Preventing Stress, Strengthening Hearts: Mindful Hearts Phase 2

Mar 13 3:52pm | Jasmine Souers | @jasminesouers

Laura Suarez Pardo, M.D., is leading an innovative research project focused on preventing stress‑related health concerns among underserved females in Rochester, Minnesota. As a psychiatrist with additional work in cardiology, Dr. Suarez Pardo brings a unique dual lens to the intersection of mental health, cardiovascular health, and stress management. Her commitment to community‑engaged research ensures that the project is rooted in the needs, priorities, and lived experiences of the females it aims to serve.

Early conversations with community members consistently highlighted mental health and stress as a top concern for the community and underserved females in particular. With support from the Rochester Health Community Partnership (RHCP), Phase 1 of the Mindful Hearts project began with a series of community‑informed focus groups. Insights from these discussions shaped the pilot study, which introduced wearable devices to monitor stress indicators such as heart rate and sleep patterns, alongside ecological momentary assessment (EMA) technology to capture real‑time reports of stress.

Now entering Phase 2, supported by a 2025 Center for Clinical and Translational Science (CCaTS) Community Health Assessment and Community Health: Assessment and Improvement Measures Program (CHAMP) Award, the team is launching a randomized controlled trial comparing a traditional six‑week, in‑person mindfulness program with a mindfulness program enhanced with EMA‑based technology tools. The study aims to examine not only changes in perceived stress but also cardiovascular outcomes, reflecting growing evidence that mindfulness may help reduce blood pressure and support heart health. Understanding whether technology adds measurable value to traditional mindfulness practices could inform how future prevention programs are designed and scaled.

A central pillar of the project is its strong community partnership with RHCP, which plays an active role in shaping, delivering, and sustaining the intervention. Through a train‑the‑trainer model, community coaches are being equipped to lead mindfulness groups, ensuring that the program is culturally responsive, community engaged, and scalable beyond the initial study. Early feedback from participants has been positive. Both the focus group and the 2026 Olmsted County Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) have affirmed that mental health remains a critical priority for the community.

The Mindful Hearts intervention exemplifies how community‑engaged research and prevention can work hand‑in‑hand, combining evidence‑based mindfulness strategies, emerging technologies, and trusted community partnerships to promote both mental and cardiovascular health. As a 2025 CHAMP Awardee, Dr. Suarez Pardo has just begun this next phase of work. We look forward to learning more about the impact of this pilot and the potential it holds for improving health outcomes for females in Rochester and, eventually, beyond.