Hypertension Control Champions Named
The 24 organizations provide care to more than 1.2 million adults that is focused on proven strategies to help their patients achieve blood pressure control at rates at or above the Million Hearts® target of 70 percent, according to CDC.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention this week announced the 24 winners nationwide of the 2017 Million Hearts Hypertension Control Challenge.
These organizations, ranging from Rhode Island to California, provide care to more than 1.2 million adults that is focused on proven strategies to help their patients achieve blood pressure control at rates at or above the Million Hearts® target of 70 percent, according to CDC.
"Too many Americans have high blood pressure, putting them at greater risk for a heart attack, stroke, dementia, and other serious health threats," said CDC Director Dr. Brenda Fitzgerald. "Controlling blood pressure is one of the most effective ways to keep people healthy. We applaud these Champions for such great progress."
Nearly one-third of American adults have high blood pressure, which is a leading cause of heart disease and strokes, and fewer than of the adults with high blood pressure have their condition under control. The Million Hearts initiative has begun a new, five-year phase called Million Hearts 2022 with a renewed focus on keeping people healthy, optimizing care, and improving outcomes for priority populations.
"We are excited to host this Challenge and showcase successful strategies used by our 2017 Champions to keep blood pressure under safe control, prevent heart attacks and strokes, and save lives," said Dr. Janet Wright, a board-certified cardiologist and executive director of Million Hearts. "We had a higher than ever number of entrants this year and we hope that these Champions inspire teams all over the country to make hypertension control a priority. We are already looking forward to celebrating the achievements of future Champions in the years to come."
To be eligible, entrants shared verifiable high blood pressure control data on their patients. They highlighted successful strategies and best practices adopted by the practice or system and achieved control rates of 70 percent or more for their adult patients.
Million Hearts is a national initiative headed by CDC and the Centers for Medicare & Mediciad Services to prevent 1 million heart attacks and strokes between 2017 and 2022. For more information, visit http://millionhearts.hhs.gov.
To see a list of the 2017 Million Hearts Hypertension Control Champions, visit this page.