UH Nationally Recognized for Efforts to Reduce Uncontrolled Blood Pressure to Battle Diabetes, Heart Disease and Stroke

More than 37 million Americans have diabetes, and cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death for people living with type 2 diabetes. CVD is the leading cause of death and a major cause of heart attacks, strokes and heart failure for people living with type 2 diabetes.

“Addressing blood pressure management is key for better cardiovascular health and is critical today, when heart disease and stroke continue to be leading causes of death for adults in the U.S.,” said Todd Zeiger, MD, who led this effort and at the time was Quality Medical Director for the Primary Care Institute at University Hospitals. Sona Kirpekar, MD, now leads quality for PCI. “Receiving this recognition is a testament to the community that when they trust University Hospitals with their health, they will receive quality care.”

“At UH, we’re committed to optimizing care for the entire population of patients we serve, keeping them well and out of the hospital,” said Peter Pronovost, MD, PhD, Chief Quality and Clinical Transformation Officer at UH. “On our journey to zero harm, we are working diligently to ensure all patients have their blood pressure controlled. We’re grateful to our primary care and other providers who’ve played such a significant role in making this happen – as well as their patients who’ve committed to pursuing a healthier lifestyle.”

These improvements are the result of an interdisciplinary effort where UH’s Accountable Care Organization Population Health team, nurses, medical assistants, pharmacists, and PCI physicians work collaboratively to ensure patients have their blood pressure and diabetes controlled. This endeavor is one of several new ways in which UH seeks to optimize the care of patients with chronic disease by engaging primary care practices with specialists and patients to design primary care-centered resources around their needs.

Target: BP Gold+ Award

The American Heart Association and American Medical Association have awarded University Hospitals with the Target: BP Gold+ Award for its commitment to improving blood pressure control rates. The Gold+ award recognizes practices that demonstrate a commitment to measurement accuracy and in which high blood pressure is controlled in 70 percent or more of the affected adult patients.

Target: BP is a national collaboration between the American Heart Association and American Medical Association aimed at reducing the number of adults in the U.S. who suffer from heart attacks and strokes each year by urging physician practices, health systems, and patients to prioritize BP control.