URBAN CALL — HEALTHY LIVING EVERY DAY!
Getting back to family — set your heart on it
Image credit American Heart Association
in the U.S. has some form of cardiovascular disease. A COVID-19 vaccination will help protect you, your
American Heart Association Champions
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Community Champions Cynthia Williams Brown, PhD
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everyone to get vaccinated as soon as they are eligible. The best researchers and medical experts in the country urge you to get a COVID-19 vaccine as soon as it’s available to you to help eliminate the pandemic. All approved vaccines are safe and effective and the best one is the one that’s available to you. Your state or local health department will have information on when and where to get a vaccine. Your doctor can help answer questions that pertain specifically to your health history. It’s up to you. Learning about the COVID-19 vaccine can be the first step to get back to your life. Get informed, visit heart.org/vaccine.
Making an Impact Against COVID-19: Committed to Fighting Coronavirus
Angela Bassett, Actress
Executive VP
Michael Johnson
Gerald Johnson, AHA
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family and your community. To eliminate the virus and get back to normal, the American Heart Association encourages
Crystal Dixon, MPH
Inside...
Stephen “tWitch” Boss
The American Heart Association has fought the pandemic since its early stages because we are dedicated to helping people live longer, healthier lives. The virus can cause serious heart complications and strokes in otherwise healthy people and individuals with heart disease and heart disease risk factors are at increased risk for severe complications from COVID19. Like many, you may face higher risks for COVID-19 complications because of diabetes, high blood pressure and heart conditions. The prevalence of high blood pressure in Black Americans is the highest in the world, with 45.7% of Black adults in NC with hypertension. About half of the Black adult population
Sandra Miller Jones
SMSi Healthy Living Solutions, Inc. Founder & CEO
Lafayette Jones
Publisher, Urban Call; SMSi-Urban Call Marketing, Inc. President & CEO
Let’s all do our part!
We are delighted to partner with the American Heart Association on its programs to help deliver the facts about the COVID-19 vaccines to our community and the Hair, Heart & Health initiative that is uniting with barbershops and beauty salons. We had our shots because all the information we researched made it clear that the approved vaccines are both safe and effective. Although we are still cautious, especially in crowds, we are free to visit and hug our loved ones again. You can be, too!
“Our American Heart Association Think & Action Tank works to address health equity within the Triad through their time, talents, network and passion.”
Jennifer Lawson, Executive Director American Heart Association in the Triad
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Committed to making a difference in our communities
Triad AHA Marketing & Communications
The American Heart Association’s Triad Mobile Kitchen Chef during pre-COVID-19 times went to community centers, farmers markets, and neighborhoods in food deserts in Guilford County – educating tens of thousands of families on how to cook and eat healthier on a shoestring budget. Then with additional support from Healthy Blue, Chef N’Gai is able to cover all of the Triad with these services as classes begin to re-open!
As Chief Diversity Officer for the American Heart Association (AHA), Gerald brings a wealth of experience in building brands Gerald Johnson and driving Executive VP: sales results for Office of Health Equity & Chief great brands Diversity Officer including Lever 2000, Oreo, Chips Ahoy, Dr Pepper, 7-UP, Snapple, Healthy Choice, Orville Redenbacher and Earvin
“Magic” Johnson at fortune 100 companies including Unilever, Nabisco, Cadbury Schweppes, Dr. Pepper/7-UP, ConAgra Foods and Magic Johnson Enterprises. During his tenure he’s held various leadership positions in Marketing, most recently as Chief Marketing Officer for Magic Johnson Enterprises and the Magic Johnson Foundation with accountability for leading marketing across all businesses, as well as driving revenue and sales for Strategic Alliances, Licensing and Fund Raising. An industry leader and sought
American Heart Association champions Actress and activist
The SMSi Companies Corporate Offices 51 E. Fourth St., Suite 1702 Winston Salem, N.C. 27101-4257 Office: (336) 759-7477 Fax: (336) 941-3547
SMSi & Urban Call Community Outreach Office Goler CDC Center 899 North Liberty Street Winston Salem, NC 27101 Office: (336) 759-7477
Angela Bassett
Olympian, legendary stroke survivor
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SMSi-Urban Call Marketing, Inc. President and CEO; Urban Call Publisher: Lafayette Jones Executive Editor: Alan Cronk Production Manager: Jodi S. Sarver Digital Services Director: Jimmy Davies, Every.Black
Video Production Manager: Chris Downey, Downey Digital, LLC Photographer/Videographer: Donevan Cherry, CherVeli Media Financial Services: Roslyn Hickman Warehouse, Collation & Shipping Manager: Vincent Harris
Michael Johnson
SMSi Healthy Living Solutions Inc. SMSi Founding Chair and CEO: Sandra Miller Jones National Project Manager: Constance Baker Harris National Logistics Manager: Camille Allen Director, Financial Services: Roslyn Hickman
Angela Bassett, who stars in the TV show “9-1-1” and in recent blockbuster movies “Black Panther” and “Mission: Impossible – Fallout,” is AHA spokesperson for the For Your SweetHeart awareness campaign, “Losing my mother, the person who encouraged me to pursue my lifelong dream of becoming an actress, was a wake-up call to start talking about the risk of heart disease with my family members.”
