American Heart Association Acquires Cardiometabolic Center Alliance to Advance Integrated Care

The American Heart Association has acquired program assets of the Cardiometabolic Center Alliance collaborative, strengthening efforts to establish integrated care that holistically manages cardiovascular, kidney, and metabolic health. The missions of both organizations are closely aligned, focusing on comprehensive risk reduction and improving quality of care for patients with cardiometabolic disease through a patient-centered, team-based approach. Founded by Saint Luke's Mid America Heart Institute in Kansas City, Mo., under the medical direction of Mikhail Kosiborod, M.D., the CMCA began as a bold initiative to reshape cardiometabolic care through the Saint Luke's Michael and Marlys Haverty Cardiometabolic Center of Excellence.

The CMCA designed and successfully implemented a novel approach to treating Type 2 diabetes, pre-diabetes, and related cardiovascular conditions together rather than addressing conditions separately, providing comprehensive care tailored to each patient. This unique care model was recognized in top medical journals, and as health care systems across the country expressed interest in adopting the model, the CMCA was launched. To date, CMCA members have observed statistically significant improvements in quality of care and clinical outcomes. Melissa Magwire, RN, MSN, CDCES, program director of the CMCA, noted the increasing demand to expand their collaborative team-based care model since launching in 2020.

The established collaborative relationship between the Heart Association and CMCA will enhance the development of a Cardiovascular-Kidney-Metabolic Center of Excellence certification program. The CMCA membership includes clinical protocols, clinical materials, program support for 22 cardiometabolic centers, and a five-year longitudinal dataset of patient-level cardiometabolic data. The American Heart Association will lead program development, implementation, and clinical support for all existing CMCA members. Mariell Jessup, M.D., FAHA, Chief Science & Medical Officer of the American Heart Association, described this as a rare opportunity to optimize synergy between the organizations and combine efforts for greater impact.

Based on initial data, the CMCA model substantially increased rates of optimal guideline-directed medical therapy over national averages, ensuring patients with Type 2 diabetes receive care that optimizes diabetes management while providing comprehensive cardiovascular risk reduction with proven therapies. CMCA leadership will transition to committee and staff roles at the American Heart Association, further integrating the expertise and successful approaches developed through the collaborative. This acquisition represents a significant step forward in addressing the interconnected nature of cardiovascular, kidney, and metabolic conditions through evidence-based, integrated care models that have demonstrated measurable improvements in patient outcomes.