Assessment in every region where a Baylor Scott & White facility is located . As part of the Dallas and Fort Worth metropolitan health communities , the assessment reports for Baylor Scott & White Heart and Vascular Hospital guide many of the outreach initiatives for hospital leaders in their respective markets .
Community needs that were identified and associated action items include :
• Community health education and screenings are needed and provided for the underinsured and uninsured persons in the service area .
• Exposure to various careers in healthcare is regularly offered to teens and college-age students through several formalized programs .
• Community sponsorship monies are distributed to programs and agencies that help provide access to care for middle to lower socioeconomic groups and organizations fostering heart-healthy lifestyles .
• Spanish-language health education is available , addressing the prevention and risk factors for diabetes and cardiovascular disease .
Note : On-campus sessions were canceled in April . Virtual classes were offered May and June .
WELLNESS AND SCREENING EVENTS
Working with area churches and other not-forprofit organizations and schools , wellness fairs and health screenings were staffed by clinical teams in order to provide heart-healthy information as well as blood pressure screenings with education on hypertension . The Watson Health Heart Disease Estimates identified hypertension as the most prevalent heart disease diagnosis in much of the greater service area . Whether a church requested heart health information and screenings for an audience of 20 or 200 , Baylor Scott & White Heart and Vascular Hospital teams in Dallas and Fort Worth accepted opportunities to provide muchneeded hypertension education and blood pressure screenings , especially in underserved areas .
Hands-only CPR education has been a mainstay in community outreach activities . At area employers , churches , police departments and school districts , hospital representatives provided hands-only CPR instruction in accordance with approved guidelines . Hundreds of people across the Metroplex learned this approach to CPR through the community outreach events in fiscal year 2020 .
NorthPark Center project and hypertension education
A shopping center located in the midst of the Dallas market is home to an enthusiastic group of mall walkers , many of whom are seniors . While not formally organized , the individuals are striving to improve their health and well-being through walking the mall prior to stores opening . Prior to April 2020 , once a week for two hours on Thursday morning for a total of 32 weeks in FY20 , a small group of clinical team members traveled to the shopping center to provide blood pressure screening , heart health education and to socialize with this group .
Community outreach events attended in Dallas and Fort Worth communities ( FY20 ):
> 60
Screenings completed in the NorthPark Center program ( July 1 , 2019 - March 31 , 2020 ): > 500