WCHQ News Releases

Recognized for high performance managing hypertension for fourth straight year

The Wisconsin Collaborative for Healthcare Quality (WCHQ) recognized SSM Health/Dean Medical Group as a top performer at WCHQ’s annual Statewide Quality Improvement Event June 5 in Madison.

Gabrielle Rude, Ph.D., WCHQ director of practice transformation, presented the award to Steve Wilkes, primary care administrator and Randy Heidel, MD, primary care medical director, who accepted it on behalf of SSM Health.

WCHQ annually honors a select number of member organizations for superior clinical performance and patient outcomes.

SSM Health/Dean Health Care ranked first among WCHQ members on their scores related to hypertension management. It is the fourth consecutive year SSM Health has been recognized as the top performer for their outstanding work in managing blood pressure in the hypertension patient population by hard wiring their interventions into their work. Hypertension, or high blood pressure, can lead to strokes, heart attacks, heart failure or kidney disease.

“The hardest work is sometimes sustaining consistently high performance and then setting, and reaching, the next level of performance. SSM Health is not only able to improve the quality of care they provide their own patients, but by working with WCHQ and collaborating with other medical professionals across the state, they are improving the quality of care in Wisconsin,” according to WCHQ President/CEO Chris Queram.

WCHQ is dedicated to helping health care professionals improve the quality and affordability of health care through collaboration, sharing best practices, and publicly reporting information that health care organizations can use to benchmark and compare their performance. WCHQ’s membership includes Wisconsin’s integrated health systems, hospitals, medical clinics and independent physician groups. Visit WCHQ.org for more information.

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