The Million Hearts Initiative—Targeting Key Drivers of Cardiovascular Mortality from a Medical Specialty Society Perspective

Abstract

The past decade has seen impressive advances in cardiovascular (CV) care and reductions in patient mortality from CV disease. however, despite impressive gains, there is still considerable room for further improvements in CV care. in September 2011, the US Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius announced the creation of the ‘Million Hearts’ initiative. The overall goal of the Million Hearts Initiative is to prevent a million cardiovascular events across the next five years. The American College of Cardiology (ACC) has long supported the goals articulated in Million Hearts. We believe that these goals are achievable. However, success will not be automatic. It will require focus, resources, and, most challengingly, some level of behavioral change on the part of physicians, patients, organizations, and government entities. To help meet the goals of Million Hearts, the ACC will, in partnership with the initiative, deploy three distinct assets. We will increase awareness among our 39,000 members by regularly communicating with them via our various communication channels; we will drive clinical quality improvement using our clinical registries—for example, the PINNACLE Registry®; and we will engage patients with relevant, patient-centered offerings and information through our CardioSmartTM program.