The National Black Church Initiative launched its “Heart First” program last week to educate members of the Black faith community on the risks of heart failure, and ways to prevent or manage it.

The pilot program was announced at a press conference Nov. 10, 2023, at St. James Baptist Church in Coconut Grove, which will participate in the initiative. Rev. Anthony Evans, president of the National Black Church Initiative (NBCI), visited the locale from headquarters in Washington, D.C., to share the news.

Pastor Anthony Evans Heart First Campaign Continues with Dr. Bernard Ashby
The NBCI Heart First Health Campaign continues with the third "Health Sermon" featuring Dr. Bernard Ashby, owner of CVC Medicine at Second Baptist Church, Miami, FL Sunday, February 11, 2024 @ with a discussion of heart failure and its' symptoms and effects.

Anthony Evans Heart First Campaign Rollout with Dr. Bernard Ashby
The National Black Church Initiative Heart First Health Sermon features Dr. Bernard Ashby, owner of CVC Medicine who discussed heart failure and its' symptoms and effects

Anthony Evans Heart First Campaign Rollout with Dr. Bernard Ashby #2
The National Black Church Initiative Heart First Health Sermon video is the second to feature Dr. Bernard Ashby, owner of CVC Medicine who discussed heart failure and its' symptoms and effects

NBCI Heart First Program - Implementation Guide

[.pdf 3mb] This slide presentation is an implementation guide to the NBCI Pilot Program. Subjects in brief include;

• Program Characteristics
• What Are the 4 Types of Heart Diseases?
• A List of Cardiovascular Diseases: The 5 Most Common
• Combating Heart Disease in the Black Community
• Clergy & Clinicians, Heart Disease and Black Americans

A Clinical Decision Support Tool to Advance Guideline-Directed Medical Therapy in Patients with Heart Failure

Heart failure (HF) is a high-morbidity, high-cost condition that is expected to increase in prevalence. Although hospital admissions and readmissions are common in HF, research consistently shows that guideline-directed medical therapy (GDMT) reduces mortality, hospitalizations, and symptom burden.

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In honor of Heart Health Month and Black History Month, our seventh episode of Clergy & Clinicians features Pastor Chris Harris speaking with Clyde W. Yancy, MD, MSc, about the impacts of heart disease on Black people in the U.S.

Dr. Yancy, chief of Cardiology in the Department of Medicine at Northwestern Medicine and former president of the American Heart Association, explains why heart disease is the leading cause of death among Black people in the U.S. and answers questions from members of Bright Star Church in Chicago’s Bronzeville community. Tune in to this episode to learn simple ways to reduce your risk of developing heart disease!