The Florida Heart Research Institute (FHRI) has received a generous grant of $15,000 from the Miami Foundation to expand their free Cardiovascular Risk Factor Screening program which provides community-based screenings to adults age 18 and over and targets the uninsured or underserved in known poverty areas of Miami-Dade County.

 

FHRI provides this free service in community centers, churches and health fairs as a means of fulfilling their mission to “stop heart disease through research, education and prevention.” Demand for the free screening program has grown exponentially each year as people learn about its availability and with the economic downturn. In fact, it is common for the screening (which also provides culturally sensitive health coaching and education in English, Spanish and Creole) to be the only “health care” many of these people receive in a year. The program saves lives by identifying those at risk for heart disease, stroke, diabetes and obesity before they suffer a life threatening event.

 

Florida Heart’s screening program is unique because of their vision to link those identified as needing follow up medical care to nearby clinics that will treat them on a sliding fee scale based upon ability to pay. The program increases access to care for the uninsured, cuts down on ER visits, reduces uncompensated care and decreases health disparities. This free service will be provided to 737 underserved Miami-Dade residents at approximately $20 per person in 15 events or less. It is thanks to this generous grant that FHRI is able to further pursue their mission and expand this free service to the Miami-Dade community.

 

For information about upcoming free screening events, visit www.floridaheart.org and click on “Screenings” under the Prevention tab.