Stronger Hearts Higi blood pressure kiosk to open March 20 at The Weinberg Park Heights Jewish Community Center

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Smart health station will be third under American Heart Association and LifeBridge Health's collaborative efforts



A health kiosk that provides biometric information, including blood pressure readings, will be dedicated at The Weinberg Park Heights Jewish Community Center on Sunday, March 20.


The Higi Smart Health Station is the latest effort in the multi-year Stronger Hearts collaboration between LifeBridge Health and the American Heart Association of Baltimore & Greater Maryland.

 

"Taking care of your heart should not only happen when you visit your doctor. We know that we need to meet people where they are "“ making it convenient and simple," said Neil Meltzer, the CEO and President of LifeBridge Health.

 



This Higi machine will be the third such smart health and blood pressure kiosk put in place under the Stronger Hearts initiative. The first was opened at The JCC in Owings Mills in 2019, and officials from both organizations recently cut the ribbon on a second Higi kiosk, placed at the LifeBridge Health & Wellness Center in Pikesville.

 

Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is the leading cause of heart disease and stroke and can be linked to more than half a million deaths in the United States each year.

 

"You can't see high blood pressure," said Dr. William Ashley, a neurosurgeon at LifeBridge and President of the American Heart Association Board of Directors for Baltimore & Greater Maryland. "About half of adults over 20 in the U.S. have high blood pressure, but many don't know because it has no obvious symptoms, which is why it is often called the silent killer. These Higi stations can help people know their numbers and literally save lives in this community."

During its first month online, the more than 600 people had already used the Higi station at the LifeBridge Health & Fitness and nearly 1,000 sessions were logged in the last three months of