CHESS Health Solutions' Pharmacist-Supported Hypertension Model Delivers 9:1 ROI, Improves Patient Outcomes

Delivers High Return on Investment Through Scalable, Pharmacist-Led Hypertension Management

/EIN News/ -- Winston-Salem, NC, June 11, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- CHESS Health Solutions today announced compelling results from its centralized, pharmacist-supported hypertension care model, an innovative approach in which pharmacists collaborate with clinicians to enhance hypertension control across patient populations. This scalable model allows a single pharmacist to support multiple practices, increasing reach and efficiency—particularly for small or independent clinics that cannot support embedded pharmacy services.   By leveraging this hub-based approach, CHESS improved blood pressure control while delivering a remarkable 9:1 return on investment (ROI).

A Model That Delivers Clinical and Financial Results

CHESS’s pharmacist-supported approach isn’t just clinically effective, it’s financially sound. The team used an intent-to-treat analysis, meaning they counted every outreach attempt, not just the successful ones. Even with that conservative methodology, the data showed a 9:1 ROI. The takeaway is clear: centralized pharmacy care works, and it scales.

“I’ve worked in team-based care for nearly 15 years. I know it works,” said Rebecca Grandy, director of pharmacy at CHESS. “What holds us back is often lack of reimbursement. But CHESS bridges that gap with technology, data, and a model that really works, especially for practices that otherwise couldn’t support a pharmacist.”

The Hypertension Crisis: Why the CHESS Approach Matters

• Nearly half of U.S. adults (119.9 million) have high blood pressure.
• Three in four of those adults (92 million) do not have it under control.
• In 2022, high blood pressure contributed to 685,875 deaths in the U.S.
• Annual healthcare costs related to hypertension are estimated at $219 billion.
• Individuals with high blood pressure incur $2,759 to $2,926 more in annual medical expenses than those without.

A Proven Strategy Backed by CDC Data

Team-based care has emerged as one of the most effective and cost-efficient strategies for addressing hypertension. According to the CDC and the Community Preventive Services Task Force, care models that include pharmacists could, over five years, prevent nearly 92,000 heart attacks, 139,000 strokes, and more than 115,000 cardiovascular deaths. Medicare alone could save up to $900 million over the same period. Self-measured blood pressure programs supported by care teams are estimated to return between $7.50 and $19.35 [MD3] [TR4] for every dollar invested.

CHESS’s care model combines clinical data, claims, and payer insights to identify high-risk, high-opportunity patients. With this intelligence, pharmacists target outreach and medication management efforts, improving outcomes across diverse populations and underserved practices.

“As clinical decision support tools become more advanced, we’re expanding our ability to reach the right patients at the right time,” said Mark Dunnagan, vice president of health informatics at CHESS. “The combination of data and pharmacist-driven care is powerful and scalable.”

A Model Built for Equity and Value

The model also addresses equity, an essential component of effective population health management. The U.S. Surgeon General’s Call to Action underscores the need for team-based care models to reduce hypertension disparities, particularly among Black, Hispanic, and Native American communities, where rates of uncontrolled blood pressure are significantly higher.

CHESS’s pharmacist-supported model directly supports this goal by expanding access to expert medication management and clinical follow-up in settings that need it most. This ensures that patients, regardless of geography, race, or clinic size, receive consistent, high-quality support for chronic disease management.

“Equity and value aren’t separate goals—they’re deeply connected,” said Grandy. “A model that works financially, clinically, and across all populations is exactly what our healthcare system needs.”

About CHESS Health Solutions
CHESS Health Solutions is a physician-led company value services company dedicated to improving patient outcomes while reducing healthcare costs. With a focus on innovation and quality, CHESS continues to be at the forefront of transforming healthcare delivery. Through sustained clinical innovation, contract negotiation experience, and high-touch care, CHESS is committed to success in quality improvement, cost reduction, and most important, better patient outcomes. Visit chesshealthsolutions.com for more information.

Thomas Royal
                    CHESS Health Solutions
                    336-821-7065
                    troyal@chesshealthsolutions.com