Grace Health earns national recognition

Local healthcare provider Grace Health has earned national recognition for its efforts to improve cardiovascular health for patients.

The American Heart Association in collaboration with the American Medical Association annually recognizes organizations that are committed to evidence-based guidelines in the control of blood pressure, cholesterol and type 2-diabetes.

To improve quality of care and help people manage their risk factors around high cholesterol, type 2-diabetes and/or blood pressure management, Grace Health participates in the following programs:

• Check. Change. Control. Cholesterol™
• Target: Type 2 Diabetes℠
• Target: BP™

“Participation in these initiatives is absolutely imperative for our organization.  Kentucky ranks as the eighth highest state for diabetes prevalence. Compared to the U.S. rate of 10.5 percent of the population having diabetes, Kentucky sits at 13.7 percent. Our state’s prevalence has doubled since the year 2000. In the eastern side of the state, we are all the way up to 16.8 percent. We have to take action,” said Dr. Kelly Evans, Grace Health’s Chief Medical Officer.

“Grace Health is honored to be recognized by the American Heart Association for our dedication to helping our patients with the resources to manage risk factors and hopefully reduce or avoid heart attacks, stroke and other preventable heart concerns,” said CEO Michael Stanley. “Programs like the ones that address the real-world problems of high blood pressure, high cholesterol and uncontrolled type 2 diabetes are necessary to improve health today and avoid larger problems for many patients tomorrow.”

This year, Grace Health received the following achievement awards:

• Check. Change. Control. Cholesterol™ (Gold status)
• Target: BP™ (Gold plus status for the third year in a row) recognition from both the American Heart Association and the American Medical Association (AMA)

“Addressing blood pressure management is key for better cardiovascular health – and critical today since heart disease and strokes continue to be a leading cause of death for Americans,” James Langabeer, Ph.D., FAHA, volunteer expert for the American Heart Association and Professor and Vice Chair of Emergency Medicine with McGovern Medical School at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth). “We are pleased to recognize Grace Health for their commitment to managing the risk factors for patients around critical risk factors like high blood pressure, high cholesterol and type 2 diabetes.”

Grace Health is located in 10 locations throughout southeastern Kentucky. Its mission is to show the love and share the truth of Jesus Christ to southeastern Kentucky, through access to compassionate, high quality, primary health care for the whole person. Grace Health is working diligently to build a healthcare team focused on you, the company wrote in a release.

For more information or to contact Grace Health, please visit gracehealthky.org.