DeLand, Fla., June 30, 2009 – When a patient leaves Florida Hospital DeLand, it’s not “goodbye.”
Florida Hospital DeLand is keeping in touch, even after a patient has been discharged from the hospital, by taking the discharge process a step further with a new Post Discharge Nurse.
“The discharge process is a critical part for transitioning to post-hospital care, and an incomplete discharge process may cause a negative outcome for a patient,” said Nancy Clark, Director of Case Management at Florida Hospital DeLand.
Until now, when a patient is released, they go through a standard discharge plan which includes educating the patient and their family, assessing the patient’s understanding of the plan, scheduling follow-up appointments, organizing postdischarge services, confirming the medication plan, and reviewing with the patient what to do if a problem occurs.
The new discharge process at Florida Hospital DeLand will include the prior, plus a phone call within 24-48 hours by the post discharge nurse who will be there to provide additional information if needed.
“The discharge process is intended to provide patients with adequate information and necessary resources to improve or maintain their health during the post-hospital period and to prevent adverse events and unnecessary rehospitalization. This new step will help us provide the most comprehensive and individualized care as possible,” said Clark.
The post discharge nurse will help deal with the sensitive, delicate and difficult issues some patients face after their hospital stay; work with physicians and hospital staff for the patient; and assist in referring patient issues and concerns to appropriate services and resources and will respond personally when other alternatives are not available.
The post discharge nurse is another way Florida Hospital DeLand is improving the patient experience and satisfaction and showing that patients are neighbors, not numbers.
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Florida Hospital DeLand, located at 701 West Plymouth Avenue in DeLand, was established in 1962 and is a 156-bed acute-care hospital. Florida Hospital DeLand is a part of the Adventist Health System; the largest Protestant not-for-profit hospital system in the nation and works to provide exceptional, patient-focused care to the DeLand community.