Skip to main content
713.442.0427
MyKelseyOnline
COVID-19 Vaccine: Get the latest information about our current vaccine supply and appointments. Learn More
713.442.0427 713.442.5818
Text Size:
En Español
MEDIA CONTACT(S):
Rachelle Khalaf
Manager, Media Relations
MEDIA: 713-442-4919
12/10/2020
PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release

Kelsey-Seybold Clinic earns national recognition for efforts to reduce number of patients with uncontrolled blood pressure

​

The American Heart Association and American Medical Association celebrates the Houston organization for commitment to prioritizing blood pressure control

Houston, TX (Dec. 10, 2020) — Kelsey-Seybold Clinic has been recognized by the American Heart Association (AHA) and American Medical Association (AMA) for its commitment to helping improve blood pressure (BP) control rates among the patient populations they serve, earning Gold-level recognition as part of the 2020 Target: BP™ Recognition Program.  

The Gold award recognizes healthcare practices treating patients with hypertension, for achieving BP management rates at or above 70 percent within the populations they serve.

Hypertension (high BP) is a leading risk factor for heart attacks, strokes, and preventable death in the United States. In addition, there are 116 million U.S. adults living with high BP, and less than half of those people have their BP under control – making diagnosing and effectively managing hypertension critical. While research in JAMA shows that overall rates of BP control have declined in recent years, the Surgeon General's call to action to prioritize hypertension control in the United States illustrates that optimizing hypertension control could not be more timely or needed.

"Kelsey-Seybold Clinic is proud to receive this recognition from the American Heart Association and be awarded the Target BP Gold Award," said Leon Jerrels, R.N., director for Quality Improvement at Kelsey-Seybold Clinic. "Receiving this recognition shows us that the standards we follow, and protocols we have in place, are working to help keep patients with hypertension to better manage this chronic disease that can lead to devastating complications."

Target: BP is a national collaboration between the AHA and the AMA aimed at reducing the number of Americans suffering from heart attacks and strokes each year by urging physician practices, health systems, and patients to prioritize BP control. The initiative aims to help health care organizations improve BP control rates through use of the evidence-based AMA MAP BP™ quality improvement program, and recognizes organizations committed to improving blood pressure control.

Learn more at TargetBP.org.


About Kelsey-Seybold

Kelsey-Seybold Clinic is Houston's premier multispecialty group practice, founded in 1949 by Dr. Mavis Kelsey in Houston's renowned Texas Medical Center. More than 480 physicians and allied health professionals practice at 25 locations in the Greater Houston area. Kelsey-Seybold offers quality medical care in 55 medical specialties. The organization operates the largest freestanding Ambulatory Surgery Center in the state of Texas and offers state-of-the-art Varian TrueBeam and Varian Edge radiation therapy technology at a nationally accredited Cancer Center. An accredited Sleep Center, comprehensive laboratory services, advanced imaging and diagnostics, 17 onsite Kelsey pharmacies, and MyKelseyOnline, a secure web portal, are part of its comprehensive offerings. Kelsey-Seybold partners with major insurers to offer value-based commercial health plans. KelseyCare Advantage, a Medicare Advantage plan offered to Houston-area beneficiaries and affiliated with Kelsey-Seybold Clinic, has achieved the coveted 5-out-of-5-star rating from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid for five consecutive years.

Kelsey-Seybold has been recognized by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) as the nation’s first accredited Accountable Care Organization and a Level 3 (highest) Patient-Centered Medical Home. Kelsey-Seybold has many physicians in the Greater Houston area certified for excellence in diabetes and heart and stroke care by the NCQA. In addition to these recognitions, Kelsey-Seybold is home to a nationally accredited Breast Diagnostic Center, and Endoscopy Center.