Aledade
2021 Hypertension Control Exemplar
Million Hearts® recognizes Aledade, headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, for their rapid pivot in the early days of the pandemic.
Through virtual support, Aledade assisted three practices in Kansas to improve control rates among their patients with hypertension and then scaled these effective strategies to additional practices.
Aledade operates Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) across 32 states in partnership with more than 800 primary care practices, including 100 Federally Qualified Health Centers.
Aledade provides comprehensive support to primary care practices to achieve high quality care while reducing overall health care costs.
Successful Strategies
In 2020, Aledade piloted implementation of the American Medical Association (AMA) MAP BP™ Program (MAP stands for Measure Accurately, Act Rapidly and Partner with Patients) across an ACO. Aledade began with a pilot with three practices in Kansas that served approximately 7,000 patients.
The pandemic required Aledade staff to find ways to deliver the MAP BP™ program remotely. With self-measured blood pressure (SMBP) monitoring as the foundation of this pilot, Aledade helped the practices access validated automatic blood pressure measurement devices, helped patients overcome challenges with reading, interpreting, and transmitting their results, and reduced barriers to getting medications.
One of the three pilot practices improved their blood pressure control rate from 73% in January 2020 to 82% in May 2020.
The next step was to implement the pilot program across multiple ACOs in several states. With the help of online learning platforms, Aledade is now adapting and applying workflow insights and data-driven innovations across all Aledade ACOs.
“Aledade Kansas was excited to partner with the AMA for the Measure Accurately, Act Rapidly and Partner with Patients (MAP) [blood pressure] pilot. Lessons learned in Kansas from this feasibility study will lead to positive health outcomes across the Aledade nation in coming years.”
—Jen Brull, MD, FAAFP, Aledade vice president for clinical engagement
Photo: Family Care Center, Winfield, Kansas
Congratulations!
Million Hearts® applauds Aledade for focusing on cardiovascular health for all of their 1.15 million individuals within their ACO network and thanks them for their commitment to controlling hypertension!
Implement Hypertension Control Strategies
Health care professionals can find additional tools to improve hypertension control in the Hypertension Control Change Package.