Attachment 8. MH Hypertension Control Challenge Project Determination_12.09.25

Project Determination

Million Hearts Hypertension Control Champions Challenge

Project ID:	0900f3eb8260b0e8
Accession #:	NCCDPHP-MHT-12/3/25-0b0e8
Project Contact:	Jessica Barnett
Organization:	NCCDPHP/OD
Status:	Pending Clearance
Intended Use:	Project Determination
Estimated Start Date:	04/01/26
Estimated Completion Date:	03/31/29
CDC/ATSDR HRPO/IRB Protocol#:
OMB Control#:	0920-0976
End of Human Research Date:
OMB Discontinuation Date:

Description

Priority

Standard

CDC Priority Area for this Project

Not selected

Determination Start Date

12/04/25

Description

Million Hearts is a national initiative to prevent 1 million heart attacks and strokes by 2027. Achieving this goal means that 10 million more Americans must have their blood pressure under control. Million Hearts is working to reach this goal through clinical approaches, such as using health information technology to its fullest potential and integrating team-based approaches to care, as well as community approaches. Originally launched in 2012, CDC will continue with the Million Hearts™ Hypertension Control Challenge. Through this challenge we shall continue to identify clinicians, practices and health systems that are able to demonstrate high levels of hypertension control within their patient population and document the systems and processes that contribute to exemplary practice. The challenge will recognize a small number of clinicians and health systems that are able to achieve exemplary results. Each year, approximately 30-50 clinical practices and health systems will self-nominate through an online portal by providing hypertension control data, a summary of their patient population and a description of sustainable clinical and support systems. Nominations will be scored using predetermined criteria and a scoring rubric and reviewed by an expert panel of judges. Finalists will participate in data verification that will involve onsite or remote record review by a third party and/or confirmation with data submitted to a known source, such as Guardian Angel Consulting. Recognized champions will participate in the development of a success story product to be shared broadly with public health and clinical audiences. CDC staff have developed challenge rules and criteria, data collection tools, and selection criteria. The expert panel of judges will be chaired and partially comprised of CDC staff. Current OMB approval is valid through 03/31/26. CDC staff will develop and manage the challenge entry site through REDCap. This project is considered public health practice. The intent is to identify and share examples of clinical systems and practices that support high rates of hypertension control in a narrative or documentary format. No individual patient level data will be collected, only practice-level summary data. No generalizable knowledge will emerge from this project, only examples of successful practices that can be adopted or adapted by clinic systems and providers. Information and success stories will be disseminated through web-based products.

IMS/CIO/Epi-Aid/Lab-Aid/Chemical Exposure Submission

No

IMS Activation Name

Not selected

Submitted through IMS clearance matrix

Not selected

Primary Scientific Priority

Not selected

Secondary Scientific Priority (s)

Not selected

Task Force Responsible

Not selected

CIO Emergency Response Name

Not selected

Epi-Aid Name

Not selected

Lab-Aid Name

Not selected

Assessment of Chemical Exposure Name

Not selected

Goals/Purpose

The goal of the Million Hearts Hypertension Control Champions Challenge is to recognize a small number clinicians and health systems that are able to achieve 80% or better blood pressure control among their hypertensive patients. CDC aims to share examples of the success strategies of the applicants.

Objective

CDC will identify applicants with blood pressure control rates of 80% or better among their hypertensive patients. A contractor will validate the application data and CDC will conduct qualitative interviews with some of the applicants to learn more about their strategies for success. CDC will share these examples on the Million Hearts website. This project does not relate to public health emergency, vaccines or immunization services.

Does your project measure health disparities among populations/groups experiencing social, economic, geographic, and/or environmental disadvantages?

No

Does your project investigate underlying contributors to health inequities among populations/groups experiencing social, economic, geographic, and/or environmental disadvantages?

No

Does your project propose, implement, or evaluate an action to move towards eliminating health inequities?

