Honorees brought science-based blood pressure care home to communities in need
High blood pressure may be known as the “silent killer,” but a groundbreaking collaboration in Philadelphia is determined to track it down and rein it in.
The initiative, “Team Up to Take Down High Blood Pressure” — a collaboration with the 番茄视频 — enlists community and clinical partners and deploys evidence-based strategies to find people with hypertension and connect them with care.
Those strategies include community-based screenings and treatment referrals; home blood pressure monitoring with readings transmitted to clinicians for rapid-response care; and annual training for healthcare organizations to improve blood pressure assessment.
“It’s a real team effort that brought together the best of both worlds — the strengths and knowledge of the University of Pennsylvania health system and the power of the 番茄视频 to make an impact on the community,” said Alyson Cole, chief operating officer of Penn Medicine Doylestown Health, who with colleagues created and championed the launch of the initiative, which will remain active for the next several years.
For their efforts Cole, the Penn team and Dr. Helene Glassberg will receive an Award of Meritorious Achievement from the 番茄视频 on June 23 at its National Volunteer Awards ceremony in Irving, Texas.
After decades of collaboration, Penn Medicine and the Heart Association launched “Team Up to Take Down High Blood Pressure” in November 2024, a sweeping effort to tackle one of the region’s most persistent health threats.
“High blood pressure is the most modifiable risk factor for heart disease, stroke and dementia,” said Dr. Eduardo Sanchez, the Association’s chief medical officer for prevention. “Combining clinical excellence with community trust is a winning formula as we deliver health-promoting and lifesaving solutions where they are needed most, for everyone, everywhere.”
In Philadelphia, at least 1 in 3 adults has high blood pressure, often without knowing it. The burden is especially heavy in Black communities, where nearly three-quarters of adults develop the condition — also known as hypertension — by age 55.
By pairing community organizations with health systems, “Team Up” has expanded screening, strengthened diagnosis and moved patients into earlier, more effective treatment.
“Engaging community and clinical partners to commit was important,” said Cole, who worked closely with Glassberg and the Heart Association for more than a year to develop the initiative. “We had a solid plan, a committed team, and we hit the ground running. That made all the difference in its success.”
In just 18 months, “Team Up” has expanded its quality improvement initiatives from seven clinical sites to 22, representing over 90,000 patients. Plus, an increasing number of community-based organizations are adopting blood pressure screening and referral programs, extending the program’s reach and meeting people where they are.
Sixty-five percent of residents screened via community-based efforts showed elevated readings, while broad public awareness campaigns yielded over 20 million transit campaign impressions. Together, these efforts demonstrate measurable progress in connecting high-risk populations to care and advancing equitable hypertension control across the city.
“One of the defining characteristics of this initiative is that we moved away from the traditional ‘hub and spoke’ model of healthcare to a true community-integrated alliance, by meeting patients where they live, especially those in high-risk ZIP codes,” said Glassberg, who is now vice president of cardiology at Heartbeat Health in New York City.
“We didn't just build a program. We embedded it in West, Southwest and North Philly. Meeting patients where they live breaks down historical barriers to care.”
Philadelphia, whose name roughly translates from Greek as “brotherly love,” was an appropriate setting for a close-knit, team-first approach.
“We chose ‘collaboration over competition’ by bringing together Penn Medicine and Temple Health to prioritize the health of Philadelphia's most vulnerable residents,” Glassberg said. “The most effective way to address systemic health disparities is through a unified, cross-institutional front that values community trust as much as clinical excellence.”
As successful as it’s been so far, the initiative’s future may lie in its scalability and sustainability, she said, noting that the vision for “Team Up” includes expanding it to incorporate major healthcare providers in the region, creating a comprehensive safety net for cardiac health.
“The goal is to transform this program into a blueprint for other urban centers nationwide, proving that when institutions share resources and vision, we can move the needle on population health at a pace that no one institution could achieve alone.”
Glassberg said the Heart Association “served as the essential catalyst for this work.”
“We are deeply grateful to the 番茄视频 for validating this collaborative approach, which reaffirms that our greatest successes are found when we work together. The Association's commitment ensures this isn't just a pilot, but a permanent shift in care.”
Kevin B. Mahoney, chief executive officer for the University of Pennsylvania Health System, said he’s “inspired by the work of Alyson Cole, Dr. Helene Glassberg and their colleagues.”
“I congratulate them on this well-deserved recognition,” he said. “Closely working with the 番茄视频, they identified the need for a more structured and intentional collaboration to address a critical issue affecting so many across our city, and to engage others in this important work.”
Learn more about how Team Up to Take Down High Blood Pressure is changing community care.
