University Hospitals in Cleveland Nationally Recognized for Efforts to Reduce Uncontrolled Blood Pressure; Address Relationship Between Diabetes, Heart Disease, and Stroke

Awards from American Heart Association, American Medical Association, and American Diabetes Association

CLEVELAND, Ohio — University Hospitals has received national recognition, with two awards from the American Heart Association and other entities, for its care of patients with uncontrolled blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, and stroke. These are some of the most common and devastating conditions plaguing the health of Americans today. The UH Primary Care Institute (PCI) and UH Population Health drove this effort.

High blood pressure (BP), or hypertension, is a leading risk factor for heart attacks, strokes, and preventable death in the U.S. Nearly half of all adults in the country, 121.5 million people, are living with hypertension. Unfortunately, according to a study published in the Journal Circulation, less than half of them have their BP under control. Furthermore, Black Americans are more likely to have hypertension and suffer harm from it.

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.

Target: Type 2 Diabetes℠ Participant Award

UH has also received the American Heart Association’s Target: Type 2 Diabetes℠ Participant Award for its commitment to addressing the relationship between diabetes and the risk of heart disease and stroke. The Participant Award recognizes practices that have completed data submission, including clinical measure entry, and committed to improving quality of care for patients with type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular risk factors.

Target: Type 2 Diabetes addresses heart disease and stroke risk factors in patients with type 2 diabetes as part of the Know Diabetes by Heart™ initiative, by the American Heart Association and American Diabetes Association, helping ensure the care provided to patients is aligned with the latest evidence- and research-based guidelines.

About University Hospitals / Cleveland, Ohio
Founded in 1866, University Hospitals serves the needs of patients through an integrated network of more than 20 hospitals (including 5 joint ventures), more than 50 health centers and outpatient facilities, and over 200 physician offices in 16 counties throughout northern Ohio. The system’s flagship quaternary care, academic medical center, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, is affiliated with Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Oxford University and the Technion Israel Institute of Technology. The main campus also includes the UH Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital, ranked among the top children’s hospitals in the nation; UH MacDonald Women's Hospital, Ohio's only hospital for women; and UH Seidman Cancer Center, part of the NCI-designated Case Comprehensive Cancer Center. UH is home to some of the most prestigious clinical and research programs in the nation, with more than 3,000 active clinical trials and research studies underway. UH Cleveland Medical Center is perennially among the highest performers in national ranking surveys, including “America’s Best Hospitals” from U.S. News & World Report. UH is also home to 19 Clinical Care Delivery and Research Institutes. UH is one of the largest employers in Northeast Ohio with more than 30,000 employees. Follow UH on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter. For more information, visit UHhospitals.org.