• Why empowering heart failure patients to reclaim their health is helping them heal (page

Mending Hearts and Minds

Ochsner’s Heart Failure Transitional Care Clinic is empowering patients to take control of their health at home

By Olivia Watson | Photos: Staci Brimer

When Rosalie Pietri began experiencing shortness of breath in November 2021, she assumed it was a side effect from one of her heart medications. Her doctor was aware of her existing heart condition, so they kept a watchful eye over her symptoms.

But as her breathing worsened over the next few months, life became unmanageable. “I couldn’t walk from the front of my house to the back without taking a break,” Rosalie explained. “I couldn’t breathe. When I contacted my cardiologist, he decided I should go to the emergency room right away.”

When she arrived at Ochsner Medical Center - New Orleans, relief set in immediately. “From the minute I got there, the nurse in the emergency room assured me that everything would be okay. It was like I was the most important patient they had at the time.”

Upon arrival, Rosalie received a blood and iron transfusion because of her anemia. She stayed overnight in the hospital, surrounded by her devoted team. “I don’t know where I could have received better care,” she said.

Rosalie was diagnosed with heart failure, and entered Ochsner’s Heart Failure Transitional Care Clinic. After consulting with doctors and adjusting her

Rosalie Pietri, a graduate of the Heart Failure Clinic program, with her daughter Lisa Marcello. medications, she was cleared to go home if she felt comfortable.

Ochsner’s Heart Failure Transitional Care Clinic

Designed to reduce hospital readmissions, the four-to-six week care clinic gives patients living with heart failure the tools and knowledge they need to manage their chronic illness and make smart choices on a daily basis.

“Before I left the hospital, I was given a blood pressure cuff and symptom tracker, a pamphlet about the program and a phone number I could call at any time,” Rosalie explained. “They told me to expect a call from them in 46-72 hours.”

To say this eased the transition from hospital to home was an understatement. “In the hospital, you feel safe and reassured that everything is going to be okay. But then all of a sudden you’re at home, alone, with lots of questions,” she said. “It was wonderful to know the team at Ochsner was only a phone call away.” Empowering patients with tools and education

One of the greatest resources patients get from the clinic is its staff, and particularly Lisa Tichenor, a registered heart failure nurse who helped to launch the Heart Failure Transitional Care Clinic in October 2021. Lisa brings over 10 years of experience working with advanced heart failure patients to the program.

“Our patients are dealing with physically

“Our patients are dealing with physically broken hearts—but also

spiritual and mental heartbreak. Our job is to empower them to take control of their health, so they can

get back to living. ” — Lisa Tichenor

Rosalie using her digital medicine equipment to manage her condition. broken hearts—but also spiritual and mental heartbreak. Our job is to empower them to take control of their health, so they can get back to living,” Lisa T. explained.

Once patients are established in the program, they have a series of appointments—either in-person or virtually—over the course of six weeks. In collaboration with Ochsner’s cardiologists, dieticians and social workers, each patient receives a personalized care plan that includes education about lifestyle modifications and guidance on when to call with concerns.

None of this would be possible without support from the Heart Transplant Patient Assistance fund, which provides patients like Rosalie with blood pressure cuffs and scales.

By giving patients the tools to measure their own blood pressure and weigh themselves daily, they can take control of their health and record regular updates in their chart. For providers, this data is invaluable to track progress, make adjustments to medication or advise dietary changes. These tools also have a profound impact on patient morale. “When we handed them out, it was like Christmas. The patients were shocked. The blood pressure cuffs and scales meant everything to them,” Lisa T. shared.

“This is why donor support is so crucial. These tools can be the difference between life and death,” she explained. “A blood pressure cuff and scale cost almost nothing, but it’s really the gift of success— the opportunity for patients to take ownership over their care.” Setting patients up for long-term success

For Rosalie, the tools and education afforded to her by the clinic made all the difference.

“At first, I was worried about having to fill out a chart every day, but it’s so helpful. If I gained weight or if my blood pressure was too high, I could call the team at Ochsner right away. When I did call with concerns, they always helped me,” Rosalie shared. “I don’t think I will ever stop filling out this chart.”

She has since graduated from Ochsner’s Heart Failure Transitional Clinic—with the certificate to prove it. “I am myself again,” she said. “I can go shopping, I go to work every day. My quality of life has improved.”

For Rosalie’s family, the relief is unparalleled. “There’s no substitute for feeling like your mom is the most important patient in the hospital. You hear Ochsner healthcare is like no other— and we believe it. It was nothing short of amazing,” Rosalie’s daughter, Lisa M., shared. “Lisa Tichenor and Erin Picou from Ochsner are our angels.”

