Seven Years of Impact
As the Ohio Cardiovascular and Diabetes Health Collaborative (Cardi-OH) completes the final year of its CMS grant, faculty at Northeast Ohio Medical University are reflecting on their contributions to improve cardiovascular and diabetes outcomes.
Since its inception, Cardi-OH has brought together Ohio’s seven medical schools with a shared mission: to improve health outcomes and reduce health disparities through accessible, evidence-based education for healthcare providers. Over the past seven years, NEOMED faculty have contributed extensively to this effort, developing a wide range of resources including peer-reviewed publications, podcasts, clinical capsules, and webinars.
NEOMED’s interdisciplinary team— L. Austin Fredrickson, M.D., FACP (’14), Ruth Ludwick, Ph.D. RN-BC, APRN-CNS, FAAN, Rebecca Fischbein Ph.D., and Kristin Baughman Ph.D.— has focused on advancing care in areas such as patient adherence, health equity, and lifestyle factors influencing cardiovascular risk.
Over the course of the grant, their contributions have addressed timely and impactful topics, including:
- The role of family support in cardiovascular disease prevention and management
- Food insecurity and its influence on chronic disease outcomes
- Rural telehealth and access to care during COVID-19
- Closing the digital divide and improving access to affordable internet
- Strength training and preventive strategies for older adults
- Social needs screening and the broader impact of social drivers of health
- Enhancing patient engagement through cultural competence
- Improving care for LGBTQIA+ individuals and persons with disabilities
Clinical impact has remained central throughout the initiative. Dr. Fredrickson continues to support quality improvement efforts as a clinical coach for East Liverpool City Hospital Family Medicine Residency Program, helping translate Cardi-OH resources into practice at the community level.
As Cardi-OH concludes this phase of funding, its legacy is reflected not only in the breadth of resources developed, but in the sustained commitment to improving care for diverse and underserved populations across Ohio. The collaborative’s work has helped equip providers with practical tools to address both medical and social drivers of health—an impact that will extend well beyond the life of the grant.
Learn More
To learn more about Cardi-OH or NEOMED’s contributions, contact Kristin Baughman at kbaughma@neomed.edu.