The Million Hearts^® Hypertension Control Challenge is a nationwide competition to identify providers that have achieved an average hypertension control rate of at least 80% through innovations in health information technology, patient communication, and team-based care. The competition is part of the Million Hearts^® initiative to promote heart health and reduce heart disease and stroke. The initiative is co-led by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Learn more about Million Hearts^® here.

NYC REACH is pleased to share that for the second year in a row, the Million Hearts^® Hypertension Control Champions from New York City are NYC REACH members who participated in HealthyHearts NYC, an initiative to ensure primary care practices have the tools they need to adopt the ABCS of heart health: Aspirin in high-risk individuals, Blood pressure control, Cholesterol management, and Smoking cessation. The program was a three-year collaboration between the Primary Care Information Project (PCIP), the New York University School of Medicine, and the Community Health Care Association of New York State. NYC REACH continues to provide customized quality improvement support to help primary care practices achieve their hypertension control goals.

This year’s Champions (and NYC REACH members), were among just 18 private practices and community health centers recognized nationwide.

Dr. Jia Hong (Hong Jia Medical PC) is an internist in Flushing, Queens. Dr. Hong takes a team-based approach to care for patients with hypertension. She also believes in the importance of communication, follow-up, and education. Patient education is a part of every care plan and each patient prescribed a new blood pressure-lowering medication receives a follow-up phone call.

Click here to read our interview with Dr. Jia Hong about her approach to treating patients with hypertension.

Dr. Terence Hsuih (Eighth Avenue Medical Office) is an internist in Sunset Park, Brooklyn. Dr. Hsuih’s hypertension control protocol starts with making sure blood pressure is measured accurately. The practice calls patients with newly prescribed blood pressure-lowering medication to discuss any potential side effects or concerns, and schedules each patient for a two-week follow-up appointment after starting the new medication.

Dr. Himanshu Patel and Dr. Jigar Patel (Patel Medical Center) are internists in Brooklyn. To ensure patients with hypertension receive appropriate follow-up care, practice staff schedule follow-up visits before patients leave the office. Staff also run monthly registries in their electronic health record (EHR) to identify patients with uncontrolled high blood pressure, then contact those patients to provide additional support and schedule appointments for those who have fallen out of care.

Dr. Shelly Shi (Shelly Shi Medical PC) is an internist in Chinatown. Dr. Shi and her staff use their EHR as a tool for optimizing care for patients with hypertension. They use the EHR to easily communicate with patients, and patients use it to schedule their own appointments. Dr. Shi also uses the EHR to assess and monitor medication adherence.

Dr. Mark Tsinker (Bay Parkway Medical PC) is an internist in Brooklyn. Dr. Tsinker believes in integrating behavioral health with primary care. When treating patients with hypertension, he considers behavioral health issues such as anxiety or depression that could be contributing to their high blood pressure. He aims to make medicine easier for patients to understand by offering patient education, and to make care more accessible by making house calls to patients who are unable to visit the office.

Click here to read about the NYC REACH members who were recognized as Hypertension Control Champions last year.

From back left to front right: Vitaliy Shtutin, Senior Clinical Quality Manager, PCIP; Sachel Somwaru, Clinical Quality Specialist, PCIP; Chien Ting Chen, MD, MPH, Clinical Quality Specialist, PCIP; Donna Shelley, MD, MPH, Professor of Medicine and Population Health and Co-Director, Section on Tobacco, Alcohol and Drug Use, Department of Population Health, New York University School of Medicine; Hang Pham-Singer, PharmD, Senior Directly of Quality Improvement, PCIP; Sarah Shih, MPH, Assistant Commissioner, PCIP; Mark Tsinker, MD; Nella Tsinker, Terence Chun Hung Hsuih, MD; Jia Hong, MD