COBB COUNTY, Ga. — A blood pressure monitoring station isn’t something you’d expect to see in a church.
But Bishop Celestine Ironna of Christ Anglican Church and many of his congregants check and log their blood pressure regularly.
“I know that my family has a history of high blood pressure, like my father, so I don’t take it lightly,” Ironna told Channel 2 Cobb County Bureau Chief Michele Newell.
Four stations are installed in churches in south Cobb and Douglas County, specifically in communities that don’t have easy access to healthcare.
Shana Scott with Metro Atlanta Heart Association says 26% of African Americans have hypertension.
“Having the blood monitoring, blood pressure is so amazing for us because it gives everyone access to healthcare,” Ironna said.
“One of the things we want to do is to be able to bridge the gap and prevent lack of access in communities where you may have lack of healthcare providers,” Scott said.
The stations are part of a new community-driven initiative led by the Wellstar Health System in partnership with Cobb and Douglas Public Health and the American Heart Association.
“Somebody can walk in here. If you don’t have the opportunity to see a doctor, you can easily walk in here and make sure your blood pressure can stay down,” Ironna said.
“Many African Americans are pre-disposed to hypertension due to genetics, due to family history, scientifically how our bodies retain water and retain the sodium minerals,” Scott said.
“We know the importance of health. Without life there is nothing you can do,” Ironna said.
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