While the program is transitional, that doesn’t mean that patient care ends after graduation.

“We work closely with our cardiologists, as well as those outside of the Ochsner network, to provide the best care for our patients once they leave us. If they don’t have an established cardiologist, we help them find one,” Lisa T. explained. “But they also know they can always call us if they need something.”

“At Ochsner, we help heart failure patients get their spark and spirit back— so they can go back into their communities and inspire the same in others,” Lisa T. explained. Now, Rosalie is able to do just that.

To support the Heart Transplant Patient Assistance fund, please visit ochsner.org/hearttransplant

Thanks to your generous donations, various Ochsner funds have helped transform the lives of the most extraordinary patients. Here are a few of their stories.

Colon Cancer Survivor Bob Williams Pays it Forward

March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, and one Ochsner patient is doing whatever it takes to bring greater visibility to the disease. After a series of healthcare crises and a challenging battle with colon cancer, Bob Williams recently reached his five-year milestone post-surgery—and he’s still cancer-free. Bob credits the world-class care at Ochsner with his ongoing recovery. “At Ochsner, it was all handled so seamlessly. It was amazing,” he said.

During his cancer treatment, Bob became interested in supporting the work of his physician, Charles Whitlow, MD, and colon cancer research at Ochsner. Bob and his wife, Norris, became faithful supporters of the Ochsner Cancer Institute, and their donations are helping to ensure that community members from all walks of life can benefit from Ochsner’s care.

“Ochsner’s aggressive monitoring for a possible recurrence gives me peace of mind,” Bob said. “I know that if a problem should arise, Ochsner will be out ahead of it, instead of reacting after symptoms arise. I take comfort in knowing that my financial support of Ochsner’s cutting-edge care makes such outstanding services available to a fortunate public.”

Bob and Norris Williams. Photo courtesy of Ochsner Philanthropy Special Events.

Honoring Ochsner Heroes On National Doctors’ Day

Ochsner Flight Care team prepares during Hurricane Ida in 2021. Photo: Della Hasselle

To see Excellence Fund recipients in their own words, please scan this code to watch a video. To see Bob in his own words, please scan this code to watch a video.

Each year, we celebrate National Doctors’ Day on March 30th to honor physicians whose dedication and skill have helped patients live fuller, healthier lives. Your gifts to honor your doctors support the Excellence Fund at Ochsner, which provided grants for 59 projects across Ochsner Health in 2021. One project increased our volume for neonatal transport. We assisted in evacuating three hospitals in Lake Charles during Hurricane Laura, transporting several neonates to New Orleans via ground ambulance. These were patients who would have been flown in a helicopter if we had the ability. With your Doctors’ Day gift, you helped ensure that babies in our care will have access to these critical resources in the future. Your support sends a strong message that no matter how grueling or uncertain circumstances may be, our heroes are never alone. To give in honor of your physician, please visit www.ochsner.org/doctorsday.

In 2017, Rochelle Lee, a sheriff’s deputy with eleven grandchildren, was having extreme difficulty breathing. When she saw her doctor, she learned that her heart was only functioning at 20 percent. She had complete blockage in one coronary artery, and surgery was likely necessary. But for Rochelle, who is raising three of her grandchildren, slowing down was not an option.

“With my family, I can’t be sick. It’s like, if I’m sick, nothing gets done,” she said.

Though typically Rochelle’s condition would require open heart surgery, she was eligible for a less invasive procedure thanks to the innovative vascular surgeons at Ochsner. As a patient in the John Ochsner Heart and Vascular Institute, Rochelle underwent a complex procedure called a Chronic Total Occlusion Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (CTO PCI), which places a stent in a completely blocked coronary artery.

The successful procedure was performed in January 2018, and Rochelle was able to return home the next day. After retiring more than a year ago, Rochelle discovered she couldn’t just sit at home. She took a job as a hospital security guard, but still has enough time to enjoy her grandchildren.

“Life is short,” said Rochelle. “I do what I want to do.”

“With my family, I can’t be sick. It’s like, if I’m sick, nothing gets done. ” — Rochelle Lee

Top right: Rochelle and her family, including her 105-year-old grandmother (Photo courtesy of Rochelle Lee). Bottom left: Rochelle and her grandson (Photo:Nick Shamblott). Bottom right: Rochelle Lee (Photo courtesy of Rochelle Lee)

To see Rochelle in her own words, please scan this code to watch a video.