Heart Disease: Wisconsin Heart Health Alliance
Heart disease is the leading cause of death throughout Wisconsin. The Wisconsin Heart Health Alliance wants to ensure opportunities for everyone in our state to be healthy.
Our work helps Wisconsin organizations collaborate to fight heart disease. Working together we can commit to an improved focus on:
- Heart disease prevention.
- Disease management.
About us and our mission
The Wisconsin Heart Health Alliance is a coalition of groups who share a commitment to improve heart health in Wisconsin. The group includes:
- Professional organizations.
- Health care organizations.
- Community agencies.
- Public health representatives.
We work together to improve prevention, screening, management, and treatment of heart disease, stroke, and multiple chronic conditions that may complicate treatment and overall health. Our group typically meets virtually three times a year to learn about and discuss various topics. The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) Chronic Disease Prevention Program (CDPP) staff offer technical assistance and networking among Alliance as needed to support heart health initiatives across the state.
The Wisconsin Heart Health Alliance works to promote:
- Best practices.
- Collaborative activities.
- Organizational and professional relationships.
- Ideas that help improve the heart health of all Wisconsin residents.
View the series recordings to hear about best practices and stories of success from heart health experts. We hope you feel promise for Wisconsin’s future. Join us in reaffirming a commitment to heart health equity!
Join the Alliance
We welcome individuals and organizations to join us in improving heart health and transforming health care. If you’re interested in sharing your expertise, advocacy, energy, or resources, email
Heart Health Alliance meeting archive
Heart Health Alliance meeting–February 24, 2025
The Power of Collaboration
Presenters
Anne Gargano Ahmed
CDPP Heart Health Coordinator
Kari Trapskin, PharmD
Pharmacy Society of Wisconsin, Senior Vice President, Practice Transformation
Helene McDowell, MS
Pharmacy Society of Wisconsin, Director of Community Health Programs and Outreach
Beth Heller
WELLO, Director of Strategic Partnerships
Dr. Yvonne Greer
Y-East Right, Founder
Ericka Sinclair, MS, MPH
Health Connections Inc., Founder and CEO
Summary
Learn about how three heart health collaboratives in Wisconsin are breaking down silos, leveraging staff capacity and funding, and creating a broader impact while providing care for those at risk of cardiovascular disease.
Resources
February 24 video meeting recording (opens external video)
Heart Health Alliance presentation
Medicaid 101–How Medicaid Works
Tuesday, July 23, 2024
Presenters
Stephanie Severs
Insurance Literacy and Communications Manager, Covering Wisconsin
Adam VanSpankeren
Navigation Program Manager, Covering Wisconsin
Summary
Heart disease is the leading cause of death for all Wisconsinites. Some residents experience worse health outcomes because of environmental, economic, and social factors beyond their control. A population at increased risk for poor heart health is individuals with Medicaid insurance. For example, hypertension control rates for individuals with Medicaid are 10% lower (75%) compared to those with Medicare (85%). CDPP and our partners want to improve our reach to Wisconsinites with Medicaid and tailor programs to better meet their needs. At this Heart Health Alliance meeting Stephanie Severs and Adam VanSpankeren from Covering Wisconsin explain the basics of Medicaid to help partners better serve individuals with that coverage.
Resources
July 23 video meeting recording (opens external video)
Covering Wisconsin presentation
A Spotlight on Community Health Workers (CHWs) and Heart Health
Tuesday, April 25, 2024
Presenters
Jessica Kimber
Community Health Specialist, DHS, CDPP
Morgan Krhin
Community Health Worker Coordinator, DHS, CDPP
Summary
At this Heart Health Alliance meeting, Jessica Kimber and Morgan Krhin from the WI DHS Chronic Disease Prevention Program share more about what CHWs do and how organizations can support their work as allies. Featured are two amazing CHWs doing transformative work here in Wisconsin. LaTrice Luckett shares insights from her work in Milwaukee and Olga Meza shares insights from her work in Wood County. Together they highlight how CHWs are supporting families in both urban and rural areas of the state, lessons from the ground on barriers to heart health, and how they provide culturally appropriate support to help their communities live longer and healthier.
Resources
New Heart Health Collaboratives and Best Practices
Tuesday, Nov. 28, 2023
Presenter
Dr. Ashok Rai
President and CEO, Prevea Health
Summary
At this meeting we discuss how we can improve collaboration and put best practices into action to make measurable differences in improving heart health in Wisconsin.
Resources
November 28 video meeting recording (opens external video)
2023 Heart Health Equity Learning Series
The Wisconsin Department of Health Services Chronic Disease Prevention Program and the Wisconsin Community Health Empowerment Fund,
In the two sessions, local and national evidence-based improvement tools were shared, as well as implementation and success examples.
Session One
Prevention is Everyone's Business: A Heart Health Equity Lens
Tuesday, March 7, 2023
Presenter:
Joanna Dagenais, MSN, RN, CCRN-K
Director of Clinical Education, Preventative Cardiovascular Nurses Association
Summary
This session shares best practices from PCNA’s work toward diversity, equity, and inclusion as well as tools and resources for all health care providers looking to address health inequities.
Resources
March 7 video meeting recording (opens external video)
Prevention is Everyone’s Business: A Heart Health Equity Lens presentation slides
Session Two
Tackling Hypertension Control from Multiple Angles
Wednesday, March 15, 2023
Presenters
Kinetra Joseph, MMC,
Campaign Director, Alliance for Million Hearts®
Taylor Streeter, MPH,
Health Scientist, ASRT Inc., Million Hearts®
Summary
This session features best practices, resources, and success stories on Million Hearts hypertension control and health equity strategies including:
“Live to the
Finding people with undiagnosed hypertension (“Hiding in Plain
Self-measured blood pressure
Medication
Resources
March 15 video meeting recording (opens external video)
Advancing Blood Pressure Control from Multiple Angles presentation slides
2022 Heart Health Equity Learning Series
Session One
Heart Failure in Black Americans: Differences and Disparities
Presenter
Alanna Morris, MD, MSc, FHFSA, FACC, FAHA
Emory University
Resources
Session 1 presentation video (opens external video)
Session 1 presentation slides (PDF)
Race and Ethnicity Across the
The Opportunity
Session Two
Hypertension in the Time of Telemedicine: Self-Measured Blood Pressure Monitoring
Presenter:
Sonia Ayala, MA, LCSW
Esperanza Health
Resources
Session 2 presentation video (opens external video)
Session 2 presentation slides (PDF)
Session Three
Improving Hypertension Control in the Stroke Belt
Presenters
Dr. Ed Behling
Medical Director, Hope Health Centers of Florence, SC
Tammie Garris
Quality improvement Director, Hope Health Centers of Florence, SC
Resources
Session 3 presentation video (opens external video)
Session 3 presentation slides (PDF)
Session Four
Working Together to Improve Heath Health Equity Across Wisconsin
Presenters
Rebecca Thompson
Wisconsin Community Health Empowerment Fund president and CEO
Dr. Michelle Robinson
DHS Office of Health Equity Director
Jonette Arms
DHS Division of Public Health Assistant Administrator
Margarita Northrop
DHS Healthy Wisconsin Coordinator
Anne Gargano Ahmed
DHS Heart Health Coordinator