Ocean County, NJ -- Cheryl Hurtig, RN, has worked with cardiac patients in their homes for more than 5 years as an employee with Community Medical Center Home Health in Toms River, an affiliate of Barnabas Health. Her goal: To help patients with Congestive Heart Failure (CHF) manage their symptoms and avoid hospitalization.
CHF is a chronic condition in which the heart can not pump enough blood to the body’s other organs. This can lead to a variety of symptoms including fluid build-up throughout the body which can cause tiredness and shortness of breath.
“The majority of the patients I visit with CHF are struggling to manage their condition and avoid being admitted to the hospital,” explains Ms. Hurtig, a resident of Forked River, who sees an average of 6 people each day. “A typical visit involves me monitoring their weight, educating them about the disease, assisting with nutritional advice and reviewing medications to ensure they are administering them properly.” She continues to explain how a large emphasis is placed on education to encourage patients to contact their physician if they feel their symptoms are worsening.
In addition to Ms. Hurtig’s visit, patients in the Community Medical Center Home Health CHF Program are enrolled in a Cardiac Home Monitoring Program which prompts them to take their vital sign measurements by using special equipment provided by Home Health. This information is promptly transmitted to the Home Health office where Cardiac Nurse Specialists monitor the data and immediately respond to potential problems.
“In collaboration with the Cardiac Home Monitoring Program, we contact the patient every day by phone, or via a home visit, for his/her entire length of stay,” Ms. Hurtig adds. “In an even further effort to avoid an unnecessary visit to the hospital or the Emergency Room, we will be extending this telephone follow-up for an additional 30 days after the patient has been discharged from the CHF Program.”
“Part of our mission is to educate individuals with CHF to effectively manage the disease and its symptoms,” says Ms. Hurtig. “When patients see an opportunity to make a difference in their own health care, and they take advantage of that opportunity, it’s very gratifying.”
For more information about Community Medical Center Home Health, or the specialized Congestive Heart Failure Home Care Program, please call 732-818-6800 or visit www.homehealthnj.com.
Date: June 2010
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