Douglas County libraries to offer blood pressure machine checkouts

DOUGLAS COUNTY, Ga. - This week, the Douglas County Commission is expected to agree to a memorandum of understanding between it, the American Heart Association, and the West Georgia Regional Library System to allow blood pressure machines to be installed in Douglas County libraries. These machines will also be allowed to be checked out like books. 

The American Heart Association initiative is called Libraries with Heart. It kicked off in Fulton County in late May. 

The machines will be accompanied by paperwork to track your blood pressure, materials explaining the significance of those blood pressure numbers, and a list of health care providers near the library branch.  

The Fulton County Library has placed three blood pressure machines in 17 of its 32 library branches. With help from AHA, they have been strategically placed in areas of high need, like south of Interstate 20. One cuff will be available for use by anyone who comes in, and the other two can be checked out with a library card. 

"People have this notion of what their libraries are, just someplace to check out books," says Teryn Gilliam, Fulton County Library Branch Group Administrator. "This is giving them a resource to know their (blood pressure) numbers. That's important. Especially with the cost of blood pressure cuffs." 

Fulton County allows the blood pressure kit to be checked out for up to two weeks and can be renewed. 

So far, there have been 20 checkouts and two renewals. 

"Nearly half of Atlantans have been diagnosed with high blood pressure, and half don't know they have it," says Erin Thomas, spokesperson for Metro Atlanta Heart Association. 

In addition to Douglas County, AHA says the Libraries with Heart program will eventually be set up in Cobb and Clayton County.