Mile Square Health Center Earns Four American Heart Association Quality Awards
Friday, October 30, 2026
UI Health Mile Square Health Center has received four 2026 achievement awards from the American Heart Association (AHA). The awards recognize quality of care in cholesterol management, blood pressure control and type 2 diabetes care across Mile Square’s health centers in Chicago, Cicero and Rockford.
The awards come from three AHA quality improvement programs for outpatient and community health settings. Each program measures how consistently care teams follow evidence-based guidelines for the patients most at risk of heart disease and stroke.
2026 awards
- Change. Control. Cholesterol™ – Gold (organization-wide): Recognizes appropriate statin therapy use of 70% or higher across Mile Square’s at-risk patient population.
- Target: Type 2 Diabetes℠ – Gold: Recognizes strong HbA1c control among patients with diabetes and 70% or higher adherence to at least one cardiovascular-focused clinical measure. Earned by Back of the Yards, Cicero, Drake, LP Johnson Rockford, Main, National Teachers Academy and South Shore.
- Target: BP™ – Gold: Recognizes a blood pressure control rate of 70% or higher among adult patients. Earned by Drake and National Teachers Academy.
- Target: BP™ – Silver: Recognizes a commitment to improving blood pressure control through accurate measurement. Earned by Primary and Immediate Care Center in Auburn Gresham, Back of the Yards, Cicero, Davis, Englewood, Englewood STEM, LP Johnson Rockford, Main and South Shore.
Why it matters
The AHA’s 2026 Statistical Update lists heart disease as the leading cause of death in the U.S. and stroke as the fifth. High blood pressure, high cholesterol and type 2 diabetes are among the main risk factors for both, and all three can be managed with regular, consistent care.
For a Federally Qualified Health Center, that consistency counts. Many Mile Square patients face barriers to care, and managing these conditions in a primary care setting helps prevent the hospitalizations and complications that hit underserved communities hardest.
