It is estimated that nearly half of all adults in the United States have hypertension[1] (AKA high blood pressure). The impact? An estimated 691,000 deaths in the United States in 2021[2] where hypertension acted as either a primary or contributing cause.
 
With the prevalence of hypertension and its associated health risks as high as it is, all FQHCs throughout the nation are required to report on both their number of patients with high blood pressure as well as the number of patients whose hypertension is controlled (<140 mmHg & associated with significantly less health risks). The below figures demonstrate the varying treatment outcomes achieved by FQHCs across Region X and within each individual state throughout 2022.

By the Ride Program in Collaboration with the NWRPCA Workforce Development Team​

Over 50 years ago, the University of Washington (UW) School of Medicine began the WWAMI program, a medical education program serving the five-state region of Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, and Idaho. WWAMI is renowned for its unique approach to supporting the rural physician workforce, advancing excellence in medical education, and helping meet physician workforce needs in the region.

​Inspired by the WWAMI program success, the School of Dentistry with funding from the Washington State legislature, launched the Regional Initiatives in Dental Education (RIDE) program in 2007. By building on the existing educational structure in Spokane and the community health centers across the state, RIDE is a cost-effective, scalable model for training dentists to meet the needs of rural and underserved populations. The program focuses on delivering hands-on, interprofessional education within small communities, effectively opening pathways to improved dental care.