By Katarina A. Lewczyk | Date published: September 4, 2025
Lara Kovell and Team Receive Funding from the Remillard Family Community Service Fund
Lara Kovell, MD, associate professor of medicine in the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, and her team of colleagues were recently awarded funding from the Remillard Family Community Service Fund to support projects that address social determinants of health and equitable and affordable access to care. Additionally, the grants help support, develop, and expand community outreach programs.
Dr. Kovell’s project, titled “Improving Access, Equity, and Education Through Home Blood Pressure Monitoring in Pregnancy,” was proposed by medical students Cailey Denoncourt, Ananya Das, and Sobana Balasubramanian, along with Abigail Aurthur, MD, MPH, cardiology research coordinator in the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine. Their project aims to improve the accuracy of home blood pressure readings through improved patient education focused on correct technique and building patient confidence.
Additionally, Dr. Kovell and her team aim to increase access to home blood pressure monitoring by distributing BP monitors, addressing key social determinants such as income and transportation. Through home blood pressure monitoring with proper education delivered by brief virtual visits, this project aims to overcome some of the barriers faced by these patients, including economic insecurity, geographic isolation, and limited health care access.