CERTIFIED HYPERTENSION CENTERS

The American Society of Hypertension, Inc. (ASH) has established a formal certification program for medical practices and healthcare providers with proven expertise in treating patients who have complex or challenging hypertension and its associated medical conditions. This program, primarily focused on improving the care of hypertension patients, is designed to assess each medical practice based on a professional set of criteria. These criteria are determined through responses to a questionnaire and a rigorous evaluation process conducted by hypertension experts.

Certification for Hypertension Centers is granted at two distinct levels:

Comprehensive Hypertension Center: These are typically found in academic medical centers and large multi-specialty clinics. They offer clinical services and engage in research and educational activities.
Hypertension Practice Center: These are typically private or group medical practices that provide clinical services.

The program aims to ensure that these accredited centers and practices are well-equipped to handle the complexities of treating patients with hypertension and its associated health issues, contributing to the overall improvement of hypertension patient care. Click her to view the current Centers.

The ASH Certified Hypertension Centers Program is currently on hold due to ongoing discussions regarding a potential merger between ASH and AHA (American Heart Association).

The role and function of the ASH Certified Hypertension Centers Program can be summarized as follows:

From a Patient Perspective:

To provide patients with access to centers that specialize in treating complex hypertension and its associated health conditions.
To instill confidence in patients that these centers employ the most effective treatment strategies, rooted in current translational and evidence-based research in hypertension.
To assure patients that these centers have undergone a thorough vetting process and are recognized by the American Society of Hypertension, Inc., based on professional evaluation criteria.

From a Health Care Provider Perspective:

To promote and acknowledge the role and function of physicians who have achieved the designation as Specialists in Clinical Hypertension.
To serve as a referral source for healthcare providers who are not hypertension specialists but are treating patients with resistant hypertension and its co-morbidities.
To establish a national coordinating network of ASH Certified Hypertension Centers for physician and other healthcare provider access.
To create a pathway for appropriate reimbursement for healthcare professionals involved in treating patients with resistant hypertension and its co-morbidities.
To provide direct access to ASH-sponsored live and online educational activities.

From a Clinical Research and Training Perspective:

To provide hypertension centers with opportunities to participate in hypertension clinical research studies, particularly the ASH National Hypertension Registry Initiative.
To encourage the expansion of hypertension training programs at all levels.
To utilize the outcomes of these studies to develop needs assessments for healthcare providers involved in hypertension care and to design appropriate educational activities.

From an Insurance Providers and Payor Perspective:

To establish a collaborative and educational relationship with payors.
To provide standardized criteria for a hypertension specialty practice.
To offer information on effective treatment strategies and protocols.

Hypertension Centers can achieve accreditation at two levels: “Hypertension Practice Center” and “Hypertension Comprehensive Center.” The “Comprehensive Hypertension Center” level encompasses research and education. A key criterion for accreditation is that the facility must be directed by a physician who has received the designation of a Hypertension Specialist through the Hypertension Specialist Program of ASH.

ASH COMPREHENSIVE HYPERTENSION CENTERS CRITERIA:

Location and Structure:
- These centers can be situated in academic medical centers or large multi-specialty clinics.
- They may function independently or as part of larger divisions or departments within a healthcare organization.
Director Qualifications:
- The director of the Comprehensive Hypertension Center must hold the designation of an ASH Certified Specialist in Clinical Hypertension.
- The director should also have an academic appointment.
Membership and Recognition:
- The director must be a current member of the American Society of Hypertension, Inc. (ASH).
- The director should hold the status of a Fellow of the American Society of Hypertension (FASH).
Patient Focus:
- The majority of the center’s practice should be dedicated to patients with hypertension and related disorders.
Referral and Treatment Role:
- The center must be recognized as a referral and treatment resource for patients with resistant and secondary hypertension, as well as alternative therapies.
Staff Qualifications:
- Personnel working in the center should be certified in recording blood pressure and maintaining equipment, including equipment for patient self-monitoring.
Advanced Diagnostic Capabilities:
- The center should have the capacity to perform comprehensive multi-specialty examinations and treatments to assess complex hypertension cases, which may include:
  - Quantitative echocardiography
  - Exercise testing
  - Ankle-brachial index assessment
  - Carotid doppler imaging
  - Evaluation of autonomic function
Diagnostic Evaluation:
- The center should be equipped to perform various diagnostic evaluations such as renal angiography, renal vein renin sampling, Doppler renal ultrasound, CT angiography, MR angiography, and adrenal vein sampling for aldosterone.
Interventions:
- The center may perform interventions including renal angioplasty with or without stenting, laparoscopic adrenalectomy, and sleep studies.
Research and Quality Improvement:
- The center should actively participate in investigator-initiated research and relevant multi-center trials and observational studies.
- It should have an ongoing program for quality improvement in line with standardized quality performance guidelines.
Educational Engagement:
- Personnel in the center should actively engage in hypertension-related educational activities.
- They should also contribute to the education of medical students, house officers, and fellows in the field of hypertension.
- Participation in the publication of scholarly articles related to hypertension and related disorders is encouraged.

