Merck Foundation Awards $1.75 Million Grant to Expand Community-Based Heart Health Care in Georgia

A $1.75 million Merck Foundation grant helps Georgia State University use community health workers to fight heart disease and improve housing stability.

By: AXL Media

Published: Apr 10, 2026, 3:58 AM EDT

Source: Information for this report was sourced from Georgia State University

Bridging the Gap Between Social Stability and Cardiac Health

In Georgia, the battle against heart disease and hypertension is increasingly being fought outside the traditional clinical environment. A new $1.75 million investment from the Merck Foundation is set to bolster the Georgia Health Policy Center’s efforts to treat heart health as a byproduct of overall life stability. The initiative recognizes that for millions of residents, medical prescriptions are often secondary to the immediate needs of secure housing, reliable transportation, and consistent nutrition. By focusing on these underlying barriers, the program aims to provide a more holistic and effective pathway for managing chronic cardiovascular conditions in communities that have historically been underserved by the formal healthcare system.

The Collaborative Power of the ARCHI Care Model

Central to this effort is the Atlanta Regional Collaborative for Health Improvement (ARCHI), a multidisciplinary organization developed in partnership with the Atlanta Regional Commission and the United Way of Metro Atlanta. Supported by Georgia State University, the ARCHI model pairs patients directly with community health workers who serve as a primary liaison between the individual and a fragmented web of social services. Jeff Smythe, leader of the ARCHI collaborative, emphasizes that this approach shifts the burden of navigation from the patient to the system itself. By meeting people where they are, the program ensures that medical care is supported by the social infrastructure necessary for long-term health maintenance.

Measurable Gains in Blood Pressure and Emergency Metrics

The efficacy of utilizing community health workers as a primary intervention point has already yielded significant quantitative results. According to six-month follow-up data, 68 percent of participants in the program saw a measurable improvement in their blood pressure readings. Furthermore, the intervention led to a 39 percent reduction in emergency room visits, suggesting that proactive community support can successfully divert patients from high-cost acute care settings. The program also demonstrated a 91 percent success rate in connecting food-insecure patients with nutritional support, proving that targeted social interventions can directly influence biological health markers such as A1C scores and hypertension levels.