Heart Failure

Through the Pursuing Perfection grant, the Heart Failure Program was developed to improve the care of all patients with a diagnosis of heart failure. Patients benefit from early and accurate diagnosis through the use of B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) testing. BNP is a blood test that can help to assess whether heart failure has occurred or whether a patient is in the early stages of developing heart failure. All patients seeking care in the Emergency / Trauma Department with shortness of breath receive this blood test. Those diagnosed with heart failure are provided with education while in the hospital, and there is an outpatient center for follow-up treatment. Patients referred to Hackensack University Medical Center's Home Care Agency are seen by a specialized heart failure nurse, and a telephone follow-up program is also available for those not eligible for home care. The medical center's Heart Failure Program has been able to establish a continuum of care that closely monitors patients and assists them in learning the self-management skills necessary to reduce serious complications and prevent hospitalizations.

Contact:
Lenore Blank, RN, BSN
201-996-4849
lblank@humed.com