Stroke awareness programs for West Harlem

A specially designed community Wellness Center on the ground floor of the Greene Science Center provides health resources to serve area residents. Physicians from Columbia University Medical Center host community-based initiatives that train members of the Harlem community and beyond to become health advocates to prevent stroke and promote mental health. The center also provides free cholesterol and blood pressure screenings.

The Wellness Center houses the Community Health Worker Stroke Prevention program (CHW), which empowers communities to combat stroke. The program includes 6-week trainings, held throughout the year at the Wellness Center, that give local residents the tools they need to become community health workers. Volunteers learn about various cardiovascular health topics, including motivational interviewing, with a special emphasis on stroke and related risk factors. Alumni of the program serve as health advocates in their communities and at faith-based organizations, with the overall goal of improving stroke outcomes and lowering the prevalence of stroke and related risk factors. The curriculum was developed with the assistance of community focus groups and in consultation with experts in health education. The program, modeled on the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s CHW training curriculum, with the addition of culturally tailored multimedia components, is led by Olajide Williams, MD, chief of staff of neurology and associate professor of neurology at Columbia University Medical Center, founder of Hip Hop Public Health, and codirector of the Center for Stroke Disparities Solutions in New York.

Please note that the Wellness Center is not a clinical practice.