Newswise — The Peripheral Arterial Disease (P.A.D.) Coalition presented its National Stay in Circulation Community Service Award to the African Methodist Episcopal Church (AMEC) Connectional Health Commission at the Coalition’s Sixth Annual Meeting. The Stay in Circulation Community Service Award recognizes a national organization whose activities have focused on increasing awareness about PAD to high-risk populations, patients or the health care community. The AMEC Connectional Health Commission received the Stay in Circulation Community Service Award for its efforts to educate the African American community about PAD.
PAD occurs when arteries in the legs become narrowed or clogged with fatty deposits, reducing blood flow to the legs. This can result in leg muscle pain when walking, disability, amputation, and poor quality of life. Blocked arteries found in people with PAD can be a red flag that other arteries, including those in the heart and brain, may also be affected – increasing the risk of a heart attack or stroke.
Since PAD is more common in African Americans than any other racial or ethnic group, the AMEC Connectional Health Commission and P.A.D. Coalition developed a plan to reach AMEC church congregations with information about the disease’s risk factors, warning signs and consequences. Over the last year, three trainings have been held to educate church health ministers and other leaders about PAD and available resources. A church kit which includes copies of a PAD church bulletin insert and special “Stay in Circulation” cardboard fans was produced and promoted to all AME churches. To date, more than 1,500 kits have been distributed.
"On behalf of the P.A.D. Coalition, we are delighted to present the 2009 Stay in Circulation Community Service Award to the African Methodist Episcopal Church Connectional Health Commission," stated Marge Lovell, RN, chair, P.A.D. Coalition and clinical trials nurse at the London Health Sciences and Centre in London, Ontario. “Our partnership has greatly increased our ability to reach individuals at risk for having undiagnosed PAD at the community level. By increasing awareness of PAD risk factors and warning signs, we aim to reduce the devastating consequences of this disease.”
“The AME Connectional Health Commission is responsible for coordinating health education and programming at the national level for dissemination to local churches. The education of members of the AME churches and their surrounding communities is largely achieved through collaborative relationships with health associations such as the P.A.D. Coalition,” stated Rev. Miriam Burnett, MD, medical director, AME Church Connectional Health Commission.
“On behalf of the AME Church Connectional Health Commission, we are pleased to receive this honor that recognizes the efforts of a cadre of Health Directors and Coordinators across the country,” stated Gwen Williams, RN, executive director, AME Church Connectional Health Commission.
About the P.A.D. CoalitionThe Peripheral Arterial Disease (P.A.D.) Coalition is an alliance of more than 80 North American health organizations, professional societies, government agencies and corporations united to improve the health and care of patients with P.A.D. Established in 2004, the P.A.D. Coalition is a division of the Vascular Disease Foundation (www.vdf.org), a national, not-for-profit section 501(c)(3) organization. The P.A.D. Coalition is supported by the following national sponsors: the Bristol-Myers Squibb/Sanofi Pharmaceuticals Partnership; Cordis Endovascular, a division of Cordis Corporation; Abbott Vascular; AnGes, Inc.; AstraZeneca; Bard Peripheral Vascular; Baxter Healthcare; BioMedix; Cook, Inc; ev3 Endovascular, Inc.; W.L. Gore & Associates; Hokanson; Medtronic; Novo Nordisk; Omron; and Summit Doppler.For more information about P.A.D., visit www.P.A.D.coalition.org.
RSS