Health promotion model for "Heart Smart": the medical school, university, and community

This paper provides the rationale, design, description, and evaluation of a unique comprehensive health promotion model, wherein an interdisciplinary group of professionals from three organizations--a medical school, university, and community collaborated to implement a cardiovascular (CV) health project entitled "Heart Smart" on a total school environment (K-6). Preliminary program findings are reported. Major lessons learned are also discussed which suggest a number of recommendations for the successful adoption of a school-based CV health intervention. The expertise and interaction of a multidisciplinary group of health care, research, and educational professionals has been a successful endeavor which has greatly enhanced the quality of the health promotion model for "Heart Smart." More comprehensive models such as "Heart Smart," which intervene on a total school environment, are vital to the reduction of CV disease in the United States and abroad.