Providence teams work to increase hypertension control rates among high-risk patients 

Nearly half of all U.S. adults grapple with hypertension, with Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) facing some of the highest rates of uncontrolled hypertension globally. The American Heart Association highlights that Black individuals with hypertension are at highest risk for severe complications like stroke, heart failure, and kidney disease. These disparities stem from a mix of genetic, environmental, and systemic factors, including chronic stress from experiences of discrimination and economic inequality. Latino individuals with hypertension also encounter significant health challenges, increasing their risk for heart disease, stroke, and heart attack.  

Targeted patient intervention 

In 2024, Providence recognized the low engagement with BIPOC patients and took action. Health Equity and Providence Clinical Network (PCN) teams launched a patient outreach pilot program in Alaska, Washington, Oregon, Montana, Texas and New Mexico to boost patient engagement and encourage primary care appointments. This pilot aimed to assist BIPOC patients who hadn't had qualifying blood pressure checks in the past 12 months. The outreach included personalized messages for each patient, accompanied by a video featuring a physician of color speaking in Spanish or English about the serious health impacts of hypertension. The pilot results were promising, showing that patients who watched the video were more likely to schedule appointments for blood pressure checks. These findings will help inform future interventions. 

Caregiver development and education 

Providence also introduced a caregiver education module titled "Advancing Health Equity Strategies: Addressing Hypertension in BIPOC Patients." Additionally, a Providence Hypertension toolkit was released, packed with patient education materials and resources to help caregivers support patients in their journey to better hypertension control. By the end of Q4, PCN had increased hypertension control rates for BIPOC patients by nearly 4%, ending the year with 68% hypertension control among BIPOC patients. With 4,200 additional BIPOC patients achieving hypertension control, PCN closed the health equity gap between BIPOC and non-BIPOC patients by 42%. This achievement underscores Providence’s unwavering commitment to health equity.