Pictured, from left, are Julie Baehr, library assistant; Rachel Arnold, Lander
Library manager; Lane Bushmeyer, library assistant; and Anita Marple, executive director
of the Fremont County Library System. Blood pressure monitoring kits are now available
at the Lander Library as well as at the Dubois and Riverton branch libraries. The
public can check out the kits for up to three weeks. (Kara Beech Photo)
Self-measured blood pressure monitoring kits are now available for checkout at libraries
in Lander, Dubois and Riverton. The kits are offered through a collaborative pilot
project involving the Wyoming Center on Aging (WyCOA) at the University of Wyoming,
the Wyoming Department of Health’s Chronic Disease Prevention Program and the Fremont
County Library System.
The kits, available in both English and Spanish, include an automated home blood pressure
cuff; blood pressure logbooks; educational materials from the American Heart Association;
information on what blood pressure is; and ideas for healthy lifestyle changes. The
kits also include a resource directory to local community-based organizations and
referral resources to the Healthy U chronic disease self-management program and Cent$ible
Nutrition Program.
The loan period is three weeks. Blood pressure kits can be renewed, up to two times,
if there are no holds on the item. Failure to return a blood pressure cuff kit will
result in a blocked account until the item is returned. This program also is currently
available to people in Albany, Big Horn, Campbell, Carbon, Crook, Laramie, Lincoln,
Natrona, Park, Sheridan, Sublette, Sweetwater, Washakie and Weston counties, with
plans to be in all 23 counties by the end of June.
Nearly half of adults in the United States -- 47 percent, or 116 million -- have high
blood pressure, also known as hypertension, or are taking medication for hypertension,
and 24 percent with hypertension have their condition under control, according to
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In Wyoming, 30.7 percent of adults have been told that they have high blood pressure,
according to the Wyoming Department of Health’s Chronic Disease Prevention Program.
While self-measured blood pressure is not a substitute for regular visits to primary
care physicians, it is a way for individuals to see and track their numbers, giving
them more information that can be communicated to their doctors.
“Information is power and, the more information a patient and their doctor have, the
better the treatment plan,” says Kara Beech, a senior project coordinator with WyCOA.
“Better treatment plans lead to better overall health. That’s the goal of this project
-- to work to improve the health of our communities.”
The Fremont County Library System is committed to building and supporting strong,
healthy communities. This project provides a unique opportunity to offer the community
more information about self-monitored blood pressure and its important role in health.
“We’re excited to partner with the Wyoming Department of Health and WyCOA to bring
these much-needed resources to the community,” says Anita Marple, executive director
of the Fremont County Library System.
For patrons who are looking to take the next step in their health journey, Fremont
Wellness Education Center in Riverton and Intertribal Wellness in Fort Washakie are
offering the Healthy Heart Ambassador Self-Monitored Blood Pressure Program. The purpose
of the program is to develop the habit of routinely self-monitoring patrons’ blood
pressure. The program includes support from a Healthy Heart ambassador who will train
on proper technique for taking the patrons’ own blood pressure readings; two consultations
with a Healthy Heart ambassador each month where the patrons’ blood pressure will
be taken; a monthly nutrition education seminar highlighting how food is related to
blood pressure management; and monitoring and tracking patrons’ blood pressure at
least two times per month.
To learn more about the Fremont County Library System, go to www.fremontcountywy.org/government/county_boards___affiliates/home_library/index.php.
To learn more about WyCOA and its programs, go to www.uwyo.edu/wycoa/.
