Mission:
High blood pressure (hypertension) is extremely common. Uncontrolled blood pressure puts people at increased risk of developing heart disease, brain disease, and kidney disease. Yet only 1 in 4 people have their blood pressure under good control (blood pressure under 130/80 mmHg). Blood pressure control is worse in populations who traditionally face inequities, including the African American and Latinx communities.
Blood pressure control could be improved if we change the way we deliver care. There are increasing calls for home blood pressure monitoring (in addition to office measurements), and remote (virtual) blood pressure teams with nurses and pharmacists to support primary care providers in achieving blood pressure control. There is also more attention to how social determinants of health impact individuals’ ability to participate in their healthcare journey and gain maximal benefit from therapy. Community health workers can be the needed glue, helping patients access services and reinforcing plans of care.
The Pressure Check study is designed to address health inequities in hypertension (high blood pressure), providing much needed evidence about how best to control high blood pressure in our communities. This evidence will support policies and infrastructure for how we deliver care. The study is taking place in 4 cities, wherein a partnered health system in each city (Yale New Haven Health, Sentara Health, Houston Methodist, and Massachusetts General/Brigham) is collaborating with 10 community partners to screen for high blood pressure. Our community partners include churches, barbershops, community centers, and other businesses/organizations that have been historically minded around health and wellbeing.
Meet the Sentara Health Team
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Dr. John Brush (Principal Investigator)
Dr. Brush (MD) is the Chief Research Officer for the Sentara Health, a large regional health system in Virginia and North Carolina. He has maintained an interest in cardiovascular outcomes research and has led quality improvement initiatives at the local, state, and national level.
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Dr. Michael Charles (Co-Investigator)
Dr. Charles (MD) is the Executive Medical Director for the new Sentara Community Care Program, a new delivery model to help care for the uninsured and underserved across Virginia.
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Dr. Charles F. Lovell, Jr., (Community Co-Investigator)
Dr. Lovell (MD, FACP) is the founder and Principal Investigator at York Clinical Research, LLC and has been an investigative site for over 100 clinical trials over the 23 years of the site’s existence. He is an Assistant Professor of Internal Medicine at EVMS and serves on the Community Faculty.
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Dr. Keith Newby (Community Co-Investigator)
Dr. Keith H. Newby is a cardiology specialist in Norfolk, Virginia. Dr. Newby grew up in Hampton Roads, earned his undergraduate degree from Norfolk State University and his medical degree from Eastern Virginia Medical School. He has been in practice for more than 30 years. Dr. Newby is also the President and CEO of the James E Newby Jr MD foundation designed to promote health and wellness through education and engagement, health equity and research.
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Iris Lundy (Community Co-Investigator)
Iris Lundy (MHL, RN, BSN) is the Vice President of Health Equity for Sentara Health, a large integrated delivery health delivery system headquartered in Norfolk, Virginia. Through her experience as both a nurse and healthcare administrator she collaborates with leaders to develop and implement processes and practices which inform clinical performance, innovates community interventions, reduces barriers to care and improves health outcomes.
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Dr. Jennifer May (Project Manager/ Research Coordinator)
Jennifer May (PhD) has been with Sentara Health for over 20 years. She obtained her PhD from Old Dominion University in Health Psychology in 2012. Jennifer recently complete an EVMS sponsored program “Inclusive Excellence in Medicine” which focused on diversity, equity, and inclusiveness. Over the past 8 years, she has managed the clinical research program for Sentara, but now is coordinating this community health hypertension research study.
