Mountain Laurel Earns Gold Plus Heart Award
The Oakland medical center received American Heart Association recognition for blood pressure control through the Target: BP program.
Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in Heart Disease
Mountain Laurel Medical Center earned Gold Plus recognition from the American Heart Association through Target: BP, a national blood pressure initiative. The award recognizes blood pressure control rates of 70% or higher among adult patients with hypertension.
Why it matters
Nearly half of U.S. adults, about 122.4 million people, live with hypertension, yet only about one in four has it under control. Heart disease and stroke are the nation's No. 1 and No. 5 causes of death, making blood pressure control a central public health priority.
The Gold Plus threshold requires blood pressure control in at least 70% of adult hypertension patients, while only about one in four U.S. adults with hypertension currently have their pressure controlled nationally. The source does not disclose the facility's exact control rate or patient volume.
The players
American Heart Association
The American Heart Association is a leading voluntary health organization focused on cardiovascular disease and stroke research, prevention, and advocacy.
Mountain Laurel Medical Center
Mountain Laurel Medical Center is the Oakland health care facility that earned the Gold Plus recognition for its blood pressure control performance.
The details
Target: BP, a national initiative offered at no cost to health care organizations, supports practices through an evidence-based quality improvement program focused on blood pressure measurement and treatment. The program was formed in response to the high prevalence of uncontrolled blood pressure across the country.
Timeline
November 2, 2026: Mountain Laurel Medical Center's Gold Plus recognition announced.
Health Landscape
Target: BP was created by the American Heart Association to address the widespread failure to control hypertension among U.S. adults. Its Gold Plus tier reflects a shift toward rewarding measurable blood pressure control at the practice level rather than screening alone.
Adults with high blood pressure can ask their clinicians whether their readings are within target range and what monitoring steps make sense. Recognition programs like Target: BP reflect measurement and treatment practices that patients may encounter during routine care.
The takeaway
Blood pressure control remains the exception rather than the rule for U.S. adults with hypertension. Routine measurement and consistent follow-up with a clinician are among the most practical steps individuals can take to narrow that gap.
Further reading
For more on the condition behind this award, see Heart Disease coverage on Wisevoter.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The Cumberland Times-News.
