The American Heart Association (AHA) is awarding more than 2,700 outpatient healthcare organizations across all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico for their work in helping patients manage high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and Type 2 diabetes—three of the most common and consequential cardiovascular risk factors. This marks the first time the AHA has recognized organizations in every state for these efforts, according to an announcement by NEWMEDIAWIRE.
The recognition comes as cardiovascular disease affects an estimated 130.6 million U.S. adults, according to the AHA's 2026 Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics Report. High blood pressure alone impacts 125.9 million adults, yet only 22% have it under control, highlighting a massive gap in effective management.
The awards are part of Outpace CVD™, the AHA's outpatient quality improvement portfolio. The program provides evidence-based resources and recognition through initiatives such as Target: BP™, Check. Change. Control. Cholesterol™, and Target: Type 2 Diabetes℠. Collectively, participating organizations serve nearly 45.5 million patients, many of whom are at risk for cardiovascular disease.
For 2026, nearly 2,700 organizations earned Target: BP recognition for improving blood pressure control. Check. Change. Control. Cholesterol recognized almost 1,000 organizations for cholesterol management, and Target: Type 2 Diabetes recognized more than 1,700 organizations for addressing cardiovascular risk in diabetes. Over 1,750 organizations earned recognition in multiple programs.
“Many of the biggest opportunities to improve cardiovascular health begin in the outpatient setting,” said Kevin Hwang, M.D., MPH, volunteer chair of the AHA's Outpatient Quality Improvement Advisory Group. “Through Outpace CVD, care teams are applying evidence-based strategies that help patients better manage their cardiovascular risk factors.” Hwang also serves as medical director of the UT Health Physicians Internal Medicine - Texas Medical Center clinic and director of its general internal medicine fellowship.
The scale of this recognition underscores the critical role of outpatient care in combating cardiovascular disease, the leading cause of death in the United States. With millions of patients served by these organizations, the initiative could significantly reduce the burden of cardiovascular disease through improved risk factor management. For more information, visit heart.org or stroke.org.
