Hypertension and diabetes — these are two chronic conditions that many Neighborhood Health Center patients are battling, and Neighborhood is taking a close look at ways to remove barriers to care and improve the care we provide to our patients with these conditions.

We are thrilled to have recently received a $65,000 grant from the American Heart Association to help us address some of those barriers. One such barrier is cost. Many insurances won’t cover the cost of at-home blood pressure cuffs. With the AHA grant funding, Neighborhood has been able to purchase blood pressure kits for patients who can benefit from being able to check their blood pressure at home, removing the financial barrier.

“The kits encourage our patients to take a more active role in the management of their blood pressure while also enabling providers to monitor blood pressure trends at home and via telehealth visits,” explains Joseph Quackenbush, PA-C, (pictured) clinical director at Neighborhood Health Center Mattina.

Telehealth visits help remove another barrier to accessing healthcare. Patients can still have a real-time visit with their healthcare provider via telehealth when barriers such as time, illness, or lack of transportation get in the way of an in-person visit.

Additionally, Neighborhood is integrating nutrition services into its hypertension patient care by connecting patients with Neighborhood’s in-house team of registered dieticians. 

“Paying attention to what you eat is hugely important for managing blood pressure,” says Zak Collins, RD of Neighborhood’s wellness department. “Some studies have shown that a DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet can lower blood pressure in as little as two weeks.”

If you are ready to start your journey to better health, we are here to help. Call Neighborhood at 716-875-2904 for an appointment, or if you are already a patient, you may request an appointment through the Patient Portal by clicking the icon at the top of the page.