Health and wellness organizations in Jackson helping Mississippians get heart health on track

by

Lacey Alexander

• Published on February 24, 2023 • Comments

One of many buildings named for the late Mississippi Sen. Thad Cochran is the Jackson Medical Mall Thad Cochran Center, an 800,000-square-foot former retail space that now houses physicians' offices, an outpatient cancer treatment center and other medical operations, photographed Friday, May 31, 2019, in Jackson, Miss. Democratic Rep. Bennie Thompson, who is African-American, said in 2014 that Cochran's work in securing federal money was vital to developing the medical mall in the mid-1990s.
AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis

February is heart health month and heart disease is the leading killer of adults in the state. In response, The Mississippi State Department of Health hosted a fair at the Medical Mall in Jackson yesterday focused on heart health.

Lacey Alexander

Health and wellness organizations in Jackson helping Mississippians get heart health on track

Lee Davis walks at the Medical Mall a few times every week, and took advantage of the resources that were offered at no charge to residents.

"People have individual health problems, [such as] high blood pressure, cholesterol and heart problems and diabetes and, you know, joint problems and all that kind of stuff," he said. "and this program right here would have been helpful for a whole lot of people to learn more... that they really don't know that they need to know."

Representatives from other wellness organizations like the YMCA set up booths to help Mississippians understand and improve their blood pressure, diet, and more. Cassandra Brown is the interim director of the office of preventive health and health equity at the health department. She says that the entire state struggles with heart disease, but the capitol city is a good place to reach and educate Mississippians.

"The city of Jackson is a good place to hold this event because of the sheer numbers here, and because of the resources in the city," she said. "It's the perfect location for an event like this. Actually, anywhere in Mississippi is a perfect location to start being active."

The event also included a "heart walk" that encouraged attendees to walk around the facility.