Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Group and Baylor Medicine Earn National Recognition for Efforts to Reduce Number of Patients with Uncontrolled Blood Pressure

HOUSTON (December 2, 2020) – Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Group and Baylor Medicine have been recognized by the American Heart Association (AHA) and American Medical Association (AMA) for their commitment to helping improve blood pressure (BP) control rates among the patient populations they serve, earning Participation level recognition as part of the 2020 Target: BP™ Recognition Program. 

The Participation award recognizes practices that have submitted data and committed to reducing the number of adult patients with uncontrolled BP.

Hypertension (high BP) is a leading risk factor for heart attacks, strokes, and preventable death in the U.S. In addition, there are 116 million U.S. adults living with high BP and less than half of those people have their BP under control – making both diagnosing and effectively managing hypertension critical. And following the Surgeon General’s Call-to-Action to prioritize hypertension control in the U.S. and research in JAMA showing that overall rates of BP control have declined in recent years, optimizing hypertension control could not be more timely or needed.

“In the United States alone, nearly 68 million people have high blood pressure, which increases the risk for heart disease and stroke, the first and third leading causes of death in the country,” said Dr. Peter Bigler, Chief Medical Officer, Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Group. “We are proud to be part of this initiative that helps raise awareness of the disease and reduce the prevalence of uncontrolled high blood pressure among adults.”

Target: BP is a national collaboration between the AHA and the AMA aimed at reducing the number of Americans who suffer from heart attacks and strokes each year by urging physician practices, health systems and patients to prioritize BP control. The initiative aims to help health care organizations improve BP control rates through use of the evidence-based AMA MAP BP™ quality improvement program, and recognizes organizations committed to improving blood pressure control.

“We are delighted to be part of the AMA’s Target: BP program,” said Dr. Daniel Murphy, chair of Baylor Medicine’s Quality and Safety Committee and assistant professor of medicine at Baylor College of Medicine. “This program provides an excellent platform for exchanging tips and strategies for improving blood pressure control and helps to highlight the quality improvement efforts we’ve undertaken for hypertension in our patients at Baylor Medicine.”

The Target: BP Recognition Program celebrates physician practices and health systems, who treat patients with hypertension, for achieving BP control rates at or above 70 percent within the populations they serve. These achievements will ultimately lead to a reduction in the number of Americans who suffer heart attacks and strokes.

Learn more at TargetBP.org.

About Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Group

Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Group is network of more than 200 multidisciplinary healthcare providers conveniently located throughout the Greater Houston area and East Texas. Our medical professionals provide personalized, expert care in a variety of specialties, including primary care, cardiology, neurology, orthopedics, OB/GYN, and general surgery. Many offer same or next-day appointments and virtual visits, as well as onsite imaging and laboratory services, providing patients and their families with a convenient and comprehensive healthcare experience. Baylor St. Luke's Medical Group accepts all major insurance plans.

About Baylor Medicine

Baylor Medicine is the primary multidisciplinary clinical practice of Baylor College of Medicine, which includes all clinical and administrative activities based in Baylor ambulatory care locations and activities supporting Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center. At Baylor Medicine, patients have access to world-class healthcare in more than 30 specialties and hundreds of clinical trials, all backed by the legacy of Baylor College of Medicine. By offering the latest treatments, innovations and therapies, Baylor Medicine has a steadfast dedication to improving patient care and outcomes.