Heart disease, stroke, and other cardiovascular diseases kill over 800,000 Americans each year, accounting for one in every three deaths. The Utah Million Hearts Coalition initiative aims to prevent heart attacks and strokes by improving blood pressure measurement and contol. Each year primary care clinics throughout Utah are invited to apply for the Million Hearts Award, the application helps clinics identify what they do well and what they can do better in regards to blood pressure measurement.  Selected clinics are awarded a stipend of $500 to make improvements to blood pressure measurments. The graph includes the average hypertension control rate for clinics participatinging in the Million Hearts program throughout the Bear River Health District. 

Data note: The number of clinics particpating each year vary depending on who applies.  The left side of the graph is the average hypertension control rate and the bottom is the year.

Partners include the Utah Department of Health, Utah Million Hearts Coalition, and primary health care clinics in the Bear River Health District. 

According to the American Heart Association, Automated Office Blood Pressure (AOBP) measurements in office settings is now the gold stardard for taking accurate blood pressure. AOBP is when multiple blood pressure readings are taken with a full automated sphygmomanometer with the patient resting alone quietly. It is encouraged for patients with a high readings to particiapte in a self measured blood pressure (SMBP) monitoring program to help reduce white coat hypertension and get an accurage reading.  SMBP is when a patient uses a home monitor to take their blood pressure daily for 1-2 weeks, recording the readings, and reporting back to the doctor for a more accurate diagnosis. 

Our goal is to increase not only the number of clinics that apply for the Million Hearts Award each year, but assist the clinic improve their hypertension control rate through implementing AOBP and SMBP programs.