The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) chose hundreds of participants for a new initiative aimed at reducing the risks for heart attacks and strokes for Medicare beneficiaries.

More than 500 awardees in 47 states, Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia were chosen yesterday, according to a statement. Nearly 20,000 health care practitioners will be participating in the Million Hearts Cardiovascular Disease Risk Reduction Model, which is designed to decrease cardiovascular disease risks. They will assess individual patients’ risk for heart attack and stroke while incorporating prevention methods.

“Our health care system historically often emphasized acute care over preventive care,” said Patrick Conway, MD, CMS’s acting principal deputy administrator and chief medical officer, in a statement. “This initiative will enhance patient-centered care and give practitioners the resources to invest the time and in staff to address and manage patients who are at high risk for heart attacks and strokes.”

The initiative will give participating practitioners an opportunity to use a data-driven approach to create personalized risk scores and to develop plans with patients to reduce their risk of having a heart attack or stroke. More than 3.3 million Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries will participate in the five-year model.