Gator Nurse Shayna Rabess (RN-BSN 2010) learned last week that her project – “Implementation of a Transitional Care Model (TCM) in the Heart Failure Population” – has been selected to take part in the 2020 Florida Blue Health Innovation Challenge.
Over $25 billion is spent on preventable complications and unnecessary hospital readmissions each year. Because of that, the Florida Blue Health Innovation Challenge seeks innovative ways to reduce hospital readmissions in Florida. In particular, projects should improve discharge planning, patient compliance with medications, care coordination, case management, home health care or financial plans. Students at a college or university in Florida are eligible to take part in the challenge. The final pitch will take place Sept. 15-16, 2020 at the GuideWell Innoation Center in Orlando’s Lake Nona Medical City. Available prize money is $15,000 for first place, $5,000 for second place, and $2,500 for third place.
Her project seeks to implement TCM program for patients from her cardiology practice who have been hospitalized due to heart failure with the goal to improve transitional care and discharge follow-up timeframes. Within 72 hours of discharge, these patients will first receive a phone call from the TCM team to address the patient’s health status and needs beyond scheduling follow-up care. The patient will then be scheduled for a hospital follow-up appointment within 7-14 days with their cardiologist or qualified healthcare provider (i.e., APRN or PA). As a nurse for 10 years and College of Nursing DNP student, Rabess has had the opportunity to observe the benefits of TCM services for patients in the primary care setting and could imagine the benefits for patients with heart failure. She plans to implement her project in August 2020. Rabess is currently working towards her DNP degree with Family Practice emphasis. Her advisor is Denise Schentrup, APRN, DNP, associate dean for clinical affairs and clinical associate professor. Rabess is planning to graduate in spring 2021.
Join us in congratulating Shayna Rabess and wishing her the best in the next step of the 2020 Florida Blue Health Innovation Challenge.