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, 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 or visit www.homehealthnj.com.