Beat goes on with ACPs entry in Million Hearts

The Million Hearts initiative gained another ally in its effort to prevent a million heart attacks and strokes in five years with the inclusion of the American College of Physicians (ACP).

The 132,000-member ACP represents internists across the U.S. and describes itself as the largest medical specialty group in the U.S. and the second largest physician organization. The ACP announced May 29 that it joined Million Hearts, which was launched in September 2011 as a public-private campaign targeting cardiovascular disease.

The goal is to improve patient outcomes and reduce healthcare costs by promoting healthy life styles and by providing quality patient care.

The ACP joins the American Heart Association, the American College of Cardiology, the American Medical Association and numerous other partners in the initiative. The program was launched under the umbrella of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services taking leading roles in the rollout.   

Candace Stuart, Contributor

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