Community Engagement Initiatives
Health Equity: For Patients, With Patients
Our community engagement initiatives are at the heart of our mission, addressing health disparities and improving vascular health outcomes in underserved populations.
Below are current Patients are Partners community engagement initiatives.
PAD Facebook Project: Empowering Digital Support Networks
Community-Based Microgrants: Empowering Local Action on Vascular Disease
Chinese-Speaking Vascular Patient Engagement​
Comprehensive Heart and Multidisciplinary Limb Preservation Outreach Networks (CHAMPIONS) Initiative
Goal: Amplify PAD education and awareness efforts through social media engagement, patient-reported challenges, and technology-focused solutions.
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Activities:
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Engage with the Peripheral Artery Disease-PAD/Walking/Exercise Regimen Support Group on Facebook
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Develop and disseminate new materials targeting educational gaps
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Leverage technologies focused on behavioral changes developed at Stanford and UCSF
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Impact: Engage 3,000+ patients and caregivers are engaged and are fostering a community of support and information sharing.
Goal: Identify and address barriers to engaging in research among Chinese-speaking patients, enhancing participation in vascular health research.
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Activities:
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Host virtual meetings to co-learn with patients about research participation and their needs/preferences
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Develop and disseminate materials in Chinese, with no English knowledge required
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Scale learnings and tools to similarly situated communities
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Impact: Chinese-speaking patients are building their capacity to engage in research and are benefiting from tailored resources to improve treatment and care. These resources can be adapted to other underserved groups, potentially increasing patient engagement every where.
Goal: To empower small nonprofits and community groups with the resources to conduct grassroots educational initiatives. Our microgrants aim to enhance community awareness and understanding of vascular health, addressing a critical need for education on vascular conditions outside of the heart.
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Activities:
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Offering microgrants ranging from $1500 to $1800 to support innovative community projects focused on vascular disease prevention and education.
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Application Process: Open to small nonprofit organizations, student-led groups, and educational clubs across the United States with projects rooted in their local communities.
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Impact
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Increasing community awareness and disease prevention strategies
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Strengthening a network of local leaders and organizations dedicated to vascular health
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Example Projects of Interest:
We're looking to support projects that can make a significant impact on community health, such as:
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Nutrition and Wellness Education: Programs tailored to address diet and exercise as preventative measures.
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Culturally-Appropriate Educational Approaches: Initiatives designed to resonate with and effectively reach specific community groups.
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Diabetes and PAD Awareness: Initiatives aimed at high-risk communities which highlight the connection between diabetes and PAD.
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How to Apply:
Encouraging applications that propose novel and meaningful ways to fill gaps, including grassroots coalition-building, wellness education, and patient self-advocacy initiatives. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. Eligible organizations and groups are invited to submit proposals that align with our mission to advance patient-centered research and catalyze innovative collaborations for vascular health. For more information, contact us directly at info@vascularcures.org.
Comprehensive Heart and Multidisciplinary Limb Preservation Outreach Networks (CHAMPIONS) Initiative
Goal: To provide peripheral artery disease screenings to high-risk populations in the East Bay, California, and develop a scalable model for collaborative, community-based and data-focused solutions for amputation prevention to address vascular health disparities
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Activities:
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Community-focused education and empowerment
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Critical data analysis for actionable change
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Research to address barriers to healthcare access
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Impact: Increase health literacy, improve access to vascular screening, and manage disease in medically underserved communities.