Southeast Mississippi Rural Health Initiative, Inc. earns national recognition for efforts to reduce the number of patients with uncontrolled blood pressure!

The American Heart Association and American Medical Association celebrate Southeast Mississippi Rural Health Initiative, Inc. for their commitment to prioritizing blood pressure control.

 Southeast Mississippi Rural Health Initiative, Inc. has been recognized by the American Heart Association (AHA) and American Medical Association (AMA) for their commitment to helping improve blood pressure (BP) control rates among the patient populations they serve, earning Silver Level Recognition as part of the 2021 Target: BP™ Recognition Program.

• The Silver Award recognizes practices that have demonstrated a commitment to improving blood pressure control through measurement accuracy.

Hypertension (high BP) is a leading risk factor for heart attacks, strokes, and preventable death in the U.S. In addition, there are 121.5 million U.S. adults living with high BP and less than half of those people have their BP under control[1] – making both diagnosing and effectively managing hypertension critical. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that heart disease and stroke continue to kill more people in the U.S. than other causes.

“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,” said Dr. Geroldean Dyse. “Addressing blood pressure management is key for better cardiovascular health – and critical today since heart disease and strokes continue to be a leading cause of death for Americans.”

Target: BP is a national collaboration between the AHA and the AMA aimed at reducing the number of Americans who suffer from heart attacks and strokes each year by urging physician practices, health systems, and patients to prioritize BP control. The initiative aims to help health care organizations improve blood pressure control rates through the use of AMA MAP BP™ evidence-based protocols and recognizes Southeast Mississippi Rural Health Initiative, Inc. as being committed to improving blood pressure control.

The Target: BP Recognition Program celebrates physician practices and health systems, who treat patients with hypertension, for achieving BP control rates at or above 70 percent within the populations they serve. These achievements will ultimately lead to a reduction in the number of Americans who suffer heart attacks and strokes.

Learn more at TargetBP.org.