Author Description

Approximately 5 million people in the United States have heart failure, with 550,000 new cases diagnosed annually. The condition is the number one cause for hospitalization among the elderly; one fifth of all hospitalizations have a primary or secondary diagnosis of heart failure. In response, magnet hospital Hackensack University Medical Center (HUMC) has launched a dedicated inpatient heart failure unit that is dramatically reducing readmission rates in this population. This special report chronicles the evolution and operation of the three-year-old unit and its foundation in continuous care and patient education and self-management. In this 23-page report, the team's education coordinator and administrative manager both cardiac nurses describe how the team is overcoming barriers to effective heart failure management.