Team-Based Care Helps Lower High Blood Pressure

Intensive support from doctors, nurses, and community health workers leads to significant blood pressure reductions.

Apr. 13, 2026 at 7:00pm

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A detailed, ghostly X-ray image of a human heart, its chambers and valves glowing against a dark background, conceptually representing the improved cardiovascular health enabled by a team-based approach to managing high blood pressure.An innovative team-based approach to hypertension care is helping patients take control of their heart health.New Orleans Today

A new study has found that people with high blood pressure can dramatically lower their numbers by receiving team-based care that includes home blood pressure monitoring, lifestyle coaching, medication management, and close doctor supervision. The approach led to nearly a 16 mm/Hg drop in systolic blood pressure after 18 months, compared to just a 9 mm/Hg drop for those receiving standard care.

Why it matters

High blood pressure is a major risk factor for heart disease, stroke, kidney failure, and other serious health issues, but most people with hypertension don't have it under control. This study shows an effective, scalable way to improve blood pressure management, especially in underserved communities that often struggle with access to quality care.

The details

The study recruited 1,272 patients with uncontrolled high blood pressure from 36 federally qualified health centers in Louisiana and Mississippi. Half received team-based care that included home monitoring, lifestyle coaching, medication management, and close doctor oversight. The other half received standard care. After 18 months, the team-based group saw their systolic blood pressure drop by nearly 16 mm/Hg, compared to just a 9 mm/Hg drop in the standard care group. Nearly half (48%) of the team-based patients reached a blood pressure goal of under 130/80 mm/Hg, versus only 36% in the standard care group.

  • The study was conducted over 18 months, from January 2025 to June 2026.
  • Results were published on April 8, 2026 in The New England Journal of Medicine.

The players

Katherine Mills

A professor of epidemiology at Tulane University in New Orleans and the lead researcher on the study.

M.A. 'Tonette' Krousel-Wood

The chair of primary care medicine at Tulane University School of Medicine and a co-lead researcher on the study.

Jiang He

The chair of epidemiology at UT Southwestern's School of Public Health in Dallas and the senior researcher on the study.

Tulane University

The institution where the lead and co-lead researchers are based.

UT Southwestern Medical Center

The institution where the senior researcher is based.

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What they’re saying

“We have the tools to treat high blood pressure, but the challenge is effectively implementing these tools in primary care and helping patients adhere to medications and lifestyle changes.”

— Katherine Mills, Professor of Epidemiology, Tulane University

“This trial showed that a team-based approach to supporting and treating patients with uncontrolled blood pressure in low-income rural and urban areas can effectively lower high blood pressure.”

— Katherine Mills, Professor of Epidemiology, Tulane University

“Many of these patients had long-standing and treated hypertension, meaning the approach is effective in lowering blood pressure in challenging, real-world clinical settings.”

— M.A. 'Tonette' Krousel-Wood, Chair of Primary Care Medicine, Tulane University School of Medicine

“Poor hypertension control is a major clinical and public health challenge. This effective, sustainable, and scalable implementation strategy should be widely adopted in the U.S. to improve hypertension control.”

— Jiang He, Chair of Epidemiology, UT Southwestern's School of Public Health

What’s next

Researchers hope this team-based approach can be implemented at the nation's 1,400 federally qualified health centers, as well as in other primary care settings, to help more people with uncontrolled high blood pressure get their numbers under control.

The takeaway

This study demonstrates an effective, scalable model for improving blood pressure management, especially in underserved communities that often struggle with access to quality care. By providing intensive support from a dedicated team of providers, patients were able to significantly lower their blood pressure and get it under control.