Hypertension Control Champions
According to the Million Hearts® 2027 initiative, "every 34 seconds in the U.S. an adult dies from cardiovascular disease (CVD). These are mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, and friends—all gone because of a disease that is largely preventable."
Million Hearts® is a national initiative co-led by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), with the vision of averting one million preventable cardiovascular disease (CVD) events in the next five years (January 2022 to December 2026).
In support of this goal, Million Hearts® recognizes health care providers across the country as part of its annual Hypertension Control Challenge. In order to be recognized as a Hypertension Control Champion, clinicians, practices, and/or health systems need to demonstrate their commitment to help their patients with hypertension manage their blood pressure – achieving a hypertension control rate of at least 80%.
Delaware Hypertension Control Champions
There are currently five practices in Delaware that have been recognized as Million Hearts Hypertension Control Champions, including Delaware Primary Care LLC, Dover (2020), Manu Sehgal, MD, Milford (2022), Beebe Endocrinology, Millsboro (2024), Beebe Internal Medicine, Lewes (2024), and Milford Primary Care Associates, Milford (2024).
Delaware Primary Care LLC
Kim Harris, Delaware Primary Care Office Manager, partnered with Quality Insights to address barriers related to high blood pressure control and, in the process, helped the practice accomplish the impressive achievement of being named the first Million Hearts® 2020 Hypertension Control Champion in the state of Delaware.
“We updated some procedures and used our whole care team to help patients learn how to manage high blood pressure,” said Harris. “We also started offering hypertension education on flash drives and other paper materials from Quality Insights.”
Additionally, the practice loaned blood pressure monitors to patients who were unable to purchase their own, thereby allowing them to keep better tabs on their blood pressure readings from home.
Quality Insights Practice Transformation Specialist Ashley Biscardi worked closely with Harris throughout the process and was not surprised when Delaware Primary Care was designated a Champion. “I’ve had a long-standing relationship with this practice for over six years. The physicians and staff truly care for their patients and their well-being.”
Million Hearts® 2021 Hypertension Control Exemplars
Quality Insights was recognized as a 2021 Million Hearts Hypertension Control Exemplar for the work our team conducted with medical practices to ensure that hypertension control remained a priority through this difficult time. Visit the Million Hearts® website to learn about the successful strategies implemented by the Quality Insights team.
Contact Quality Insights
For more information about the Million Hearts® Hypertension Control Challenge, or if you'd like Quality Insights to help your practice apply to receive this recognition, email Ashley Biscardi or call her at 1-800-642-8686, Ext. 2137.