Agent Ambassadors: Charlie Bethea, Alvin Borders, Yvette Canty, Constance Baker Harris, Talaya Loyd, Sharon Lyles, Natalie Nicholson, Debra Shore, John Wall
A stroke slowed Olympic legend Michael Johnson. Responding F.A.S.T. sped his recovery. Johnson is helping the American Stroke Association spread the word about recognizing the warning signs of stroke. He’s the perfect pitchman for the acronym long used in stroke awareness because it’s a word he knows as well as anyone: F.A.S.T. It stands for face drooping, arm weakness, speech difficulty, time to call 911.
TV personality
SMSi Community of Networks Stephen “tWitch” Boss
Dancing and TV personality, Stephen “tWitch” Boss Holker and Allison Holker, teamed up with the American Heart Association to lead a series of virtual, livingroom friendly dance sessions. These highenergy videos are fun for the whole family and can be accessed through Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and heart.org/ movemoretogether.
out speaker, Gerald currently holds responsibility as Chair of the Sponsorship and Event Marketing Committee for the Association of National Advertisers (ANA) and other advisory board roles. From a volunteer leadership perspective, Gerald is committed to making a difference in communities nationally by serving on committees and boards over the years at The American Heart Association, American Diabetes Association, Muscular Dystrophy Association, Catholic Big Brothers/ Big Sisters and Meals on Wheels.
Community champions “It is imperative that people in positions of power make a concerted effort to dismantle systemic barriers permeating the US healthcare systems to achieve health equity for all.”
“Racial disparities are present in heart disease, stroke, and are risk factors for cardiovascular disease. I’m proud to work with the American Heart Association as they focus on improving health and racial equity across the Triad.”
Crystal Dixon, MPH Assistant Professor at UNC Greensboro, Member of Greensboro Health Disparities Collaborative
Cynthia Williams Brown, PhD Chair Department: Health, P.E. and Sports Studies at WinstonSalem State University
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URBAN CALL — HEALTHY LIVING EVERY DAY!
Feeding families in need With the support of UnitedHealthcare, the American Heart Association supported Cone Health Healthy Communities by collaborating with local farmers markets to provide 100 free boxes of produce each week for eight weeks in public housing communities. In total, produce boxes were given out at different churches, community centers and apartment complexes, helping to feed over 850 families in need in our Greensboro and High Point, NC communities.
“People loved the fresh fruits and vegetables. One family comes out to talk to me about the box every Thursday. She talks about how healthy the green vegetables were for her family. She said it is hard to find fresh fruit and vegetables where she shops.
Hart Womack helps deliver produce boxes.
Jamilla Pinder, Assistant Director, Cone Health Healthy Communities
A lot of the families have asked if they will be getting the boxes again. The health benefits alone are good for the children. They need all the help they can get with the virtual learning and being alert.”
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In addition to fresh fruits and vegetables, the American Heart Association included heart healthy recipes and information on staying healthy, especially amid the pandemic.
“UnitedHealthcare is committed to helping people live healthier lives and is proud to partner with the American Heart Association of the Triad because of its mission to build an equitable, healthier community and focus on the non-medical drivers of health such as food insecurity. Both of our organizations encourage collaboration in order to positively
Corinna Miller, Director of Community Development, UnitedHealthCare
affect change. When COVID-19 began, we repurposed our employee kitchen, preparing and distributing 48,000 nutritious meals to eight non-profits. American Heart Association received 4,000 of the meals to distribute to clients with the greatest food needs.”
LOVE YOUR HAIR LOVE YOUR HEART The American Heart Association's Hair, Heart & Health program is uniting with barbershops and beauty salons in the Triad (Greensboro/High Point/ Winston-Salem area of North Carolina). Through this program, salon and barbershop staff have been trained, blood pressure checks are being encouraged, and stylists and barbers are engaging their clients with heart health information to help reduce risk factors for heart disease and stroke. Live Chair Health will also now be joining with Hair, Heart & Health – making health conversations in the barber’s chair even more possible.
“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. “As a cosmetologist, we’re able to advise our clients about hair, skin and nails. Now with the parallel for heart health, we will have some training to also advise our clients to have a healthier lifestyle,” said Monique Parks, Owner, Operator of Monique Michelle the Studio in Winston-Salem. “Our clients are very comfortable in the chair and overall health conversations happen naturally. Now with the materials, information and training from the American Heart Association, we can be even more factual and helpful,” said Charlz Henry, Stylist from The Hot Seat Studio Salon in Greensboro.
“We are on a mission to save the lives of African Americans by addressing chronic health conditions through the trusted relationships established between hair professionals and their clients,” shared Andrew Suggs, CEO and Founder of Live Chair Health. “Together with the American Heart Association, we are elevating barbers and stylists into becoming not only leaders in their community, but lifesavers for those who sit in their chairs.”
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