Across the United States, cardiovascular health continues to reveal deep gaps in access, prevention, and care. Too many people face barriers that delay diagnosis or make it harder to manage heart disease, leading to preventable illness and loss of life. These challenges are driven not just by individual risk factors but by the systems and conditions that shape where and how people receive care. Changing them requires coordinated action, so that where someone lives—or what they earn—doesn’t determine their heart health.
That’s why we recently launched a new partnership with Meharry Medical College School of Global Health. HEART, (Health Assessments and Rapid Transformation) is the latest example of how Novartis is working with trusted community partners to identify and address gaps in care for often overlooked communities.
“This partnership centers around community. When communities are empowered and engaged from the very beginning, we can see remarkable results,” said Daniel E. Dawes, JD, Founding Dean of the Meharry Medical College School of Global Health and Senior Vice President of Global Health.
HEART is a five-year commitment to improve cardiovascular outcomes in Nashville, Detroit, and San Bernardino—three cities with high cardiovascular risk and unique local challenges.
“Our vision is clear: We want to help communities across America to live longer and better lives by building bridges to care for those that need it most,” says Beard.
Our vision is clear. We want to help communities across America to live longer and better lives by building bridges to care for those that need it most.
—Binta Beard, Head of US Social Impact, Novartis, and President of the Novartis US Foundation
By building community advisory panels, co-designing interventions, and tracking progress, HEART is helping answer a fundamental question: When communities lead the way, how much better can health outcomes be?