Lancaster General Hospital has lowest Medicare heart failure readmission rate in the U.S., according to government statistics. How this facility managed to become a leader in the field has to do with patient engagement.
But change didn’t come easily in dealing with a condition that sees 25 percent of patients readmitted within 30 days. Lancaster General’s program began 20 years ago, focusing on education about diet, medication and lifestyle choices.
“People think if I’m in the hospital I’m getting fixed,” said nurse practitioner Lisa Rathman, who helped start the program. “Nothing is ever fixed for these folks, unfortunately.”
Read more about the program here:
Nicholas joined TriMed in 2016 as the managing editor of the Chicago office. After receiving his master’s from Roosevelt University, he worked in various writing/editing roles for magazines ranging in topic from billiards to metallurgy. Currently on Chicago’s north side, Nicholas keeps busy by running, reading and talking to his two cats.