Lowering High Blood Pressure in Washington
High blood pressure is known as the "silent killer" because it usually has no symptoms and cannot be detected without being measured. When left unmanaged, high blood pressure puts 1 in 4 Washington adults at an increased risk for heart disease, stroke, heart failure and other health threats.
Making An Impact
To help overcome barriers to blood pressure management, the American Heart Association is working with community-based organization and health centers in historically under-resourced areas in Washington to better identify and support individuals managing high blood pressure. Our ongoing efforts include:
Convening Hypertension Health Care Leaders in Washington
The American Heart Association, Washington hosted a Hypertension Summit, inspiring collaborative care strategies for the 2.7 million Washingtonians with high blood pressure. The event, featuring a keynote by volunteer medical expert Eugene Yang MD, MS, FACC, convened health care and public health leaders to discuss an integrated approach to blood pressure care. The Summit paved the way for local efforts aimed at increasing hypertension awareness and management, striving toward a 75% statewide blood pressure control rate.
South King Healthcare’s Self-Monitoring Program
The American Heart Association’s collaboration with South King Healthcare in Federal Way is an example of our efforts to better support patients in managing high blood pressure. South King Healthcare serves vulnerable adults in the greater South King County region with an emphasis on refugees and immigrants. South King Healthcare identified a cohort of clients who needed additional assistance in managing high blood pressure. With the American Heart Association’s support, this project supplied cohort members with home blood pressure devices as well as educational resources to encourage lifestyle modifications that support healthy blood pressure numbers. The video below shares more about the project.
Fighting High Blood Pressure on the Home Front
To help overcome barriers to blood pressure management in Pierce County, the American Heart Association collaborated with Community Health Care to develop an equitable solution, a self-monitoring blood pressure program (SMBP) when existing barriers to care were exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Helping Neighborcare Patients Know Their Numbers
The American Heart Association collaborated with Neighborcare Health to empower patients to be active participants in their health through a self-monitoring blood pressure program (SMBP) to reduce their risk of heart disease and stroke.
Learn more about our work with Neighborcare
Managing High Blood Pressure at Home
To address the gap in hypertension management in historically under-resourced communities, the American Heart Association established self-monitoring blood pressure (SMBP) programs with 13 clinic locations and a low-income housing community. Now, over 90,000 individuals have access to tools, resources and education to manage high blood pressure at home, including videos and materials in eight languages. By equipping participants with their own blood pressure monitor, the SMBP program helps tackle barriers that may prevent regular monitoring, including transportation and the cost of a home monitor.
“It’s our hope that providing at home blood pressure cuffs will reduce barriers to care for our patients and help them monitor and ultimately get control of their chronic condition." Jenna Burrell, Quality Improvement Coordinator at Community Health Care.
Target: BP™ supports doctors and care teams in helping patients keep hypertension under control. We provide patient and provider education and quality improvement recommendations that improve health outcomes. 119 clinical sites in Washington State are participating, covering more than 1.7 million patients.
Congratulations to the dozens of Washington State health care organizations who have been recognized for prioritizing care for patients with high blood pressure, Type 2 Diabetes and high cholesterol. By participating in the American Heart Association’s primary care initiatives, recognized clinics have taken measures to improve awareness, prevention and management of key cardiovascular disease risk factors. See the list of 2024 Washington awardees.
