Screening Wilmington Communities through the Blood Pressure Ambassador Program

Hypertension (HTN) is the most common chronic disease in the United States; it especially affects the African American community, with black men and women seeing higher rates of morbidity and mortality. A significant opportunity exists to improve the awareness of the dangers of HTN in these communities. Started in 2011, the Blood Pressure Ambassador Program at Christiana Care provides a unique solution, using trained volunteers to conduct blood pressure screenings throughout the Wilmington area. A peer-to-peer model is used to connect trusted individuals from the community to their friends, family, and neighbors. The Blood Pressure Ambassador Program has conducted over 12,000 screenings to date, touching residents in all 12 medically underserved areas of Wilmington. A recent analysis of the Program found that about half of all African Americans screened were found to by hypertensive and one-third did not realize that they had high blood pressure.