Cardiovascular Health Learning Collaborative (CVHLC)

Cardiovascular health is a considerable public health concern across Ohio. Heart disease continues to be a leading cause of death in Ohio, where the state is in the top quartile nationally for the highest heart disease mortality. Risk factors such as hypertension, diabetes, high cholesterol, obesity, unhealthy diet, and lack of physical activity contribute to an individuals’ increased risk of developing heart disease. The Cardiovascular Health Learning Collaborative (CVHLC) aims to establish a statewide collaborative focused on cardiovascular disease prevention and management and the social determinants that impact it. 

A steering committee for the work was formed in 2024, and includes members from organizations throughout the state, including: the American Heart Association, Franklin County Public Health, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, the MetroHealth system, The Ohio Colleges of Medicine Government Resource Center (GRC), CliniSync, the Coverdell Stroke program, and WISEWOMAN. The collaborative will consist of three work groups: Clinical, Community, and Data Awareness, each including representatives from healthcare and community organizations across Ohio. Each group will develop SMART objectives and collect information on existing initiatives, as well as identify future activities relevant to their goals, with the aim of improving cardiovascular outcomes in Ohio. The global goals for each of the work groups are as follows:

• The global goal for the ‘Clinical’ work group is to improve outcomes related to cardiovascular health.
• The global goal for the ‘Community’ work group is twofold:
  1. Share resources and increase awareness of cardiovascular health
  2. Support community and social needs affecting cardiovascular health
• The global goal of the ‘Data Awareness’ work group is to target those at highest risk for cardiovascular disease in the state of Ohio.

Workgroups are anticipated to kick off in early 2026 with an anticipated quarterly meeting cadence after the kickoff meeting. For more information on the CVHLC or to participate in one of the work groups, please contact Sharline Martin or Sara May at CVHLC@osumc.edu

The Cardiovascular Health Learning Collaborative is sponsored by the Ohio Department of Health’s Bureau of Health Improvement and Wellness and is administered by the GRC.