First Ever ACC Joint Symposium with a Nursing Organization Focuses on Improving Patient Outcomes with Team-Based Care

Saturday, 24 March 2012 00:00

CHICAGO, March 24, 2012

The Preventive Cardiovascular Nurses Association (PCNA) and the American College of Cardiology (ACC) will host a Joint Symposium at the American College of Cardiology’s 61st Annual Scientific Sessions from 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. on Monday, March 26, 2012. The joint session will focus on team-based care and what health care providers can do to collaborate in order to improve patient outcomes. This is the first time that a nursing organization will collaborate with ACC on a symposium at their scientific sessions.

The 90-minute symposium will include:

• Welcome and Symposium Objectives, Barbara Fletcher, Jacksonville, Fla.
• Maximizing Team Efforts for Improving Patient Outcomes, Alan S. Brown, Naperville, Ill.
• Improving Patient Adhereence to Complex Regimens, Cindy Lamendola, Palo Alto, Calif.
• Patient Centeredness: What does it mean in Prevention?, Suzanne Hughes, Akron, OH
• Team-Based Patient Care: Adhereing to Guidelines, Sidney Smith, Jr., Chapel Hill, N.C.
• Patient Education in 2012, Sherry Bumpus, Ann Arbor, Mich.

Team-based, or patient-centered, care refers to the redesign of clinical and administrative systems to improve patient health by supporting effective and continuous relationships between patients and a team of providers with multi-dimensional skill sets. The concept of team-based care isn’t new. The Institute of Medicine highlighted the importance of the concept over ten years ago in its 2001 report, Crossing the Quality Chasm: A New Health System for the 21st Century.

However, the biggest challenge of team-based care is implementation. Throughout this program, speakers will discuss easy ways to implement a team-based care approach to improve patient outcomes, whether heath care providers work in a small clinic or a large health system.

“A team-based care approach is incredibly important in improving patient outcomes,” says Barbara Fletcher, RN, MN, FAHA, FPCNA, FAAN, Clinical Associate Professor in the School of Nursing, College of Health, University of North Florida, Jacksonville, Florida and Project Development Chair on the PCNA Executive Board of Directors. “Today, patients have more complex needs and it’s no longer the case that physicians can do everything one-on-one. It takes a team to evaluate and direct the best care for a patient.

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Media Contact: Abby Despins, 920.606.2115, adespins@pcna.net

About PCNA: The Preventive Cardiovascular Nurses Association (PCNA) is the leading nursing organization dedicated to preventing cardiovascular disease (CVD) through assessing risk, facilitating lifestyle changes, and guiding individuals to achieve treatment goals. The mission of PCNA is to promote nurses as leaders in the prevention and management of cardiovascular disease. PCNA does this by educating and supporting nurses through the development of professional and patient education, leadership, and advocacy. For more information call 1-608-250-2440 or visit pcna.net.