CONCLUSIONS
The MVP program consolidated the efforts of health providers, payers, academic research
institutions, as well as faith and community organizations in addressing cardiovascular
health disparities in the Baltimore community. In this study, we report findings generally
supportive of the positive impact structuring hypertension education around naturally
existing social networks in a population of African Americans in the greater Baltimore
metropolitan area. Further studies should capitalize on these findings and explore ways to
reinforce ties within social networks, assess their impact on mediating factors such as health
knowledge, self-efficacy and social network indices, and finally measure their impact on
intermediate, and if possible, long-term health outcomes such as developing heart disease