UNC Lenoir Health Care receives $290,000 grant from The Duke Endowment

Kinston, NC: UNC Lenoir Health Care in Lenoir County has received a $290,000 grant award from The Duke Endowment to fund the development of a comprehensive program to provide better transitions of care, disease education, and support improved self-management for adults with heart failure within our community.

Heart failure is the consistent leading cause of UNC Lenoir’s admissions and the number one cause of readmissions. The grant will provide support for a program that will build on multiple gaps within four areas of care quality: transition planning during the inpatient stay, patient/family and provider education, and post-acute care coordination and support.

As part of the Hospital’s strategic plan for improving quality and patient satisfaction, the program will specifically build on successes from a pilot heart failure community paramedicine project with Lenoir County EMS in the last year. The program will advance these measures and add a dedicated heart failure nurse coordinator.  Laurel Molloy, chief nursing officer stated, “The project uses best practices to expand our efforts in a more integrated and comprehensive approach.” UNC Lenoir is positioned to improve clinical practices for heart failure care and awareness by partnering with community stakeholders. A heart failure task force will be developed in order to work collaboratively on goals set forth in the program. Constance Hengel, director of Community Programming and Development added, “The goal is more than reducing important avoidable readmission rates, but also to ensure that each patient/family access the right resources at the right time for better self-management and quality of life.”

Ray Collier, UNC Lenoir board chair stated, “This will be a three year project that will increase heart failure protocols, support our physicians in treatment decisions, and improve patient outcomes for better quality of care for our residents. We greatly appreciate The Duke Endowment supporting us with this award.”

Based in Charlotte and established in 1924 by industrialist and philanthropist James B. Duke, The Duke Endowment is a private foundation that strengthens communities in North Carolina and South Carolina by nurturing children, promoting health, educating minds and enriching spirits. Since its founding, it has distributed more than $3.6 billion in grants. The Endowment shares a name with Duke University and Duke Energy, but all are separate organizations.

For more information on UNC Lenoir Health Care or how you can support this community effort, please call Barbara LaRoque at 252-522-7848, or visit our website at www. unclenoir.org