Health care delivery is moving beyond the walls of Tufts Medical Center, according to Jeffrey Kuvin, MD , Associate Chief Medical Officer for Graduate Medical Education and Director of Cardiovascular Education and Fellowship Training.
Home monitoring and tele-management systems that facilitate the care and assessment of patients outside Tufts Medical Center are becoming more commonplace. However, medical training has consistently lagged behind in this area.
In response to this critical need, The CardioVascular Center has created a unique education and research award that will fund the disease management training of a cardiovascular fellow in non-traditional clinical settings.
“Through this award, the next-generation of cardiologists will learn how to improve the quality of healthcare delivery,” explained Dr. Kuvin. “Trainees will be taught how to manage disease processes in the home as well as the primary and tertiary healthcare systems.”
Through our affiliation with New England Quality Care Alliance (NEQCA), fellows will network with primary care physicians and cardiologists throughout the community to assess and improve disease management programs. This type of care-delivery model is especially important for patients with chronic diseases, such as heart failure, one of the leading causes of hospital admission and readmission.
The new fellowship education and research program will support Tufts Medical Center’s teaching mission and continue the efforts of our Specialized Primary and Networked Care in Heart Failure (SPAN-CHF) disease management program. This program has produced significant benefits in heart failure patients, including improved clinical outcomes and reducing the need for repeat hospitalization.
The award will be funded by a grant from the Worcester-based Hermann Foundation. This generous first time gift would not have been possible without the advocacy of Anthony Froio, Vice Chairman of Tufts Medical Center’s Board of Governors.
