Campaign created with community

Your Heart Beats for Generations tells the stories and shares the wisdom of seven women to help others prioritize their heart health and well-being.

The Hennepin County Board of Commissioners funded the campaign working in partnership with Public Health, championed by Commissioner Angela Conley, District 4, after she had a heart attack.

“Black and Indigenous women are dying at unacceptable rates from preventable disease,” said Commissioner Conley. “Often, our experiences aren’t taken seriously, dismissed, and sometimes ignored. The American Medical Association has stated that this reality is rooted in racism within our health care institutions. This is why it is now our duty to bring awareness to the inequities in our systems as well as champion the heart health and well-being of Black and Indigenous women, specifically.”  

Diabetes and high blood pressure are two risk factors for heart attack and stroke. Black and Indigenous women are far more likely to have type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure than White women, according to Hennepin County’s 2022 SHAPE survey. Fewer Black and Indigenous patients across Minnesota have optimal diabetes control or vascular care, according to Minnesota Community Measures.

“Many factors contribute to heart health, such as personal health, family history and the impacts of economic, social, environmental, and psychosocial factors that play a significant role in the development of heart disease,” said Sara Hollie, director of Hennepin County Public Health. “Heart disease disproportionately affects Black and Indigenous women in Hennepin County. There are many factors that drive that, including systemic racism, lack of access to care or delayed care. Our goal is to build awareness so women can prioritize their own well-being and to save lives.”

The campaign commercials and ads in African American/Black- and Indigenous-owned radio stations and news organizations, as well as social media and billboards. Buses wrapped with “Your Heart Beats for Generations” artwork will invite people to learn more by visiting hennepin.us/heart-beats.

Supporting better health

The funding approved by the county board is supporting prevention efforts and providing better support for African American/Black and Indigenous women who have had serious heart health problems. For example, Hennepin County Public Health partnered with NorthPoint Health & Wellness to build in support systems for women who have experienced a cardiac event and are returning to primary care. Another partner, the Native American Community Clinic, is supporting Indigenous women who have or are at risk for negative diabetic or heart disease outcomes with care coordination and other preventive supports.

Hennepin County Public Health also has partnered with the University of Minnesota Physicians to create a support group specifically for African American/Black living with heart disease.

Learn more about the women’s heart health initiative at hennepin.us/heart-beats.