DISEASE MANAGEMENT

Cardiovascular Disease Management Program

The Cardiovascular Disease Management Program is a program designed to educate and support patients with cardiovascular conditions so that patient’s can:

• Learn to understand their disease process
• Attain the highest possible quality of life
• Improve independence with daily activities of living

Who are the Cardiovascular Disease Patients?

Heart Failure: 

Left-sided heart failure:  The patient who has been diagnosed with a weakened left heart muscle, (cardiomyopathy) that affects the normal pumping mechanism of the heart.

Right-sided heart failure:  Refers to the patient who has an alteration in the structure or function of the right heart muscle causing an abnormal filling, relaxation or enlargement of the right heart muscle.

Both of these conditions can cause fluid overload and prevent an individual from receiving enough blood and oxygen to carry out the normal activities of daily living without difficulty.

During a hospital stay for heart failure, the disease management nursing staff provides education designed to teach the patient:

• The definition of heart failure
• The causes of heart failure
• The symptoms of heart failure
• When to seek medical attention
• The risk factors of heart failure
• Lifestyle changes that can be made to eliminate the risk factors
• Nutrition guidelines
• Medication teaching
• Discharge instructions

After discharge from the hospital:

When the heart failure patient returns home from the hospital, the disease management nurses can continue to support the patient/ family via telephone communication. This portion of the program requires that the patient or family member sign a consent form to participate so that confidential medical information can be communicated to the primary physician(s) involved. The telephone contacts:

• Continue to provide education
• Assess for recovery progress
• Answer questions the patient may have
• Act as a liaison for the patient and physician if problems occur

Outpatient Referrals:

Primary Care Physicians or other health care professionals can refer heart failure patients to the program at any time, even if not hospitalized. The same education previously described can be given to those patients, with the same supportive telephone monitoring management.  Again, a patient's signature is obtained for participation in the program because all interactions between the patient and the cardiovascular disease management nurse(s) are provided in written documentation to your  primary care physician and/or the cardiologist.

The disease management team works together with other members of an interdisciplinary team, such as your physician, social worker, therapists, primary nurses, and dieticians to provide a comprehensive means of addressing the patient’s healthcare needs to attain the maximum recovery possible.

Benefits of Patient Participation:

• Patient teaching
• Answering questions
• Assessing for problems
• Receiving prompt attention for problems
• Sending progress reports to physician(s)
• Reducing the stress of managing illness alone
• Improving the patient’s mental outlook

Congestive Heart Failure Clinic

Hanover Hospital can provide a full range of cutting-edge resources in the management of heart failure, including Pediatric Heart Failure Management. Through our affiliation with Penn State Hershey Medical Center, the latest medical and pharmacological therapies including heart assist devices and transplantation are available.  Penn State has been a pioneer in heart failure research, minimally invasive surgical techniques for heart failure, pacing treatments, artificial hearts, pumps and heart transplantation.  To schedule an appointment with Dr. John Boehmer or Dr. Eric Popjes please call 717-531-5233.

Chest Pain Patients: 

Hanover Hospital is an accredited chest pain center receiving accreditation from the Society of Chest Pain Centers in May, 2007. We are the only hospital in the area to achieve this recognition. 

All chest pain patients are followed by the disease management department for quality measures to ensure that appropriate treatment guidelines are followed for each level of heart risk. 

The low-risk chest pain patient is one who comes to the hospital having experienced chest pains that mimics a heart attack. The patient is placed in observation until definitive studies either rule out heart damage or show that the patient indeed has heart disease.

The heart attack patient is one who has electrocardiogram changes and blood level elevations that define actual heart damage.  These patients are followed by disease management for the following reasons:

• To collect quality measures regarding the treatment provided
• To ensure that appropriate evidenced-based treatment guidelines are followed, as defined by the Joint Commission and the American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology accrediting bodies.
• To contact the patients who are transferred to other inpatient facilities for cardiac procedures to explain the benefits of and offer cardiac rehabilitation education and exercise training.
• To provide risk factor teaching regarding coronary artery disease for the patient who is being treated medically.

The Stroke Patient: 

The stroke patient is a person who has been diagnosed with a Transient Ischemia Attack (TIA) or brain attack.  Stroke patients are followed by disease management for quality measures affecting treatment and to assist the patient with appropriate risk factor teaching to prevent secondary events.

How do I pay for the Care Management?

Hanover Hospital’s mission is dedicated to the promotion of wellness, preservation of health and the provision of therapeutic services. This is accomplished through education and support to the community of Hanover and surrounding residents. Therefore, the cardiovascular disease management program is provided at no personal expense to cardiovascular patients.

How Can I Participate In The Program?

Hanover Hospital offers this service as a standard of care to all cardiovascular disease patients who would benefit from the teaching and support.  However, patients do have the right to refuse the service or participation.

Hours of Operation:

The disease management nurses are interacting with patients from Monday to Friday during the hours of 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM. You may reach the office by calling (717) 633-3558, or 633-8856 or 1-800-673-2426, by FAX: (717) 633-3554, or email:cutsailj@hanoverhospital.org

In an emergency, call your physician or dial 9-1-1.