Impact By County

Clayton County Heart Health Workgroup

As the cardiovascular health extension of the Clayton County Chronic Disease Collaborative, the Clayton County Workgroup was ready to hit the ground running. Building from that work they became the first Heart Health Collaborative in the state, providing a strong foundational workflow for the other Collaboratives. The Clayton County Health District brought together a hospital, a mobile medical unit, community organizations, faith leaders, and residents with lived experience to create a two-tier care model that didn’t exist before. What started as a single screening tent has grown into a fully integrated program that the county is now sustaining with its own resources beyond the grant.

• 121 Community members completed health surveys across Heart Hub events, with 66% being residents of the priority neighborhoods.

• 68% of participants who received full biometric screenings had elevated or high blood pressure — confirming the Hub is finding people who need care.

• 59% of participants at the December 2025 enhanced model launch had not received medical care in the past 12 months, confirming the Hub is reaching people outside the healthcare system.

Muscogee County Heart Health Collaborative

In Muscogee, heart health starts with the food that feeds it. Their initiative centers on a Columbus food pantry that serves as an entry point. Built on the partnership of The Food Mill and Valley Healthcare, they built a model where buying produce and knowing your blood pressure became the same trip, and it’s grown from there to include Piedmont Columbus Regional, the United Way, community health workers, local farms, and schools across the city.

• 656 Blood pressure checks delivered across Market, pantry, health fair, and partner screening sites since November 2025.

• 98% Produce voucher redemption rate — residents who earn vouchers at blood pressure screenings use them.

• 89 Cooking Matters referrals made, with 52 residents enrolled across the next three class cohorts.

Randolph County Heart Health Collaborative

A county of just over 6,000 people with no full-service hospital decided that wasn’t an excuse for poor heart health. The Randolph Collaborative built its work around the people the community already trusted: barbershops, pharmacies, churches, and a retired NBA player who grew up there. Family Connection anchored the work, nursing students from Andrew College helped build it, and the community showed up for it.

• 1,003 Views on initial campaign posts with a 30% reach among non-followers — confirming the campaign is reaching well beyond the existing audience.

• 6 TikTok videos published within the first weeks of launch, with a retired NBA player from Randolph County signed on as campaign spokesperson.

• 3 Standing blood pressure check sites activated at the Cuthbert library, Shellman Pharmacy, and Adams Family Pharmacy — bringing self-monitoring to trusted community locations.

Macon County Heart Health Collaborative

Macon didn’t wait for residents to come to them. The Collaborative brought screenings, education, and connections to care through events like the Heart of Jesse memorial walk. Built on the partnership of Macon County Family Connections, Phoebe Sumter, CareConnect, local farms, faith communities, and libraries, they built a model that works because it goes where Macon already is.

• 32 Triple Threat surveys completed at the Heart of Jesse launch event on February 28, 2026.

• 20 Partners at the table at the January 2026 Collaborative meeting, confirming strong cross-sector engagement from the start.

• 2 Participants flagged with elevated blood pressure at Bikers for Bob, both followed up by phone by the Family Connections team within days of the event.

More Than a Number

Heart health doesn’t improve because a grant gets awarded. It improves because a barber in Randolph County agrees to host a screening. Because a fire department in Clayton shows up with a mobile medical unit. Because a food pantry in Columbus pairs a bag of produce with a blood pressure check and a warm handoff to a doctor. Because a community in Macon shows up to a memorial walk and leaves knowing their blood pressure numbers for the first time.

The Georgia Cardiovascular Health Initiative is not a program, but a movement. Across four Georgia counties, hundreds of community members, organizations, and partners have come together to build something that did not exist before: a community-owned infrastructure for heart health, grounded in local data, driven by local leaders, and designed to last.

The Collaboratives meet every month and debrief every event. Each time, they are working on ways to reach more people and stay in touch. The numbers below are proof that it’s working, and they’re only getting started.

Impact By County

Clayton County Heart Health Workgroup

As the cardiovascular health extension of the Clayton County Chronic Disease Collaborative, the Clayton County Workgroup was ready to hit the ground running. Building from that work they became the first Heart Health Collaborative in the state, providing a strong foundational workflow for the other Collaboratives. The Clayton County Health District brought together a hospital, a mobile medical unit, community organizations, faith leaders, and residents with lived experience to create a two-tier care model that didn’t exist before. What started as a single screening tent has grown into a fully integrated program that the county is now sustaining with its own resources beyond the grant.

• 121 Community members completed health surveys across Heart Hub events, with 66% being residents of the priority neighborhoods.

• 68% of participants who received full biometric screenings had elevated or high blood pressure — confirming the Hub is finding people who need care.

• 59% of participants at the December 2025 enhanced model launch had not received medical care in the past 12 months, confirming the Hub is reaching people outside the healthcare system.

Muscogee County Heart Health Collaborative

In Muscogee, heart health starts with the food that feeds it. Their initiative centers on a Columbus food pantry that serves as an entry point. Built on the partnership of The Food Mill and Valley Healthcare, they built a model where buying produce and knowing your blood pressure became the same trip, and it’s grown from there to include Piedmont Columbus Regional, the United Way, community health workers, local farms, and schools across the city.

• 656 Blood pressure checks delivered across Market, pantry, health fair, and partner screening sites since November 2025.

• 98% Produce voucher redemption rate — residents who earn vouchers at blood pressure screenings use them.

• 89 Cooking Matters referrals made, with 52 residents enrolled across the next three class cohorts.

Randolph County Heart Health Collaborative

A county of just over 6,000 people with no full-service hospital decided that wasn’t an excuse for poor heart health. The Randolph Collaborative built its work around the people the community already trusted: barbershops, pharmacies, churches, and a retired NBA player who grew up there. Family Connection anchored the work, nursing students from Andrew College helped build it, and the community showed up for it.

• 1,003 Views on initial campaign posts with a 30% reach among non-followers — confirming the campaign is reaching well beyond the existing audience.

• 6 TikTok videos published within the first weeks of launch, with a retired NBA player from Randolph County signed on as campaign spokesperson.

• 3 Standing blood pressure check sites activated at the Cuthbert library, Shellman Pharmacy, and Adams Family Pharmacy — bringing self-monitoring to trusted community locations.

Macon County Heart Health Collaborative

Macon didn’t wait for residents to come to them. The Collaborative brought screenings, education, and connections to care through events like the Heart of Jesse memorial walk. Built on the partnership of Macon County Family Connections, Phoebe Sumter, CareConnect, local farms, faith communities, and libraries, they built a model that works because it goes where Macon already is.

• 32 Triple Threat surveys completed at the Heart of Jesse launch event on February 28, 2026.

• 20 Partners at the table at the January 2026 Collaborative meeting, confirming strong cross-sector engagement from the start.

• 2 Participants flagged with elevated blood pressure at Bikers for Bob, both followed up by phone by the Family Connections team within days of the event.