Advocate Health Care
Oak Brook, Illinois, USA
Team
Cindy Welsh, RN, MBA, Facilitator, Administrator Clinical Excellence, Oak Brook Support Center and Director, Quality Improvement/Credentialing, Advocate Health Centers
Marc Silver, MD, System Physician Champion, Advocate Christ Medical Center
Nadira Alikhan, MD, HF Physician Champion, Advocate Bethany Hospital
Abas Amiry, MD, HF Physician Champion, Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital
Susan Archie, RN, HF Coordinator, Advocate Bethany Hospital
Mary Bahr, RN, HF Coordinator, Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center
Cheryl Brody, MD, Physician Champion, Advocate South Suburban Hospital
Leslie Brookfield, MD, Physician Champion, Advocate Lutheran General Hospital
Althea Dumas, RN, HF Coordinator, Advocate Trinity Hospital
B.J. Haag, RN, Outpatient HF Coordinator, Advocate South Suburban Hospital
Cindy Funk, Clinical Project Analyst, Oak Brook Support Center
Lorayne Hrejsa, RN, Manager, Education and Accreditation
Paul Jones, MD, HF Physician Champion, Advocate Trinity Hospital
Nicole Kent, RN, Clinical Educator, Advocate Home Health Services
Kathy Kolosh, RN, Inpatient HF Coordinator, Advocate South Suburban Hospital
Tomas Leskovac, MD, HF Physician Champion, Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital
Richard Levinsky, MD, HF Physician Champion, Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center
Asta Lynch, MD, HF Physician Champion, Advocate South Suburban Hospital
Gina Maki, RN, HF Coordinator, Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital
Jean Mau, APN-CNS, HF Specialist, Advocate Lutheran General Hospital
Pankaj Patel, MD, HF Physician Champion, Advocate Health Centers
Carol Pisano, RN, Manager HF Clinic, Advocate Christ Medical Center
Joanne Pouliot, RN, HF Coordinator, Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital
Mitchell Saltzberg, MD, HF Physician Champion, Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital
Tianchu Shih, MD, HF Physician Champion, Dreyer Medical Clinic
Janet Weatherhead, RN, HF Coordinator, Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital
Aim
The Advocate Heart Failure Team’s goal was to decrease 30-day readmissions for Heart Failure to less than or equal to 7.3 percent while simultaneously increasing patient satisfaction with the Heart Failure Program.
Measures
30-Day Readmission Rate for Heart Failure
Percent of Use of ACE inhibitors among Heart Failure Program Patients
Patient Satisfaction with the Heart Failure Program
Changes
After receiving the Certificate of Distinction for Disease Specific Care from the JCAHO (Joint Commission on Accreditation of Health Care Organizations) and reviewing their recommendations, an opportunity to improve patient education and enhance collaboration by developing a standard approach to patient education was recognized system wide.
The team developed a patient discharge instruction sheet and updated the refrigerator reminder sheet, tools which patients are encouraged to use as a reference for self-management.
A HF program-specific patient satisfaction survey was developed and implemented.
Results
Summary of Results / Lessons Learned / Next Steps- Understanding how to self-manage their heart failure allows patients to experience a better quality of life, which results in less hospital admissions.
- Equipping patients with these tools provides them the information on medications, diet, exercise and signs and symptoms to report to their physician before a hospitalization is required.
- Providing education, psychosocial support with support groups and heart failure clinics allow them to become an active partner in their care.
- Compliance increases; hospital admissions decrease – a great balance.
Contact Information
Cindy Welsh, RN, MBA
Administrator, Clinical Excellence
Advocate Health Care
Cindy.Welsh@advocatehealth.com
