Reedsburg Area Medical Center Health

RAMC Earns Gold Award with Target: BP

We are excited to announce that Reedsburg Area Medical Center has been recognized by the American Heart Association and American Medical Association for our commitment to improving blood pressure (BP) control rates, earning Gold level recognition as part of the Target: BP™ initiative.

The Gold award recognizes practices in which high blood pressure is controlled in 70% or more of the adult patients affected.

High blood pressure, or hypertension, is a leading risk factor for heart attacks, strokes and preventable death in the U.S. There are 121.5 million U.S. adults living with hypertension. This is nearly half of all adults in the country. Unfortunately, less than half of them have their BP under control, making both diagnosis and effective management critical. In the U.S., heart disease and stroke are the No. 1 and No. 5 causes of death, respectively, and stroke is a leading cause of disability.

“Addressing blood pressure management is key for better cardiovascular health – and critical today, when heart disease and stroke continue to be leading causes of death for adults in the U.S.,” said Bob Van Meeteren, RAMC CEO. “High blood pressure is a leading risk factor of heart disease and stroke that can often be prevented or managed if diagnosed and treated properly.”

“By committing to helping more people in the Reedsburg area control their blood pressure and reduce their risks for future heart disease and stroke, RAMC is taking a key step to helping more people live longer, healthier lives,” said Howard Haft, M.D., MMM, CPE, FACPE, volunteer expert for the AHA and Executive Director of the Maryland Primary Care Program, in Baltimore. "RAMC’s participation in the Target: BP initiative shows its dedication to turning clinical guidelines into lifelines for patients and their families.”

Learn more at TargetBP.org.