SICHC nationally recognized for patient blood pressure outreach

PAOLI, Indiana – Southern Indiana Community Health Care (SICHC) was recognized by the American Heart Association and American Medical Association in October for its commitment to improving blood pressure (BP) control rates, earning Silver-level recognition as part of Target: BP™.

The Silver award recognizes practices that have demonstrated a commitment to improving blood pressure control through measurement accuracy. “Donna Charles, a Chronic Care Nurse Manager with SICHC, and her team have done an excellent job in helping SICHC patients appropriately address and manage SICHC hypertension patients,” said Yolanda Yoder, M.D., Chief Medical Officer of SICHC.  “This national award is a direct result of their important work for our patients and their families in Southern Indiana.”

High blood pressure, or hypertension, is a leading risk factor for heart attacks, strokes and preventable death in the U.S. According to the American Heart Association, there are 122.4 million U.S. adults living with hypertension. This is nearly half of all adults in the country. Unfortunately, just a quarter of them have their BP under control, making both diagnosis and effective management critical. 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.,” Dr. Yoder said. “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.”

SICHC staff followed the 5 pillars of 30 Evidence Based activities set by Target BP initiative. Of those:

• Calibrate and validate b/p devices and have gone through training of “How to properly take a patient’s b/p”
• Adopt a protocol for repeat b/p measurements when readings are out of range
• Act rapidly to incoming abnormal b/p patient readings
• Partner with our patients on adopting a modifiable lifestyle change, while providing education on nutrition, physical activity & weight
• And ultimately gather data that can turn into actions of improvement and sustainability.

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 Southern Indiana Community Health Care, which are committed to improving blood pressure control.

“By committing to helping more people in Southern Indiana control their blood pressure and reduce their risks for future heart disease and stroke, SICHC 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. “SICHC’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.

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About the Southern Indiana Community Health Care nonprofit organization

Well-known as a high-impact health care provider committed to continuity of care, the nonprofit Southern Indiana Community Health Care (SICHC) organization is committed to providing high-quality, comprehensive, community-sensitive health care utilizing Christ-centered principles to medically underserved, rural communities. As a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC), SICHC serves as a “safety net” provider for vulnerable populations and focuses on increasing access to primary care services for Medicaid and Medicare patients in rural communities. SICHC offers medical care in medically underserved areas of Crawford, Lawrence, Orange, and Washington counties. Southern Indiana Community Health Care is a member of the National Health Services Corps and receives program funding from the Health Resources and Services. For more information, please visit: https://sichc.org/

 About Target: BP^TM

Target: BP™ is a national initiative formed by the American Heart Association and the American Medical Association in response to the high prevalence of uncontrolled blood pressure. Target: BP helps health care organizations and care teams, at no cost, improve BP control rates through an evidence-based quality improvement program and recognizes organizations committed to improving BP control.

Media inquires: Michael Snyder MEK 317-805-4870