Sep
29
The Cardiology Department of DuPage Medical Group in Crain’s Chicago Business regarding our program to Reduce Hospital Re-admissions
Filed Under DuPage Medical Group News
Our Director of Cardiovascular Services, Stewart Gibbs, was recently interviewed by Crain’s Chicago Business regarding our APN Navigator Program. Please click here to read the September 28, 2009 online article.
In July of 2009, DMG’s Cardiology Department introduced the first post-hospital discharge Advanced Practice Nurse (APN) Navigator Program in our community. This program reduces hospital re-admissions and decreases patient morbidity and mortality. While this unique, first in market, APN Navigator Program will manage all patients being discharged in our service we are aware Congestive Heart Failure patients have the highest same illness readmission rates in medicine.
Studies indicate that bridging the gap in care between hospital discharge and office follow-up for patients with Congestive Heart Failure significantly reduces hospital re-admissions and patient mortality. Each DMG Cardiology service hospital will be assigned a post-discharge APN Navigator who will:
- Coordinate hospital discharge including patient follow-up planning
- Reinforce patient education including self management strategies
- Schedule office follow-up appointments to be seen within one week following discharge
- Contact CHF patients before office follow-up appointment to confirm patient is: checking weight daily and has not had a 2 pound weight gain overnight; following a 2000 mg sodium diet; not experiencing worsening shortness of breath or edema; and taking medications as prescribed.
DMG Cardiology APN’s are Board Certified with decades of cardiac experience to support a higher standard of care.
If you have any questions regarding this program, please contact Cardiology at 630-933-8100.