Heart Failure Report

What is Heart Failure?

Heart failure is a term used is describe the heart when it is not pumping as well as it should causing the body to not get all the oxygen and nutrient-rich blood that is needed. Heart failure is a serious condition with no cure, but many patients lead a full life when managed well.

For more information on the “Warning Signs of Heart Failure” by the American Heart Association, please click HERE.

Heart Failure Patient Mortality (Death)

What is this measure?

A death rate show whether patients died within 30 days of going to the hospital for heart failure. This important information informs the community and its patients if the hospital is doing a good job compared to other hospitals across the nation. This data is tracked and publicly reported by the Center of Medicaid and Medicare Services track and reported on Medicare.gov – Hospital Compare official website.

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Benchmark is how the hospital specific data performs to the nation’s performance. Meets benchmark is defined as “No different as the national rate” per the Center of Medicaid and Medicare Services as reported on Medicare.gov Hospital compare official website. Worse or better than the benchmark shows performance below or above the national rate as stated on Medicare.gov Hospital compare official website.

Why is it important?

Death rates provide information about important aspects that affect patients’ outcomes. A focus on prevention, response to complications, emphasis on patient safety, and timeliness of care lowers mortality rates and improve patient outcomes.

Heart Failure Patient Hospital Readmission

What is this measure?

A readmission rate shows how often a patient returns to the hospital for an unplanned admission within 30 days of going home from the previous hospitalization. Patient may return to the same hospital or a different hospital. The readmission may be related the original heart attack or for a different health issue.

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Benchmark is how the hospital specific data performs to the nation’s performance. Meets benchmark is defined as “No different as the national rate” per the Center of Medicaid and Medicare Services as reported on Medicare.gov Hospital compare official website. Worse or better than the benchmark shows performance below or above the national rate as stated on Medicare.gov Hospital compare official website. Data includes July 2015 through June 2018.

Why is it important?

Readmission rate show how well the hospital is doing to prevent complications, provide clear discharge instructions, and aid in making easy transition home or to another setting.

What is Kaweah Health doing to continue to improve?

Our Kaweah Health Specialty Clinic Center engages chronically ill patient in an active partnership to equip and support them in making informed choices. The Kaweah Health Specialty Clinic center helps patients take charge of their health issues and improve their quality of life by teaching self-care monitoring techniques, and collaboratively managing them alongside their referring physicians. The center offers a multi-disciplinary approach with a team that includes a physician medical director, Harry Lively, MD, who provides guidance and direction in providing patient care.

Address: 325 S. Willis, Visalia, CA 93291

Phone: (559) 624-4080

Hours of Operation: Monday – Friday: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Primary care physicians and cardiologists may refer patients who would benefit from learning better self-care.

Frontline Perspective

Harry Lively, MD, Medical Director of Non-Invasive Cardiology

"We have a strong cardiovascular program. The best get better by collaborating and learning from each other. Collaborating with Cleveland Clinic will accelerate our progress toward having a world-class heart program here in Visalia to benefit people throughout the region."

How can patients and families support safety?

Healthy lifestyle can reduce your risk factors for chronic conditions that are life threatening and have high hospitalization rates. For a healthy lifestyle:

• See your provider annual for preventative care and maintenance.
• Stop smoking tobacco if current smoker.
• Eat health foods high in fiber and low in fat, cholesterol, and sodium.
• Stay physically active every day.
• Take medications as prescribed.
• Use good hand hygiene practices.
• Seek early treatment from your doctor if change in condition or feeling worse.

For more information on healthy living from the American Heart Association, please click HERE.