Abstract
Hospital readmission rates are a concern for clinicians, administrators, payers and
patients. With healthcare reform legislation signed into law, hospitals have an even stronger
concern, based on financial incentives, to focus on readmissions. To achieve and maintain good
clinical outcomes and good financial standing, hospitals need to effectively identify opportunities
for improvement and successfully implement solutions. By implementing an outpatient,
multidisciplinary heart failure clinic, Westview Hospital can avoid heart failure patient
readmissions and thereby reduce financial penalties, improve patient quality of life, and provide
a community service that is currently lacking in their geographical area.
