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 2021 at the Higi station at The J in Owings Mills, making it one of the most frequently used American Heart Association-sponsored kiosks in the country.
A ribbon cutting and dedication ceremony is scheduled for 11 a.m. Sunday, March 20, for the newest Stronger Hearts Higi health station at The Weinberg JCC, located at 5700 Park Heights Avenue in Baltimore.
Representatives from the American Heart Association and LifeBridge Health will be joined by those from The Jewish Community Center of Greater Baltimore and The Associated: Jewish Federation of Baltimore, as well as Jackie Simon, who credits the Higi station in Owings Mills with saving her life.
The Stronger Hearts initiative, which began in 2018, is a collaborative effort to create meaningful change in Maryland in the fight against cardiovascular disease and stroke.
"We are so grateful for LifeBridge Health and the Stronger Hearts collaboration, which has allowed us to bring together the resources of LifeBridge and the American Heart Association in our efforts to address our shared goals of the treatment and prevention of heart disease, which remains the leading cause of death in the U.S.," said Tracy Brazelton, Executive Director of the AHA's Baltimore & Greater Maryland Division.