The Mississippi State Department of Health (MSDH) will celebrate 20 years of the Jackson Heart Study (JHS) with an event featuring free health screenings and a blood drive on Saturday at the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum in Jackson.
The event, Translating a History of African American Heart Disease into a Legacy of Health, will include speakers, entertainment, heart health education and free screenings, including blood pressure, blood sugar testing for diabetes, Body Mass Index, kidney and oral health. The public is invited to attend.
Victor Sutton, MSDH Director of the Office of Preventive Health and Health Equity, is the Principal Investigator and Director of the JHS Community Engagement Center. He will present an overview of programs and accomplishments made in the first year at the Community Engagement Center. MSDH partners with UMMC, Tougaloo and JSU for the Jackson Heart Study.
There will be a panel discussion on an innovative MSDH program, Barbers Reaching Out To Help Educate on Routine Screenings (BROTHERS). Other speakers are also on the agenda.
WHAT: 20th anniversary kick-off event for the Jackson Heart Study
WHEN: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Saturday, February 15, 2020
WHERE: Mississippi Civil Rights Museum
222 North Street
Jackson, MS 39201
The Jackson Heart Study is the largest single-site, community-based investigation focusing on factors associated with cardiovascular disease among African Americans ever undertaken. Sponsors of the heart study are the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute and the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities.
For more information on the Jackson Heart Study, visit www.jacksonheartstudy.org.
Follow MSDH by e-mail and social media at HealthyMS.com/connect.
Press Contact: MSDH Office of Communications, (601) 576-7667
Note to media: After hours or during emergencies, call 1-866-HLTHY4U (1-866-458-4948)
