Tele Heart Care Supports Heart Surgery Patients at Home

Summer 2022, WakeMed launched Tele Heart Care – which is a new program that allows our surgical patients to get the extra support they need once they’re sent home from the hospital. It’s designed to optimize recovery as well as reduce complications and the risk for readmission to the hospital.

Tele Heart Care allows patients to connect with a member of the heart surgery care team two to three times, either by telephone or by virtual visit, during the two weeks after discharge from the hospital. During this time, patients are encouraged to weigh themselves, take their blood pressure and track their blood oxygen levels (using an over-the-counter pulse oximetry device) while journaling their results as well as noting any symptoms or concerns that may occur.

“Tele Heart Care allows us to extend the exceptional care we provide at the hospital to support our patients and their families as they navigate the complexities of recovering from heart surgery once they return home,” explains Judson Williams, MD, executive medical director of WakeMed Heart & Vascular. “With this program, we can be proactive and ensure our patients are doing well – which will ultimately help ensure our patients experience a safer, healthier recovery – avoiding complications and reducing the likelihood that they’ll have to come back to the hospital.”

This blog is adapted from an article in our Families First Magazine. Interested in getting future issues of Families First delivered to your home? Subscribe here.