Clinical & Experimental Cardiology
Open Access
ISSN: 2155-9880
+44 1300 500008
ISSN: 2155-9880
+44 1300 500008
Madeline Gervase
Rowan University, USA
Scientific Tracks Abstracts: J Clin Exp Cardiolog
Cardiac disease which includes chronic heart failure (CHF) is a familiar diagnosis in long term care (LTC) and facilities that are considered skilled nursing facilities (SNF) in the United States. According to the American Heart Association (2017), cardiovascular disease consists of cardiac and neuro ischemia, heart failure, and cardiac valve malfunction. With over 1.5 million residents >65 years of age living in skilled nursing facilities (SNF) in the United States, cardiovascular disease is the most common diagnosis with heart failure prevalent and ranging from 20% -37.4. Heckman et al. (2013) identifies that heart failure is significant and reaches 20% of long term care residents with a one year mortality of 40%. When compared to other diagnoses, heart failure 50% more prevalent than residents without this diagnoses. According to Jungens et al. (2015), hospital readmission rates for residents with heart failure range from 27% - 43% in SNF�s, as the incidence of heart failure increases with age. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ, 2015) has identified that rates for hospitalization of patients with cardiac disease have decreased by 30% nationally, but readmission rates have not reduced. A significant number of care services are available before and after discharge compared to twenty years ago, patients are being discharged earlier and followed up as outpatients or in the community. The high rate of readmission identifies a need for appropriate transition of care tools in acute care institutions. Resources to reduce readmission rates and support the American Heart Association�s (AHA, 2017) standard of care, have been implemented by some organizations to assist with this process. The purpose of this project is to integrate an education program and tools into the acute care institution, to reduce future hospital readmissions and improve overall quality of care.
Madeline Gervase is currently a Critical Care Clinical Education Specialist at Carepoint Health, and affiliated with Rowan University as a professional development educator of excellence in New Jersey. Over the years, she has garnered a wealth of experience as a nurse practitioner for over twenty years in areas that include; cardiology, surgery, and critical care. She has also held positions as assistant professor of Nursing at Rutgers University, Seton Hall University, and Union County College, and as a clinical nurse specialist/advanced practice nurse at Somerset Medical Center in the Emergency and Cardiology departments. She served as a clinical nurse specialist at Maimonides Medical Center, Brooklyn, NY, a nurse practitioner at Saint Vincent Catholic Medical Center of New York. She has also held senior critical care/open heart nursing positions at both Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick, and at Saint Vincent Catholic Medical Center in Staten Island. Gervase holds a B.S. in Nursing from The College of Staten Island and an M.S. in Nursing/ Family Nurse Practitioner from Wagner College. She has completed coursework for a Ph.D. in Instructional Leadership and Curriculum Design, and is presently in pursuit of her Doctor of Nursing Practice degree. She is also a member of several professional associations, community boards and health care collaborative organizations, and continues to identify new paths to education to promote safe and effective practice and improved patient care.
Email: mgervaseedu@gmail.com