The funded research for the Health Equity COVID-19 Academic Community Partnership was used to support community-based partners in service learning and community outreach initiatives. The two recipients were: Anyanate G. Jack, MD, and Tracy Paul, MD.

“Tele-REACH: leveraging teleservices to Recognize, Empower, and Advocate for Community Health(REACH) partnerships”

Anyanate G. Jack, MD, Assistant Professor of Clinical

Medicine, Division of Endocrinology

Project description: Tele-REACH hopes to assess barriers in connectivity and provide feasible strategies that would facilitate the successful implementation of health promotion virtual interactive workshops with the selected faith-based organization(s). Federal and local government efforts such as acceleration of the NYC Internet Master Plan might help mitigate some of the broader connectivity challenges that exist and is beyond the scope of Tele- REACH.

“Hypertension Control in the Age of COVID-19: Utilizing Telemedicine for Hypertension Treatment Lifestyle Modification in Central Harlem”

Tracy Paul, MD, Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine,
Division of Cardiology

Project description: Hypertension is one of the leading risk factors in the development of heart disease and stroke.  In New York City (NYC), the prevalence of hypertension in Black adults is 1.5 times higher than in White adults and in the Central Harlem community, nearly 40% of residents have hypertension compared to 29% of the entire NYC population. The purpose of the project is to improve blood pressure control among a group of adults connected to the Boys & Girls Club of Harlem (BGCH), a community organization located in Central Harlem, through providing lifestyle modification education for the treatment of hypertension through telemedicine.

Dr. Tracy K. Paul practices general cardiology, critical care cardiology, and echocardiography. Her clinical interests include valvular heart disease, post-myocardial infarction care, women’s cardiovascular health, and health care disparities.

For more information, email dcoe@med.cornell.edu.