Staff Reports
Cardiac care is undergoing a transformation in Florida due to a new partnership between Tampa General Heart & Vascular Institute and Recora.
Together, they are using innovation and technology to enable patients in cardiac recovery to benefit from rehabilitation while safely monitored in the comfort of their own homes.
“Driving innovation and operational excellence through strategic collaborations is a pathway to providing advanced health care to our patients and their families every day,” said John Couris, president and CEO of Tampa General Hospital. “Our new partnership with Recora brings cardiac rehabilitation care into patients’ homes — providing a convenient and impactful program that improves access and the quality of care.”
This collaboration is the first of its kind in the Southeast United States. Patients across TGH’s 23-county service area in Florida stand to receive help from Tampa General’s clinical ability and Recora’s proven comprehensive cardiac recovery program.
Generally, patients take part in cardiac rehabilitation following a heart attack or heart surgery. Patients who manage chronic congestive heart failure or stable angina are also in need of cardiac rehabilitation, which includes aerobic exercise training, nutritional counseling, disease education, psychosocial support, and (if applicable) tobacco cessation.
But many barriers — like time, cost and transportation — stand in the way of patients completing a full course. As a result, many patients don’t fully recover from a heart attack.
“Today, one in four people in the U.S. die of heart disease, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Although cardiac rehabilitation is considered the standard of care, just 16% of eligible patients start the program and 26% go on to finish. Tampa General has made the decision to change that,” said Recora CEO Abhishek Chandra. “We are excited to extend Tampa General’s care delivery to patients within their own home through a personalized and convenient cardiac rehabilitation curriculum that can engage patients in continuing a healthier lifestyle that can improve their health.”
Patients enrolled in TGH’s Recora program have access to a virtual, long-term cardiac recovery program beyond the traditional 12 weeks of rehabilitation, offering dedicated nurse navigators to guide patients through the care process. The program, which has proven to improve patient outcomes and reduce hospital readmissions, focuses on overall health and wellness including exercise, nutritional counseling, support groups, social support services and more.
Recora’s Cardiac Recovery Program for rehabilitation patients includes:
— Recora Recovery Kit: The kit includes an internet-enabled smart tablet and other tools such as resistance bands and a blood pressure monitor.
— Recora At Home: Patients receive a custom rehabilitation program beyond virtual sessions to include educational tools, support groups and a 24/7 chat with the Recora Care Team.
— Recora Care Team: A dedicated team of multidisciplinary providers, including physicians, nurses, exercise physiologists, health coaches, dietitians, and other specialists supplying patient services to those enrolled in the program.
Recora now serves more than 30,000 cardiac patients in the U.S. across health systems, health plans and medical groups and has garnered industry-leading results.
— 15% hospital readmission rate for Recora patients, versus the national average of 43% across Medicare patients with heart failure at six months.
— 87% Recora cardiac recovery program completion rate, versus the national average of 26%.
— 94% of Recora patients adhere to their cardiac medication.
— 80% improvement of distance and strength gains among Recora patients.
TGH’s new program expects to improve patient participation and ultimately provide patients with a better quality of life following hospitalization for a heart condition, heart surgery or procedure.
