From death and disability to patient empowerment: an interprofessional partnership to achieve cardiovascular health in Canada.

This paper proposes a paradigm shift in health care from a focus on death and disability to one on health empowerment resulting in improved cardiovascular lifestyles for all Canadians. It describes a national interprofessional initiative to achieve this new vision in the area of cardiovascular health promotion. Achieving Cardiovascular Health in Canada (ACHIC) is a partnership of health professional associations and other health advocate groups whose vision is to promote optimal cardiovascular health (including cerebrovascular health) for all Canadians through interprofessional partnership initiatives and support systems. ACHIC's objectives are to: 1) identify system barriers and supports to cardiovascular health; 2) develop strategies that will have a positive impact on the practices of health professionals/educators in the promotion of cardiovascular health; 3) develop an interprofessional national approach to support strategies to achieve cardiovascular health in Canada; and 4) support the development and delivery of consistent, evidence-based messages by health professionals/educators for promotion of cardiovascular health.