The 2013 Hypertension Control Challenge The 2013 Hypertension Control Challenge
Centers for Disease Control

Enter the 2013 Hypertension Control Challenge!

Enter the 2013 Million Hearts® Hypertension Control Challenge to spread the word about your successful strategies for working with patients to achieve better blood pressure control.

Calling all clinicians, clinical practices, and health systems working with patients to get blood pressure under control—enter the 2013 Million Hearts® Hypertension Control Challenge today to spread the word about your successful strategies for better blood pressure control.

The number of Americans who have high blood pressure, also known as hypertension, has increased dramatically in the past decade. Nearly 1,000 Americans die each day as a result of illnesses related to high blood pressure.

The latest data show that nearly 1 in 3 American adults—67 million—have high blood pressure. More than half of those with high blood pressure—36 million—don’t have it under control, even though many have insurance, are being treated with medicine, and have seen a doctor at least twice in the past year.

We know that many health care practices and systems have succeeded in working with their patients to get blood pressure under control. In 2012, Million Hearts® recognized Kaiser Permanente Colorado and Ellsworth Medical Clinic in Wisconsin as Hypertension Control Champions for their success in achieving control rates greater than 80% among their patient populations with high blood pressure.

This year, we want to recognize even more Hypertension Control Champions. Clinicians, practices, and health systems that provide care for patients with high blood pressure and have achieved blood pressure control rates greater than 70% are eligible to enter.

Please help us spread the word about what it takes to get high blood pressure under control by submitting your nomination or encouraging high-performing practices, be they small or large, to enter the 2013 Million Hearts® Hypertension Control Challenge at www.millionhearts.hhs.gov. The Challenge opened Friday, August 9, and the deadline for nominations is Monday, September 9.

The Million Hearts® Hypertension Control Challenge is a competitive challenge to identify practices, clinicians, and health systems that have demonstrated exceptional achievements in controlling hypertension. The challenge is open to any public or private health care clinician, medical practice, or health system. Nominees will submit practice or system demographics that describe the practice patient population as a whole, two aggregate hypertension control rate data points, and system-specific data, such as the use of health information technology, incentives, team-based care, efforts to improve appropriate medication use and persistence, and community linkages. For more information: www.millionhearts.hhs.gov.