Hypertension Awareness Resources
Hypertension is a prevalent, chronic disease in the United States. It can lead to many detrimental effects in patients, some of which are the leading causes of death (stroke and heart disease). Each time your patient walks through your facility door you are likely to be treating the effects of uncontrolled or undiagnosed hypertension. This is important because it not only signifies an unhealthy patient but also increases the risk of readmission if your patient is not properly educated on the treatment and maintenance of their disease.
The KHA Quality department has a goal this year of bringing awareness to hypertension, “the silent killer”, so that it stays in the forefront of your mind as you treat your patient in hopes that this awareness will lead to a healthier Kentucky. Each month, I will share a short webisode, hypertension games, statistics, or resources to enhance your knowledge.
Jessica Covington, PharmD, BCPS
Quality Program Pharmacist
Kentucky Hospital Association
jcovington@kyha.com
That’s a Wrap on Hypertension
December 2024
Thank you to all of our friends and colleagues within the Kentucky hospitals who make a difference every day in patient lives. Upon completion of the yearlong KHA hypertension learning series, I wanted to say thank you for your attention to this important topic that affects most Americans whether it is caring for patients, family members, or managing your own hypertension. I have included all of the resources and education throughout the year for your reference. Have a wonderful holiday season.
Hypertension Resources:
- American Heart Month Toolkits 2024 | Heart Disease | CDC
- ‘Reclaim your rhythm’ during American Heart Month in February | American Heart Association
- The Seventh Report of the Joint National Committee on Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Pressure (JNC 7) | NHLBI, NIH
- High Blood Pressure | cdc.gov
- High Blood Pressure – Fact Sheet | CardioSmart – American College of Cardiology
- The Facts About High Blood Pressure | American Heart Association
- Facts About Hypertension | cdc.gov
- Understanding Blood Pressure Readings | American Heart Association
- My Blood Pressure Log (cdc.gov)
- Effects of Excessive Sodium Infographic – Target:BP (targetbp.org)
- DASH Eating Plan | NHLBI, NIH
- Blood Pressure Zone Tool (allianthealth.org)
- Technique-quick-check.pdf (targetbp.org)
- Measure Your Blood Pressure | cdc.gov
- AHA High Blood Pressure Toolkit-Pharmacists (ascendeventmedia.com)
- Certification Course Blood Pressure Measurement – World Hypertension League – (whleague.org)
- Validate BP
- BP Monitors – Stride BP
- Home Blood Pressure Monitoring | American Heart Association
Community Resources:
- Financial help near you (needhelppayingbills.com)
- Homeless Resource Guide (kyhousing.org)
- LPC Lead Agencies 2023.pdf (kyhousing.org)
- Senior Housing for Low-Income Residents (seniorhomes.com)
- Center of Excellence in Rural Health | Kentucky Homeplace | University of Kentucky College of Medicine (uky.edu)
- Meals on Wheels: Who is Eligible? – Meals on Wheels Lexington
- Nutrition Program for the Elderly: Cabinet for Health and Family Services (ky.gov)
- KIPDA Senior Nutrition Program
- Dare to Care Food Bank: Find Assistance Near You
- 211 (Housing, Utilities, Food): Call 211 for Essential Community Services | United Way 211
- Coalition for the Homeless: Mission, Vision, & Work (louhomeless.org)
- Overall (all ages) Hunger & Poverty in the United States | Map the Meal Gap (feedingamerica.org)
- Kentucky Benefits | kynect
Hypertensive Medication Review
November 2024
As we round out of the year of hypertension awareness, I wanted to spotlight the medications used for hypertension in hopes to help educate our patients to prevent adverse events and create better compliance which ultimately enhances the patient’s health. Please join us by listening to this month’s session on hypertension medications and how to achieve compliance and maintain blood pressure control.
Movement for Medicine
October 2024
Have you ever wanted to exercise but you found an excuse not to? Have you ever told your patients you need to start exercising to improve their health? This month for our hypertension awareness campaign, I had the privilege to speak to Jack Kelly O’Callaghan who is a home health physical therapist with experience in skilled nursing facilities, acute care hospitals, and home health agency. He discussed how movement plays a role in controlling hypertension. Please join us to listen in on an engaging Q&A session and learn more about a physical therapist’s guide to achieving realistic goals to movement to establish and maintain blood pressure control.
The Impact of Hypertension in Kentucky: How Hospitals and Health Systems Can Help
August 2024
The KHA quality team was delighted to host Kari Moore, acute care nurse practitioner who specializes in stroke and cerebrovascular disease with over 20 years of experience and currently is the Executive Director of Patient Care Services at Regional Brain Institute. Kari presented The Impact of Hypertension in Kentucky: How Hospitals and Health Systems Can Help for August’s hypertension awareness campaign. She discussed the current state of hypertension for those at highest risk from an outpatient and inpatient perspective in Kentucky. Kari shared best practice models for how your health system can explore care delivery gaps, develop hypertension focused protocols, and manage considerations for implementing an outpatient hypertension clinic.
Food for Thought: A Dietician’s Guide to Blood Pressure Control
Have you ever wanted to cheat on your diet but then felt like you failed? What about all of the patients you may have educated on employing a heart healthy diet to control their hypertension just to find they come back in the office deflated because they can’t sustain the diet? Registered dietician Olivia Clements discusses how food plays a role in controlling hypertension. Learn more about a dietician’s guide to achieving realistic care plans to establish and maintain blood pressure control.
Home Monitoring of Blood Pressure Video: How to Measure Accurately!
Do you struggle with helping your patients adhere to a blood pressure tracking measurement regimen at home? One important way to bring control to hypertension in our state is to measure blood pressure accurately. June’s hypertension awareness activity is a patient video on how to measure blood pressure at home. You may share this video with your patients, in your waiting rooms, and in patient rooms prior to discharge!
Quick Guide to Accurately Measure Blood Pressure
As healthcare leaders, we have a call to action in Kentucky to bring awareness to hypertension. One important way to bring control to hypertension in our state is to measure blood pressure accurately. May’s hypertension awareness activity is a presentation and videos on how to precisely measure blood pressure as well as why accuracy matters.
Engage with Your Community in the Fight Against Hypertension
As healthcare leaders, we have a call to action in Kentucky to bring awareness to our communities regarding hypertension. For the April hypertension awareness activity, we discussed Kentucky hypertension data, an overview of hypertension, how uncontrolled hypertension relates to health equity and SDOH, as well as shared resources with community partners (Hospitals, Nursing Homes, Home Health, Patients and Families). Please click the link to discover great resources and tools provided in this month’s KHA Quality hypertension awareness campaign.
Hypertension Matters Stats Talk
March 2024
This presentation provides hypertension statistics and data, including:
- Hypertension Prevalence by County (2018-2020)
- Hypertension Mortality Rates
- Contributing Factors Compounding Hypertension
Why Does Hypertension Matter to Our Kentucky Hospitals?
January 2024