The Johns Hopkins School of Nursing (JHSON) has recently received two grants totaling more than $4.5 million to expand the school’s work in hypertension and mental health.
The $2.6 million grant from the American Heart Association will help JHSON researchers implement and evaluate a home blood pressure telemonitoring program. The $1.9 million grant from the American Rescue Plan Act will help the school bolster its educational offerings in mental health care and increase the number of mental health care providers.
“These new grants are outstanding and will be significant in the school’s continued efforts in cardiovascular research and in preparing the next generation of nursing leaders, especially those prepared to take on mental health care,” says Cheryl Dennison Himmelfarb, Vice Dean for Research and Sarah E. Allison Professor for Research and Self-Care.
The grant from the American Heart Association was given as part of the organization’s aim to prevent hypertension in underserved populations. With the funding, a team of researchers led by JHSON Assistant Professor Yvonne Commodore-Mensah, will implement the LINKED-BP Program, which seeks to help hypertension patients who are receiving care at community health centers. Some participants will receive a home blood pressure monitor, access to a mobile health app, and the knowledge and expertise of a community health worker. Others will receive only the blood pressure monitor. The intervention will evaluate whether blood pressure is lowered, while comparing the outcomes of the two groups.
The full research team includes Commodore-Mensah, Dennison Himmelfarb, Bloomberg Distinguished Professor Lisa Cooper, and Johns Hopkins School of Medicine Professor Deidra Crews, Assistant Professor Chidinma Ibe, and Associate Professor Seth Martin.
The funding received from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) American Rescue Plan Act will help establish and support JHSON’s newly launched Doctor of Nursing Practice Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner track. The grant will facilitate JHSON in its commitment to provide education for advanced practice psychiatric mental health nurse practitioners, especially those who can practice in underserved areas, as well as offer training opportunities for advanced practice registered nurses to specialize in mental health care and increase the number of doctorally prepared nursing faculty. The grant will be led by Assistant Professor Tamar Rodney, who is the project’s principal investigator.
“Our school is dedicated to research and studying interventions that will directly impact people and communities locally and around the world. This new funding speaks to the breadth and depth of our researchers’ work in meeting the most eminent health care needs,” says Dennison Himmelfarb.
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Located in Baltimore, the Johns Hopkins School of Nursing is a globally-recognized leader in nursing education, research, and practice. In U.S. News & World Report rankings, the school is No. 1 nationally for its master’s programs, and No. 2 for DNP programs and its online MSN Healthcare Organizational Leadership options. JHSON is ranked No. 1 for total NIH funding among schools of nursing for fiscal year 2020. In addition, the school is ranked by QS World University as the No. 3 nursing school in the world, No.1 by College Choice for its master’s program, and No. 1 by NursingSchoolHub.com for its DNP program. For more information, visit www.nursing.jhu.edu.
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