Voices of Wellness and Care Coordination

In their Words: Caregivers

Jo R., RN
Billings, MT

Jo swears by the chronic care coordination services she helps administer, especially the Heart Failure program. She cites the significant cost savings and cost effectiveness with these programs, accomplished by having one nurse remotely monitor several patients; coordinating heart failure follow-up appointments to more efficiently optimize standard medical therapy and treat patients more appropriately; and realizing the benefits of routine outpatient care versus episodic inpatient and acute care.

Pedro C., MD
Miami, FL

As a physician helping patients in a LifeMasters Supported SelfCare program, Pedro says, "I feel the program is excellent. It is an extension of the doctor-patient visit and I would hope it gets expanded to more patients. The doctor gives prevention and acute care and follow-ups. The LifeMasters program gives 'pre-emptive' care. It will save trips to the hospital, unnecessary calls to doctors and hospitals, preserve health care [financial] resources and most of all, save lives and keep people healthy."

Sue L., RN
Cohasset, MA

Sue is a tele-monitoring nurse with Partner's Home Care "Connected Cardiac Care" program. "Through daily monitoring, teaching and raising awareness of their condition, we are helping our patients recognize signs and symptoms of a problem, and to seek early intervention, to help keep them out of the emergency room." She has rich relationships with all her patients and is delighted to be able to help them be more self-reliant and informed.

Robert C., MD
West Memphis, AR

Robert works with BirthWait, a program that aims to make life easier for pregnant women. It provides everything from transportation to care coordination for women who otherwise wouldn't be able to receive it. "I think the BirthWait program helps women to come in for their pre-natal check-ups and really take an interest in their pregnancy," Robert says. "The program's nurses work well with these women to educate and explain the significance of keeping pre-natal appointments and screenings."

Courtney L.
Tucson, AZ

As a health coach and transformational life coach, Courtney works with a great many chronic condition patients, especially those suffering from diabetes, asthma, cholesterol-related conditions and high blood pressure. She also works with municipal governments and their employees, striving to provide them with a more balanced approach to managing their health. Through one-on-one wellness consultations covering topics such as nutrition, exercise, weight management, disease management, stress management, self-care and personal growth, Courtney has provided the foundation for positive lifestyle changes for many people throughout Arizona.

Sherry S., RN
Morehead, KY

As a registered nurse (RN), Sherry frequently works with patients suffering from chronic conditions. Through her hospital's weight management program, she helps provide patients with comprehensive, medically supervised treatment plans that promote lifestyle changes aimed at ensuring successful, long-term, healthful weight loss. From incremental, positive changes to witnessing diabetic patients move all the way from medication to diet-controlled diabetes management, Sherry has brought hope to hundreds of Kentuckians through her devotion to disease management.

Barbara K., RN
Las Vegas, NV

In her capacity as both registered nurse and health coach, Barbara is a strong believer in the positive psychological impact wellness and chronic care coordination programs have on patients. "Disease management gives people a place to reveal their inner-most concerns without fear of judgment or criticism: to be accepted unconditionally for who they are and where they are in their path to self-improvement and discovery," she says. Barbara's experiences in working with chronic condition patients has served to reinforce her strong belief that coping with life is much easier if they have positive, dependable support systems around them.

Kathy K., RN
Des Moines, IA

As a cardiac rehabilitation specialist with the Iowa Chronic Care Consortium, Kathy is convinced health coaching, education and monitoring is the surest way to promote long-term good health. She believes that, in addition to the health benefits, the relationship building and support between patients and the high trust they have in their cardiac rehabilitation nurses is also an extremely important psychological component to maintaining good health.

Angela S., RN
Des Moines, IA

Angela has worked with many patients to promote more healthful lifestyles, but specifically recalls an 81-year-old man who enrolled in April 2005 with her treatment program. This patient was admitted for exacerbation of heart failure and then referred to her outpatient clinic for close follow-up and monitoring. Since enrollment into the clinic, he has had no heart failure admissions to the hospital. Additionally, the clinic became a strong support system through the years, including during the illness and death of his spouse about a year ago. He is currently involved in an outpatient heart failure and depression research program through the University of Iowa and continues to come to the clinic weekly for physical assessments, intravenous diuretics, friendship and support.