No

Activities or Tasks

New Collection of Information, Data, or Biospecimens

Target Population to be Included/Represented

Healthcare Provider

Tags/Keywords

Hypertension

CDC's Role

Activity originated and designed by CDC staff, or conducted at the specific request of CDC, or CDC staff will approve study design and data collection as a condition of any funding provided

Method Categories

Individual Interview (Quantitative)

Methods

CDC uses an online application for the Hypertension Control Challenge. Applicants will answer a series of questions to report their hypertension control rate among their patient populations. For example, they will indicate their practice type and patient population characteristics (e.g. percent of patients who belong to a racial/ethnic minority, who speak English as a second language, who are enrolled in Medicaid, who have no health insurance). No individual patient level data will be collected. After a background check is done on these applicants, a CDC selected contractor will conduct an interview to verify the applicant's application information. CDC will conduct a quantitative interview with some applicants to learn more about their strategies for success and write a success story to make these strategies publicly available.

Collection of Info, Data, or Bio specimens

Data will be collected through an electronic application and via phone interviews.

Expected Use of Findings/Results and their impact

CDC will develop success stories to make applicant's success strategies publicly available.

Could Individuals potentially be identified based on Information Collected?

No

Funding
Funding Type	Funding Title	Funding #	Original Fiscal Year	# of Years of Award	Budget Amount
CDC Cooperative Agreement	CSTLTS- MH-NACDD MH Recognition Program

HSC Review

HSC Attributes

Program Evaluation

Yes

Quality Assurance / Improvement

Yes

Regulation and Policy

Do you anticipate this project will require review by a CDC IRB or HRPO?

No

Will you be working with an outside Organization or Institution? Yes

Institutions
Institution	FWA #	FWA Exp. Date	Funding	Funding Restriction Amount
National Association of Chronic Disease Directors			PHIC – Preventing Heart Attacks and Strokes with Chronic Disease Directors

Institution	Funding Restriction Percentage	Funding Restriction Reason	Funding Restriction has been lifted
National Association of Chronic Disease Directors

Institution	Institution Role(s)	Institution Project Title	Institution Project Tracking #	Prime Institution
National Association of Chronic Disease Directors	Providing Technical Assistance

Institution	Regulatory Coverage	IRB Review Status
National Association of Chronic Disease Directors	IRB Review is Not Required

Institution	Registered IRB	IRB Registration Exp. Date	IRB Approval Status
National Association of Chronic Disease Directors

Institution	IRB Approval Date	IRB Approval Exp. Date	Relying Institution IRB
National Association of Chronic Disease Directors

Staff
Staff Member	SIQT Exp. Date	Citi Biomedical Exp. Date	Citi Social and Behavioral Exp. Date	Citi Good Clinical Exp. Date	Citi Good Laboratory Practice Exp. Date	Staff Role	Email	Phone #	Organization/ Institution
HaleyStolp	06/27/2026					Program Lead	vul4@cdc.gov	770-488-7442	OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR
JessicaBarnett	12/31/2099					Program Official	nma4@cdc.gov	770-488-0063	MILLION HEART TEAM

DMP
Proposed Data Collection Start Date	04/01/26
Proposed Data Collection End Date	03/31/29
Proposed Public Access Level	Non-Public
Reason for not Releasing the Data	Other- CDC will not release an institution's application data. However, CDC will disseminate in a narrative format the strategies that applicants are using to achieve blood pressure control.
Public Access justification	Million Hearts will release promotional narratives to highlight strategies that applicants attest they are using to achieve blood pressure control among their hypertensive patients. This recognition program aims to recognize and disseminate strategies that institutions are using to successfully address blood pressure control.
How Access Will Be Provided for Data	Data will be stored by CDC on a secure CDC file system. This data will be stored on a secure server that will be password protected. CDC's Million Hearts team and its funded partner (The National Association for Chronic Disease Directors) will have access to this data. Data such as the applicant's contact information will not be shared with any other entities,and will be stored for 3 years.
Plans for archival and long-term preservation of the data	Data will be stored for 3 years and then archived.

Spatiality (Geographic Location)
Country	State/Province	County/Region

Determinations
Determination	Justification	Completed	Entered By & Role
HSC: Does NOT Require HRPO Review	Not Research / Other 45 CFR 46.102(l) Program Evaluation Quality Assurance / Improvement	12/08/25	Redmond Leonard_Joan (jrl3) CIO HSC