North Carolina

The American Heart Association is committed to driving equitable health impact in North Carolina through five key priority areas: women, readiness, tobacco and vaping, patients, and healthy living. Equity is always at the center of our work, and it will continue to guide all that we do.

Through our focus on these key impact areas, and with collaboration among local organizations, sponsors, businesses, and others that serve the community, we are working to improve the health and well-being of North Carolina citizens while saving and improving countless lives.

Throughout the state of North Carolina, we’ve seen our community impact work grow, including efforts around creating avenues for greater access to care, expanding healthy food access and education, building a network of first responders through CPR kits in schools, supporting blood pressure screenings and education, and educating on the dangers of tobacco and vaping.

People are counting on us as never before. We at the American Heart Association, along with our supporters, will drive change, and we will be relentless.

Advocacy has had a mission-critical role in the Association's work for more than 40 years. Our legislative and regulatory priorities help to mitigate risk factors and protect survivors in communities across the country. We support the enactment of evidence-based public policies that lead to longer, healthier lives.

Public policy advocacy is an essential strategy used by the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association to affect necessary and sustainable policy, system and environmental changes that help Americans build healthier lives free of cardiovascular disease and stroke.

The American Heart Association's Hair, Heart & Health program is expanding to barbershops and beauty salons in Caswell County.

For the past three years, this program has collaborated with salons and barbershops throughout the Triad, making health conversations in the barber’s chair even more possible. At participating salons and shops, staff have been trained, blood pressure checks are being encouraged, and stylists and barbers are engaging their clients with accurate, heart health information to help reduce risk factors for heart disease and stroke.

According to the American Heart Association, over half of Black adults have high blood pressure, with high blood pressure developing earlier in Black Americans and often being more severe. Black Americans also have a higher prevalence of stroke and the highest death rate from stroke. Increased prevalence of high blood pressure, increased overweight and obesity rates, and increased prevalence of diabetes, makes the focus of this awareness, education and preventative program so vital.

“Barbershops are pillars in the neighborhood and imperative to the education of our people. We encourage our neighbors to come in, sit and talk about everything related to having a healthy family,” shared Derek Brooks, Owner of Gentleman’s Grooming Lounge in Winston-Salem.

“For the past few years, I have been focused on living a more health conscious lifestyle for myself and my family. I am intentional about my heart-healthy lifestyle and share any helpful information I can to bring forth awareness. I converse with so many clients from different walks of life, but the one thing we all have in common is the desire to live a long, heart-healthy life. If any of my knowledge and experiences can help the next person, I'm ready to share it,” said Jermaine Foster, Owner of Supreme Legacy Barbershop in Winston-Salem.

For barbershops and salons in Caswell County that are interested in participating in the Hair, Heart & Health program, contact: Jennifer Graziano, Senior Community Impact Director at [email protected].

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Are you doing your part to keep the Queen City healthy? Healthy Charlotte, a popular coalition of leaders and organizations dedicated to the health and wellbeing of our city, is back in action and we need your help! Learn about the “refresh” of this important initiative and how you can get involved in improving your health and the health of your friends, family and workforce.