Spotlight: Novant Health New Hanover Regional Medical Center
Novant Health New Hanover Regional Medical Center supports the health and well-being of people in southeastern North Carolina and surrounding communities.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is delighted to update the recognition for Novant Health New Hanover Regional Medical Center, located in Wilmington, North Carolina, as a Million Hearts® Health System.*
We commend Novant Health New Hanover Regional Medical Center for its continued work in advancing the Million Hearts® 2027 priority areas of Building Healthy Communities, Optimizing Care, and Focusing on Health Equity.
Strategies for Success
Building Healthy Communities
Novant Health New Hanover has prioritized keeping its employees healthy by promoting use of the onsite fitness center, which offers a variety of classes with minimal fees for staff and their families. The health system also boasts an onsite staff health clinic, monthly tobacco cessation classes, and a $0 co-pay on all medications related to hypertension, cholesterol, diabetes, and depression for team members enrolled in its Healthy Lifestyles Program. Novant Health New Hanover facilities and grounds also have a tobacco-free policy, which prohibits the use of smoking and smokeless tobacco products, including electronic cigarettes/vaping.
Optimizing Care
Novant Health New Hanover has continued to focus on implementing proven strategies to prevent heart attacks and strokes. These strategies include prescribing aspirin or another antithrombotic—for secondary prevention—to more than 90% of appropriate patients. Novant Health New Hanover continues to demonstrate a strong commitment to improving cardiovascular health. Since its initial recognition, the health system has also continued to improve patients’ blood pressure, now reporting a hypertension control rate of 84%.
In addition to achieving hypertension control, 98% of eligible patients are referred to cardiac rehabilitation—up from 85% in 2020. This impressive improvement can be attributed not only to automated referrals, but also to the dedicated work of Novant Health New Hanover’s two-person cardiac rehabilitation team. This team, consisting of a registered nurse and an exercise physiologist, visits inpatients prior to their discharge, 6 days per week, to provide education and discuss the benefits and structure of the cardiac rehabilitation program with patients.
Focusing on Health Equity
Novant Health New Hanover is also being newly recognized for improving its services to several of the Million Hearts® priority populations. The health system has received funding to ensure transportation services for those who lack access to the health system, as well as for community health workers (CHWs) focused on hypertension and other outcomes among seniors. Novant Health New Hanover operates a variety of community-based programs that provide free essential screenings. The health system also addresses the cardiovascular needs of their rural patients through remote patient monitoring and have recently established a mobile wellness unit to see patients throughout the region.
Furthermore, Novant Health New Hanover is collaborating with UNC Health on a study entitled CARE: Coordinating Risk Assessment to Reduce Hypertensive Disorders of Pregnancy Morbidity Through Early Intervention. Researchers will assess the addition of a Hypertensive Disorders of Pregnancy (HDP) Prevention Bundle in a high-volume outpatient obstetrics practice to achieve equitable outcomes for Black patients. Researchers will analyze data to evaluate effective integration of bundle elements, such as timely risk screening, adherence to aspirin guidelines, home blood pressure monitoring, education on warning signs, and referral to CHWs.
Congratulations!
We applaud everyone at Novant Health New Hanover Regional Medical Center for their continued efforts and strong commitment to improving the cardiovascular health of their employees, patients, and community. Novant Health New Hanover is an excellent example of how a medical center’s staff can work to systematically improve the cardiovascular health of the populations and communities they serve, thus preventing heart attacks and strokes in their community.
Learn more about the Million Hearts® Hospitals & Health Systems Recognition Program, and the effective strategies that can help prevent cardiovascular events.
*Novant Health New Hanover Regional Medical Center was formerly recognized as New Hanover Regional Medical Center in May 2020.