ThedaCare becomes first hospital system in Wisconsin to earn national recognition for efforts aimed at reducing heart attacks and strokes

APPLETON — The American Heart Association (AHA) and American Medical Association (AMA) have recognized ThedaCare for their commitment to reducing the number of Americans who have heart attacks and strokes each year. ThedaCare is among a group of first-time recipients of the AHA and AMA’s Target: BP Recognition Program awards, which is nationally recognized.

Launched in 2017, the Target: BP Recognition Program is an extension of Target: BP™—a national initiative between the AHA and AMA aimed at addressing the growing burden of high blood pressure in the U.S. More than 1,100 physician practices and health systems nationwide— including ThedaCare —have joined Target: BP™, sharing a common goal to reduce the number of adult patients with uncontrolled blood pressure and improve health outcomes associated with heart disease.

Of the 103 million Americans with high blood pressure, only about half of them have it controlled to a healthy level despite the fact that high blood pressure can often be managed effectively when patients work with their physician to create and follow a treatment plan. No single risk factor has more impact on the nation’s death rates from cardiovascular disease than blood pressure.

To help physician practices and health systems achieve their goals, Target: BP™ provides all participants with a dedicated website featuring a free evidence-based improvement program that includes tools and resources to help clinicians improve blood pressure control rates. To facilitate easy and seamless adoption of the Target: BP™ Improvement Program, registrants have access to trained support specialists within their community who can help identify specific program components to incorporate into clinical practice.

“We’re excited to bring Target: BP to physicians as a tool to help reduce the devastating impact of high blood pressure in terms of heart disease and stroke, and we’re proud to recognize practices that are joining us to increase focus on blood pressure control,” said AHA President John Warner, M.D.

The Gold recognition earned by ThedaCare means the hospital system has at least 70 percent of its adult patients with high blood pressure controlled. To learn more about this program, visit TargetBP.org.