The newest items available for checkout at the Mandel Public Library in West Palm Beach aren’t books. They’re blood pressure kits.
The kits have been donated through an American Heart Association program called Libraries with Heart. The program is sponsored locally by HCA Florida Healthcare, which is supported by the HCA Healthcare Foundation. Mandel Public Library is the first library in Palm Beach County to adopt the program, which is also available at all St. Lucie County libraries, at the Pruitt Campus branch of the Indian River State College Library System, and will soon be available at several Indian River County libraries.
Each kit includes a blood pressure monitor and a resource packet that explains how to check blood pressure, where to find free health resources in the county, and pages to write down and track blood pressure numbers.
When the individual returns the blood pressure kit to the library, librarians can show them how to find a health care professional to help them manage blood pressure.
High blood pressure is a leading risk factor for heart disease, stroke, and chronic conditions, but for most people, it has no symptoms. An estimated 1 in 3 adults in the United States has high blood pressure, but many of those individuals might not know they have it until it’s damaged their health.
For more information about Libraries with Heart, contact PBC@Heart.org.
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