The American Heart Association has acquired program assets of the Cardiometabolic Center Alliance collaborative, marking a strategic consolidation that strengthens efforts to establish integrated care for cardiovascular, kidney, and metabolic health. This acquisition brings together two organizations with closely aligned missions focused on comprehensive risk reduction and improving quality of care for patients with cardiometabolic disease through patient-centered, team-based approaches.
The CMCA originated as a bold initiative from Saint Luke's Mid America Heart Institute in Kansas City, Missouri, under the medical direction of Dr. Mikhail Kosiborod. The program was established through the Saint Luke's Michael and Marlys Haverty Cardiometabolic Center of Excellence, which designed and implemented a novel approach to treating Type 2 diabetes, pre-diabetes, and related cardiovascular conditions collectively rather than addressing individual conditions or risk factors separately. This model provides team-based, comprehensive care specifically tailored to each patient's needs.
Since its launch in 2020, the CMCA has demonstrated significant success, with member centers observing statistically significant improvements in quality of care and clinical outcomes. The unique care model gained recognition in top medical journals and attracted interest from healthcare systems nationwide seeking to adopt its approach. Melissa Magwire, RN, MSN, CDCES, program director of the CMCA, noted the increasing demand to expand their collaborative team-based care model that supports patients, care teams, and health systems.
The established collaborative relationship between the Heart Association and CMCA will now be formalized through this acquisition. The CMCA's strengths and expertise will enhance the American Heart Association's development of a Cardiovascular-Kidney-Metabolic Center of Excellence certification program. The CMCA membership brings valuable assets including clinical protocols, clinical materials, program support for 22 cardiometabolic centers, and a five-year longitudinal dataset of patient-level cardiometabolic data. The American Heart Association will assume leadership of program development, implementation, and clinical support for all existing CMCA members.
Dr. Mariell Jessup, Chief Science & Medical Officer of the American Heart Association, emphasized the significance of this integration, stating it represents a rare opportunity to optimize synergy between the two organizations and combine efforts for greater impact. CMCA leadership will transition to committee and staff roles at the American Heart Association, ensuring continuity of expertise and program knowledge. This consolidation addresses the growing recognition that cardiovascular, kidney, and metabolic conditions are interconnected and require coordinated care approaches rather than siloed treatment strategies.
The acquisition's importance lies in its potential to scale a proven care model that has demonstrated improved patient outcomes. By combining resources and expertise, the organizations can accelerate the adoption of integrated care approaches nationwide, potentially transforming how healthcare systems manage complex patients with multiple chronic conditions. For more information about the American Heart Association's initiatives, visit https://www.heart.org. The original announcement can be viewed at https://www.newmediawire.com.
