MSWISEWOMAN Program Provider Fee For Service Contract

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death in the US, and stroke is the 5th leading cause. In 2020, about 1 in 5 adults who died from CVD were younger than 65 years old. CVD accounts for about 1 in 3 deaths per year in women. In 2020, the age-adjusted CVD death rate among women was 183.9/100,000. Hypertension, which is the leading risk factor for CVD, is prevalent among non-Hispanic Black and Hispanic women at 56.7% and 36.8%, respectively. Often, by the time symptoms appear and these women present to a healthcare provider, the disease has advanced, reflecting differences in access to screening and care. MS-WISEWOMAN PROGRAM continues its efforts to fill the gap for women to ensure adequate and quality health care access as it relates to cardiovascular disease screenings. The MS-WISEWOMAN program (MS-WWP) aims to identify women at the highest risk of CVD and improve the delivery of heart disease and stroke prevention services, particularly for those with hypertension. The program helps participants understand and reduce their risk factors of CVD and benefit from early detection and treatment. With health equity as a guiding principle, the WISEWOMAN provides culturally informed risk factor screenings and program services that are mindful of the non-medical needs of health. The preventive health services include assessing CVD risk factors, counseling, and referring participants to services that reduce those risks through improved diet, physical activity, tobacco cessation, and medication adherence support. The goal of the program is to screen medically underserved women to reduce morbidity and mortality from heart disease in Mississippi.