The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently announced 15 winners of the 2020 Million Hearts® Hypertension Control Challenge.
Hypertension, also known as high blood pressure, is a leading cause of heart disease and stroke and is a potentially life-altering problem for tens of millions of adults in the United States. Most adults who have hypertension do not have their condition under control.
The Million Hearts® Hypertension Control Challenge is an opportunity to identify practices, clinicians, and health systems that have worked with their patients to achieve hypertension control rates of at least 80%. The Champions’ stories are intended to inspire other practices and health systems to focus on improving hypertension control, and the lessons learned and shared can offer a path to improved blood pressure control.
Valley Professionals Community Health Center in Rockville and Bloomingdale have joined the ranks of 133 Hypertension Control Champions who have demonstrated success in improving hypertension control among their patients since 2012.
“This Challenge demonstrates that implementing proven, effective, and often inexpensive interventions can lead to better blood pressure control,” said Laurence Sperling, MD, a preventive cardiologist and executive director of Million Hearts®. “Million Hearts® is pleased to announce 15 new Hypertension Control Champions, which include 10 Federally Qualified Health Centers and four new states. Congratulations to this year’s Hypertension Control Champions, who remind us that a focus on cardiovascular health and the prevention of heart attacks, strokes, and cardiovascular events must remain a priority.”
To be eligible, entrants shared verifiable blood pressure control data on their patients and highlighted successful strategies and best practices adopted by the practice or system. All Champions achieved control rates of at least 80% for their adult patients by using a variety of approaches, including the following:
- Making blood pressure control a priority for all patients in their health system
- Using a treatment protocol
- Bringing patients back until they get to control
- Offering easy-to-schedule recheck appointments
- Using electronic health records to generate reports for patients who need follow-up and feedback on overall performance in blood pressure control
- Engaging patients in their own care, often through the use of self-measured blood pressure monitoring and regular and easy access to providers for follow-up
- Working diligently with providers through diabetes and nutrition center (and certified Diabetes Prevention Program) to give appropriate care to patients with diabetes
- Reaching out to patients through a home health initiative
- Using a team approach
Million Hearts® is a national initiative, co-led by CDC and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, to prevent 1 million heart attacks and strokes by 2022. Saving lives through better blood pressure control has been a long-standing CDC priority. CDC recognizes the Champions’ performance and shares their lessons learned to inspire other practices and practitioners to focus on achieving similar success. Learn more about the Million Hearts® Hypertension Control Champions.
