Today we celebrate “positive deviants”!

Congratulations to the 2018 Hypertension Control Champions. Full list of winners at www.millionhearts.hhs.gov

Positive deviants are people who achieve greater success than their peers while using the same resources under the same conditions. So, what’s their secret? Positive deviants’ success comes from consistently approaching challenges using positive attitudes, behaviors, strategies, and practices. Our 2018 Hypertension Control Champions—an amazing group of positive deviants—used these strategies to help patients achieve healthy blood pressure levels, ensuring a healthier future for millions across the country.

Today we celebrate 18 Champions, representing 57 clinicians from nine states, who reached an average blood pressure control rate of 85%—the highest control rate since the Challenge started 6 years ago. These Champions are saving lives and preventing heart attacks, strokes, kidney disease, heart failure, and dementia. And they’re sharing their tips and techniques, their reasons for prioritizing hypertension control, and the experiences they’ve had along the way.

Join me in celebrating their remarkable success. Visit the Million Hearts® website to learn more about the 2018 Champions as well as previous winners and their specific strategies for success. I hope they inspire you to become a positive deviant in your community!

—Janet Wright, MD, FACC

Executive Director, Million Hearts®