St. Joseph’s Health is Nationally Recognized for Efforts to Improve Blood Pressure Control

SYRACUSE, N.Y.— St. Joseph’s Health has once again received the highest recognition by the American Heart Association and American Medical Association for its commitment to improving blood pressure (BP) control rates, earning the Gold+-level recognition as part of Target: BP™.

 

This is the sixth year St. Joseph’s Health has earned this honor.

 

The Gold+ award recognizes practices that demonstrate a commitment to measurement accuracy and in which high blood pressure is controlled in 70% or more of the affected adult patients.

 

High blood pressure, or hypertension, is a leading risk factor for heart attacks, strokes and preventable death in the U.S. There are 122.4 million U.S. adults living with hypertension. The is nearly half of all adults in the country.^[1] Unfortunately, just a quarter of them have their BP under control, making both diagnosis and effective management critical.^[2] In the U.S., heart disease and stroke are the No. 1 and No. 5 causes of death, respectively, and stroke is a leading cause of disability.

 

“Addressing blood pressure management is key for better cardiovascular health – and critical today, when heart disease and stroke continue to be leading causes of death for adults in the U.S.,” said Dr. Russell Silverman, cardiologist, and Director of the Heart Failure Clinic at St. Joseph’s Health. “High blood pressure is a leading risk factor of heart disease and stroke that can often be prevented or managed if diagnosed and treated properly.”

 

Target: BP is a national initiative formed by the American Heart Association and American Medical Association in response to the high prevalence of uncontrolled blood pressure. The initiative aims to help health care organizations and care teams, at no cost, improve blood pressure control rates through an evidence-based quality improvement program and recognizes organizations, like St. Joseph’s Hospital, that are committed to improving blood pressure control.

 

“By committing to helping more people in Central New York control their blood pressure and reduce their risks for future heart disease and stroke, St. Joseph’s Health is taking a key step to helping more people live longer, healthier lives,” said Yvonne Commodore-Mensah, PhD, MHS, RN, FAHA, Target: BP advisory group volunteer and associate professor at Johns Hopkins School of Nursing. “St. Joseph’s Health’s participation in the Target: BP initiative shows its dedication to turning clinical guidelines into lifelines for patients and their families.”

 

Learn more at TargetBP.org.