Northeast Georgia Health System (NGHS) and its Georgia Heart Institute go the extra mile to help patients control their high blood pressure, and their efforts have been recognized with a top national award. NGHS recently earned a Gold Plus recognition from “Target: BP,” an initiative of the American Medical Association (AMA) and the American Heart Association (AHA).
The Gold Plus achievement award recognizes practices that have demonstrated evidence-based practices for measurement and treatment to control high blood pressure in 70% or more of the affected adult patients. Earning this award requires collecting and submitting data on staff education, equipment changes and tuning, implementing evidence-based processes, adding resources and other enhancements.
High blood pressure, also called hypertension, is a leading risk factor for heart attacks, strokes and preventable death. Nearly half of all adults in the United States, more than 120 million people, have high blood pressure, according to the AHA. Only a quarter of these people have their blood pressure under control, so diagnosing and managing this condition are critical to saving lives.
“Georgia Heart Institute is proud to celebrate this Gold Plus award from Target: BP,” said Mudassar Ahmed, MD, chief cardiology officer of Georgia Heart Institute. “Helping our patients control their high blood pressure is one of the most important things we can do for their heart health. It is truly a team effort to adopt and apply best practices and standardize how we diagnose and manage high blood pressure across all our clinic locations.”
Target: BP is a national initiative formed by the AHA and AMA that aims to help healthcare organizations, at no cost, improve blood pressure control rates through an evidence-based quality improvement program and recognizes organizations that are committed to improving blood pressure control.
To learn more or to schedule an appointment with Georgia Heart Institute, call 770-534-2020 or go to georgiaheartinstitute.org.
About Georgia Heart Instiute
Georgia Heart Institute is the most forward-thinking heart and vascular program in the state and includes one of the largest cardiology practices in the region, including more than 120 clinicians seeing patients at more than a dozen locations. With a multi-disciplinary team of experts treating nearly every type of heart and vascular disease and participating in leading national research, we’re providing advanced care that ensures lasting heart health for generations. Request an appointment and learn more at georgiaheartinstitute.org.
The experts of Georgia Heart Institute also form the core of the cardiac care team at Northeast Georgia Medical Center’s five hospitals in Gainesville, Braselton, Winder, Dahlonega and Demorest. It’s all part of Northeast Georgia Health System, a non-profit which serves more than 1 million people across the region. Learn more at nghs.com.