Dear Colleagues,
I am delighted to share the news that the 2017 Million Hearts® Hypertension Control Champions have been selected.
This year, we are recognizing 24 Champions from across the United States. Together, these dedicated professionals cared for more than 1.2 million adults and achieved blood pressure control for, on average, more than 70% of their patients. These remarkable results, combined with those of the 59 Champions recognized since 2012, will help protect millions from heart disease and stroke, two leading causes of death in America.
The 2017 Million Hearts® Hypertension Control Champions are:
Anming Luo, Physician, PC; New York, New York
Charles King Chan, M.D.; New York, New York
Citrus Health Network, Inc.; Hialeah, Florida
Erwin Mermelstein, M.D., FACC; East Brunswick, New Jersey
Greater Elgin Family Care Center; Elgin, Illinois
Jeffrey James Lim, M.D., FACP; Guymon, Oklahoma
LifeLong Medical Care Downtown Oakland Health Center; Berkeley, California
Lorain County Health & Dentistry; Lorain, Ohio
Lynn Community Center; Lynn, Massachusetts
Maninder S. Kohli, M.D., FACP; Hinsdale, Illinois
Michael Andrew Cooper; M.D.; Flower Mound, Texas
Michael Richter, M.D.; New York, New York
New West Physicians; Golden, Colorado
North Hudson Community Action Corporation Health Center; West New York, New Jersey
OhioHealth Primary Care Physicians, Eagleton; Columbus, Ohio
Plymouth Family Physicians; Plymouth, Wisconsin
River Hills Community Health Center; Ottumwa, Iowa
Rural Medical Services, Inc.; Newport, Tennessee
Rush University Medical Group; Chicago, Illinois
Sanford Health Clinics; Bismarck, North Dakota
Sharp Rees-Stealy Medical Group; San Diego, California
Southwest Orlando Family Medicine, P.L.; Orlando, Florida
The Wright Center for Primary Care; Clarks Summit, Pennsylvania
WellOne Primary Medical & Dental Care; Pascoag, Rhode Island
As in previous years, this group of Champions runs the gamut from large health systems to small and solo practices. The majority of our Champions serve underserved populations, and many of these practices work closely with Million Hearts® partners. This year’s Champions are collaborating with state and local health departments and participating in EvidenceNOW, CMS’ Quality Improvement Networks, Medicare Shared Savings Program, Pioneer ACOs, or the Million Hearts® Cardiovascular Disease Risk Reduction Model. Nine Champions are Federally Qualified Health Centers.
Their stories of success reveal the power of accessible and actionable data, team-care, and aligned incentives, all brought to bear on the practice’s high priority: hypertension control for all. Saving lives through better blood pressure control has been a longstanding priority for Million Hearts®. By recognizing the Champions’ excellence and sharing their lessons learned, we aim to help other health care professionals achieve the same success in communities nationwide.
We encourage you to visit the Million Hearts® website and share these evidence-based tools and resources with your colleagues and partners to improve blood pressure control.
Finally, please join me and Dr. Fitzgerald, CDC Director, in celebrating the remarkable achievements of our 2017 Million Hearts® Hypertension Control Champions.
Sincerely,
Janet
Janet S. Wright MD, FACC
Executive Director, Million Hearts®
