Pilot Blood-Pressure-Monitoring Program Being Offered In Winfield

Winfield Pharmacy Health Mart was recently selected as one of only two communities to serve as a pilot for a YMCA Blood Pressure Self-Monitoring Program.

Grant-funded by the Kansas Department of Health & Environment, this is a new partnership between KDHE and the YMCA.

Winfield Pharmacy Health Mart is now enrolling patients in the program and is now seeing patients.

The pilot will last for three months with plans to continue the program long term. Patients are given a blood pressure machine to take home and they are taught how and when to take their own blood pressure readings.

The patients log their blood pressures and meet twice per month with the Healthy Heart Ambassador to review blood pressure logs.

The Healthy Heart Ambassador works with the patient to identify trends, behaviors and or lifestyle factors that might impact blood pressure, and identify medication adherence issues. Healthy Heart Ambassadors then communicate with the patient’s primary care physician regarding the blood pressure logs and visits.

Jill Daughhetee, a Winfield native and a Quality Improvement Advisor with the Kansas Healthcare Collaborative, learned about the BPSM pilot program in 2017. She immediately wanted to see this pilot implemented in her hometown.

She understood this was an opportunity make a difference for patients in her community.

When Daughhetee approached Winfield Pharmacy Health Mart last summer, the local business was immediately intrigued by the program and its potential to positively impact health outcomes in the community.

According to the CDC, 1 in 3 adults in the United States, or about 75 million Americans, have high blood pressure; less than half of these have their blood pressure under control.
High blood pressure increases the risk of heart disease and stroke, which are two of the leading causes of death in the United States, according to the National Centers for Health Statistics.
To enroll in the program, patients must be: over 18 years of age; diagnosed as having high blood pressure or on high blood pressure meds; and/or two or more high blood pressure readings in the past year.

Patients can be referred by their Primary Care Provider who simply sends a referral form to the pharmacy or the patient can contact Winfield Pharmacy Health Mart directly. There is no cost to the patient to enroll in the pilot program.

If you or a family member are interested in the BPSM program, or have additional questions, contact Winfield Pharmacy Health Mart at 620-221-0450 or stop by the pharmacy at 1708 E. 9th Ave., Winfield.

Patients are ineligible if they have had a cardiac event in the last year such as heart attack or stroke, have atrial fibrillation or other arrhythmia, or are at increased risk of lymphedema.

KHC is a non-profit organization dedicated to transforming health care in Kansas through patient-centered initiatives that improve quality, safety and value. Daughhetee works with medical practices in the Practice Transformation Network in Winfield and Southern Kansas to assess clinical performance, identify gaps in best practices and recommend methods to improve patient care processes and quality outcomes. She also works with communities to improve hypertension, pre-diabetes, diabetes and cancer outcomes through KHC’s partnerships with KDHE and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.