 In just one short year, Valerie Woodruff, RN, Cardiac Clinical Nurse
Specialist for JerseyCare Home Health, an affiliate of the Saint Barnabas
Health Care System serving Essex County, has made significant strides
in developing the Congestive Heart Failure (CHF) program for Saint Barnabas
Home Health Care Services. This program enables individuals with cardiac
disease to live healthier at home and helps avoid the re-hospitalizations
these patients often experience.
Valerie, a resident of Randolph, NJ, who joined JerseyCare Home Health
in the fall of 2008, has had a long-standing interest in helping cardiac
patients live at home with the proper care having witnessed both her
parents struggle with congestive heart failure. “Most patients
are in need of education,” she explains. “They come home
from the hospital overwhelmed with information and it is hard, particularly
for the elderly, to manage their care. That’s where the home health
nurse comes in.”
Home health nursing, with a special focus on heart disease, can make
all the difference. Once a patient returns home, Valerie coordinates
a visit time with the patient and family. During this visit she provides
a medication list in consultation with the physician, reviews proper
medication administration, checks on medication compliance and addresses
home safety concerns. “It’s important for patients to know
what signs and symptoms are normal and when it’s important to
call a doctor,” she explains. “Education goes a long way
in helping patients be proactive with their care.”
Valerie has been instrumental in strengthening the Congestive Heart
Failure program, making connections with physicians and nurse practitioners,
and developing new programs. Her role includes orienting clinicians
in advanced cardiac assessment, and remaining current with new medications,
techniques and treatments. She collaborates with patients, the primary
care nurse and the physician to develop a comprehensive plan of care
tailored to the needs of each patient. As part of the program, patients
receive telephone follow-up from a registered nurse for 30 days after
discharge from home care.
“Valerie has a positive and refreshing personality that patients
and physicians welcome,” says Sue Trotter, RN, Administrative
Director of JerseyCare Home Health. “She is extremely knowledgeable
about cardiac medications and actively participates in a patient’s
care. Since having her as the Cardiac Clinical Nurse Specialist, our
hospital readmission rates have decreased significantly for our Congestive
Heart Failure patients. I don’t think there is any question that
this is due to her efforts.”
Valerie has also been instrumental in developing a new “telemedicine” program
which is scheduled to be implemented in 2010. The program will have
the ability to obtain a patient’s vital signs from their home
via a telephone transmission to the clinician’s laptop computer.
This will allow the home care nurse to evaluate a patient’s basic
cardiac function remotely, make a home visit if necessary, and then
communicate with the physician as needed.
The Saint Barnabas Home Health Care Agencies offer a wide variety of
health care services in the comfortable environment of one’s home.
Our approach is interdisciplinary and our team of professionals works
closely with physicians to coordinate care in the home or place of residence
with the focus on achieving quality of life, maximizing independence
and reducing hospital readmissions. Referrals may be made for physical
therapy, occupational therapy, nutritional evaluation and diet education,
social work consultation and Home Health Aid assistance when appropriate.
For more information, please call 1-888-SBHS-123
Date: December 2009
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