From Libraries to Heart Health: Marlo Vernon Takes Cardiovascular Care Into Rural Georgia

AU researchers use library check outs to check in on cardiovascular health

Dec 28, 2025

2 min

Marlo Vernon, PhD, associate professor in the Department of Health Management, Economics, and Policy at Augusta University’s School of Public Health, is leading a creative public health initiative designed to improve cardiovascular monitoring in rural Georgia. Through the university’s Rural Obese At-Risk initiative, Vernon and her team are placing blood pressure monitors in local libraries, allowing residents to check them out just like books. The effort addresses a critical access gap in rural communities where preventive health tools are often limited or difficult to obtain.

Vernon’s work focuses on the realities facing communities in the South’s so-called Stroke Belt, where overlapping health conditions significantly elevate cardiovascular risk.

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“There are significant chronic disease risk factors in this so-called Stroke Belt. We’ve got high obesity rates. We have family history. We have high rates of diabetes and kidney disease and they all kind of feed into each other to really create this cardiovascular health need in our communities. And women, in general, are just at a higher risk for this,” said Marlo Vernon, PhD.

Beyond equipment access, Vernon’s research also examines how people understand and manage their health when traditional care options are limited. The library-based model helps normalize blood pressure monitoring while reducing barriers such as travel distance, cost, and limited clinic availability. It also creates opportunities to study how community-based solutions can improve awareness, engagement, and long-term cardiovascular outcomes.

For journalists covering rural health, women’s health, chronic disease prevention, or innovative public-health strategies, Vernon offers grounded, real-world insight into how trusted community spaces can play a vital role in addressing persistent health disparities.

A full article on this topic is available below. To arrange an interview with Dr. Vernon simply click on her iconnow to set up a time to talk today.

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Marlo Vernon, PhD

Associate Professor, Department of Community and Behavioral Health Sciences, School of Public Health

Skilled in Program Evaluation, Grant Writing, Program Development, Public Health Research and Data Analysis.

Physical ActivityChildhood ObesityProgram DevelopmentProgram EvaluationPublic Health Research

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