Page 8 - Dignity Health | Be well | Spring 2013

with congestive
heart failure
When Ronald Davis’ conges-
tive heart failure (CHF) suddenly
worsened last fall, the Shasta Lake
resident had to be hospitalized so
that doctors could remove the fluid
that was building up in his lungs
and taking his breath away.
It was an experience Ronald
didn’t want to repeat. So when his
hospital stay ended, he accepted
an offer to be part of a CHF self-
management program through
Dignity Health North State. The
program put him in frequent
touch with a nurse and helped him
understand what he needed to
do to stay healthy and out of the
emergency room.
We’re here to help youmanage
your disease and avoid a
return trip to the hospital
“It felt good to have an advocate,”
Ronald says. “The nurse I worked
with gave me confidence.”
Ronald is among a growing number
of people benefiting from the pro-
gram, which aims to help those with
CHF better manage their disease
through a personalized approach
that includes follow-up phone
calls from a nurse. The program
began in 2010 at St. Elizabeth
Community Hospital, and it has
expanded to include patients
served by Mercy Medical Center
Redding (MMCR) and Mercy
Medical Center Mt. Shasta.
Readmission rates have been
dropping significantly—strong
Congestive heart
failure program team
and patients
8