Tampa General Hospital Heart & Vascular Institute Expands Access to Cardiac Rehabilitation with Virtual Program

Tampa General is partnering with Recora to provide an innovative virtual cardiac service for patients to recover at home across the hospital's 23-county service area.

NEW YORK and TAMPA, Fla., Oct. 18, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- For the first time in the Tampa Bay region, the Tampa General Heart & Vascular Institute is transforming the future of cardiac care by partnering with Recora on a virtual cardiac recovery program for outpatient cardiac rehabilitation patients across the academic medical center's 23-county service area. 

"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."

The partnership will blend Tampa General's clinical and academic expertise in heart care and rehabilitation with Recora's proven, comprehensive cardiac recovery program to provide patients with everything they need to restore their heart health at home.

A key component of recovery from a major cardiovascular surgery or procedure is gradually increasing supervised exercise. With the virtual recovery program, patients can easily access and continue their cardiac rehabilitation with Tampa General, regardless of where they are located in the state, be it at home, on vacation, or visiting family. By improving access through a virtual program supported by knowledgeable, on-demand care teams, Tampa General expects to improve patient participation and ultimately, provide patients with a better quality of life following hospitalization for a heart condition or a heart surgery or procedure.

Recora's Cardiac Recovery Program for rehabilitation patients includes:

• Recora Recovery Kit: The kit includes an internet-enabled smart tablet that can be set to English or Spanish and other tools such as resistance bands and a blood pressure monitor that can be used by patients of all ages.
• Recora at Home: A personalized program that goes 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.

Recora's Cardiac Recovery Program moves beyond 12 weeks of rehabilitation exercise to deliver comprehensive care management that focuses on a patient's overall health and wellness. In addition to cardiac rehabilitation exercise, Tampa General patients will be able to receive nutrition counseling, support groups, and social support services, among other resources, through the Recora program. Dedicated nurse navigators also interact closely with patients to assist them through the care process, answering questions and providing support. All of this is with the goal of improving a patient's cardiovascular risk factors and health and preventing another cardiac event.

Recora currently 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 that include:

• 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.

"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% finish all sessions. 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."

Tampa General patients who meet the criteria for cardiac rehabilitation can receive a physician's order for the cardiac recovery program when they are discharged home from the hospital. The hospital's patients can also visit https://www.recora.com/partners-for-patients/tampa-general-hospital or call 813-421-8945 to learn more. The Tampa General/Recora team will ask screening questions to determine a patient's eligibility. 

Tampa General's participation was coordinated through TGH Innoventures, which, among other things, provides Tampa General with a platform to invest resources and funds into emerging companies.

As part of its commitment to serving the greater Tampa Bay area, Tampa General Heart & Vascular Institute collaborates with USF Health Morsani College of Medicine to provide comprehensive, next-generation care powered by cutting-edge research for patients with complex heart and vascular conditions. Recovery and improvement of cardiovascular risk factors and cardiovascular health are part of the institute's focus on caring for the whole patient. U.S. News & World Report has recognized Tampa General Hospital as "high performing" in Cardiology & Heart Surgery, as TGH ranks among the top 10% of hospitals in the nation for 2022-2023. Tampa General also earned "high performing" recognition by U.S. News as one of the best hospitals for heart failure and heart attack care for 2022-23. Patients come to TGH from across Florida for the clinical and academic expertise of the world-class team.

In-person cardiac rehabilitation from Tampa General is available at the TGH Outpatient Rehabilitation Center, 509 S. Armenia Ave., Tampa. For more information, call 813-844-7706.

Recora's mission is to redefine the future of heart health. Recora's Cardiac Recovery Program for health systems, medical groups and health plans, makes it easy to recover from a cardiac event through immersive programs delivered online. With Recora, health care providers are able to establish a longitudinal relationship with patients and help them live longer, fuller lives. To learn more, visit recora.com.

Tampa General Hospital, a 1,040-bed, not-for-profit, academic medical center, is one of the largest hospitals in America and delivers world-class care as the region's only center for Level l trauma and comprehensive burn care. Tampa General Hospital is the highest-ranked hospital in the market in U.S. News & World Report's 2022-23 Best Hospitals, and is tied as the third highest-ranked hospital in Florida, with seven specialties ranking among the best programs in the United States. Tampa General Hospital has been designated as a model of excellence by the 2022 Fortune/Merative 100 Top Hospitals list. The academic medical center's commitment to growing and developing its team members is recognized by two prestigious Forbes magazine rankings – first nationally in the 2022 America's Best Employers for Women and sixth out of 100 Florida companies in the 2022 America's Best Employers by State. Tampa General is the safety net hospital for the region, caring for everyone regardless of their ability to pay, and in fiscal year 2021, provided a net community benefit worth more than $224.5 million in the form of health care for underinsured patients, community education, and financial support to community health organizations in Tampa Bay. It is one of the nation's busiest adult solid organ transplant centers and is the primary teaching hospital for the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine. With six medical helicopters, Tampa General Hospital transports critically injured or ill patients from 23 surrounding counties to receive the advanced care they need. Tampa General houses a nationally accredited comprehensive stroke center, and its 32-bed Neuroscience, Intensive Care Unit is the largest on the West Coast of Florida. It also is home to the Jennifer Leigh Muma 82-bed neonatal intensive care unit, and a nationally accredited rehabilitation center. Tampa General Hospital's footprint includes 17 Tampa General Medical Group Primary Care offices, TGH Family Care Center Kennedy, TGH Brandon Healthplex, TGH Virtual Health, and 21 TGH Imaging powered by Tower outpatient radiology centers throughout Hillsborough, Pasco, Pinellas and Palm Beach counties. Tampa Bay area residents also receive world-class care from the TGH Urgent Care powered by Fast Track network of clinics, and they can even receive home visits in select areas through TGH Urgent Care at Home, powered by Fast Track. As one of the largest hospitals in the country, Tampa General Hospital is the first in Florida to partner with GE Healthcare and open a clinical command center that provides real-time situational awareness to improve and better coordinate patient care at a lower cost. For more information, go to https://www.tgh.org.

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SOURCE Tampa General Hospital