These criteria collectively define the standards that Comprehensive Hypertension Centers must meet to gain accreditation by ASH.

ASH HYPERTENSION PRACTICE CENTERS CRITERIA:

The criteria for ASH Certified Hypertension Practice Centers, which typically comprise private or group medical practices, are as follows:

1. Director Qualifications:
– The director of the practice center must hold the designation of an ASH Certified Specialist in Clinical Hypertension.
– The director should also be a current member of the American Society of Hypertension, Inc. (ASH) and a Fellow of the American Society of Hypertension (FASH).

2. Patient Focus:
– The majority of the practice must be dedicated to patients with hypertension and related disorders.

3. Referral and Treatment Role:
– The practice center must be recognized as a referral and treatment resource for patients with resistant and secondary hypertension, as well as alternative therapies.

4. Staff Qualifications:
– Personnel working in the practice center should be certified in recording blood pressure and maintaining equipment, including equipment for patient self-monitoring.

5. Advanced Diagnostic Capabilities:
– The practice center should have access to facilities that allow for comprehensive multi-specialty examinations and treatments to assess complex hypertension cases. These may include:
– Quantitative echocardiography
– Exercise testing
– Ankle-brachial index assessment
– Carotid doppler imaging
– Evaluation of autonomic function

6. Diagnostic Evaluation:
– The practice center should have the capacity to perform various diagnostic evaluations, such as renal angiography, renal vein renin sampling, Doppler renal ultrasound, CT angiography, MR angiography, and adrenal vein sampling for aldosterone.

7. Interventions:
– The practice center may perform interventions including renal angioplasty with or without stenting, laparoscopic adrenalectomy, and sleep studies.

8. Research and Quality Improvement:
– The practice center should actively participate in investigator-initiated research and relevant multi-center trials and observational studies.
– There should be an ongoing program for quality improvement in line with standardized quality performance guidelines.

9. Educational Engagement:
– Personnel in the practice center should actively engage in ongoing hypertension-related educational activities.

Benefits for ASH Certified Hypertension Practice Centers include the ability for Hypertension Specialists in these centers to bill third-party payers for reimbursement of appropriate hypertension services, recognition in the form of a plaque and listing on the ASH website, opportunities to participate in clinical hypertension research, access to educational materials, and promotion by ASH to expand and strengthen the patient base and referrals.

Certified centers are approved for a specific term, typically five years. Centers that are conditionally approved are given a two-year term. Approved centers have the option to apply for re-designation one year before the conclusion of their approved term by submitting a self-study and scheduling an on-site evaluation. During the certification term, certified centers are required to submit an annual report and fee.

ASH CERTIFIED HYPERTENSION CENTERS COMMITTEE

Chair: John B. Kostis, MD
Henry R. Black, MD
Joseph A. Diamond, MD
Brent M. Egan, MD
Fernando Elijovich, MD
Bonita Falkner, MD
Barry J. Materson, MD
Aldo J. Peixoto, MD
Gary L. Schwartz, MD,
John J. Szawaluk, MD
William B. White, MD
Marion R. Wofford, MD