The National Forum for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention was founded in 2003 to implement A Public Health Action Plan to Prevent Heart Disease and Stroke (“Action Plan”). The Action Plan provides a comprehensive public health strategy and a framework to guide health practitioners and policymakers’ action in heart disease and stroke prevention. The National Forum is a 501(c)3 organization.

VISION

Working together for a heart-healthy and stroke-free world.

MISSION

To provide leadership and encourage collaborative action between organizations committed to heart disease and stroke prevention.

OVERVIEW

The National Forum involves participants from more than 85 national and international organizations representing public and private, health care, advocacy, academic, policy, and community organizations. National Forum Members seek to address the recommendations of the Action Plan by improving cardiovascular health through the prevention, detection, and treatment of risk factors; early identification and treatment of heart attacks and strokes; and prevention of recurrent cardiovascular events. This collaborative effort is designed to guide the nation in taking action, strengthening capacity, evaluating impact, advancing policy, and engaging in partnerships to reverse the epidemic of heart disease and stroke. The National Forum continues to move toward its goal of full implementation of the Action Plan recommendations by convening member organizations, facilitating discussion around topics of need and interest, and driving action amongst the broader stakeholder community. Current efforts are focused on establishing a national cardiovascular surveillance system, coordinating real world application of the cardiovascular prevention components included in health reform legislation, designing an online policy toolkit, and developing a bi-annual conference in 2012 addressing heart disease and stroke prevention.