(High risk
Interstage
Pediatric
Provider
Observation
Squad)
The Heart Center at Children’s Hospital New Orleans is leading the
way for high-risk babies with congenital heart disease with its dedicated
Home Monitoring Program:
The Heart HIPPOS (High risk Interstage Pediatric Provider Observation Squad).
About the program
The mission of the Children’s Hospital Heart Center Home Monitoring
Program is to provide comprehensive care for all high-risk, single ventricle
patients between their first and second stages of surgical palliation
as well as for those complex, two-ventricle patients requiring neonatal
palliation prior to their definitive surgical repair. The interstage period
for single ventricle patients is known to carry a higher mortality than
any other timeframe during these patients’ lives, and careful monitoring
has been shown to significantly decrease both their morbidity and mortality
during this phase. Our goal is to decrease the number of re-admissions
and interstage mortality, giving our single ventricle population the best
quality of life.
Why Home Monitoring is critical
The time between the first and second heart surgeries is commonly known
as the “interstage period.” It is a vulnerable stage and requires
extra monitoring to prevent serious complications, ensure optimal growth
and ultimately improve chances of survival and quality of life. While
you're at home after the first surgery, your baby's heart is working twice
as hard as normal. Our home monitoring program is set up to anticipate
problems and support you through this vulnerable time.
The interstage period is an important phase in the infant’s well-being
and outcome. Infants with single ventricle congenital heart defects often
have poor oral intake and weight gain, which may affect their well-being.
Common childhood illnesses, such as a cold or diarrhea, can be life-threatening
for these children. Hence, early recognition of signs and symptoms is
necessary to be able to obtain immediate evaluation and intervention.
The home monitoring program allows parents and caregivers to actively participate
in the care of their babies outside of the hospital. Studies have shown
that being surrounded by family, friends and the familiarity of home can
help a child recover better. Our program provides support, resources and
clinical care to help families transition successfully to the second surgery.
Empowering caregivers
Prior to discharge, The Heart HIPPOS work closely with parents and caregivers
to provide extensive training, giving them the confidence and education
needed to care for their baby at home. Our home monitoring team provides
families with an individualized plan and teaches them how to continue
the complex daily care their baby needs including giving medications,
obtaining weights, monitoring oxygen levels (saturations), mixing formula,
logging data and recognizing red flags that indicate a change in the baby’s
health status. They help parents and caregivers learn what health changes
to look for in their baby and when to call with concerns.
Our Home Monitoring Program encompasses all aspects of an interstage patient’s
outpatient care, including:
24/7 access to the attending cardiologist, nurse practitioner and nurse
In-depth teaching and care training before you take your baby home
A home scale and other tools for daily recordings of your child's weight,
heart rate, oxygen saturation and feedings
Weekly updates for your primary cardiologist, documented in your baby's
medical record
Weekly in person or virtual visits with our nurse and nurse practitioner
Utilization of the CHAMP APP for data collection
Support from nutrition and social services
Hospital readmission, as needed
Home Monitoring Tools
Our specialized team provides round-the-clock support, high-tech monitoring
and regular checkups to ensure the best possible outcome for each child
in the heart monitoring program. At discharge, each family goes home with
a real-time app and personalized binder of information, pulse oximeter
and scale for daily monitoring.
The clinical application CHAMP (Cardiac High Acuity Monitoring Program)
is accessed through a smartphone and tablet to allow for easy input of
home monitoring data by families. Using artificial intelligence to identify
acute changes in patients alerting providers of any possible life-threatening
changes, allowing earlier intervention to increase survival rates during
the interstage period.
The Heart HIPPOS conduct weekly or biweekly follow-up virtual meetings
to address concerns and review the data, including saturations, feedings,
weights and medications. In addition, the team encourages weekly or biweekly
in-clinic appointments for hands-on exams and cardiac imaging. Our program
is also a member of the National Pediatric Cardiology Quality Improvement
Collaborative (NPC-QIC) and participates in ongoing research around the
care of high-risk single ventricle patients.
Meet the team
The Heart HIPPOS are here to support you and your baby and are available
for parents any time of day or night to address questions or concerns
during the home monitoring phase. You will have the support of our cardiologists,
cardiac intensive care specialists, pediatric heart surgeons, nurse practitioners,
nurses, neurodevelopmental pediatricians, dietitians, speech therapists
and feeding specialists, all experts in caring for the needs of infants
with single ventricle heart defects.
Shannon Powell, DO
Stephanie Bush, NP
Lynn Bardales, RN
Location
Children’s Hospital New Orleans
Cardiology Clinic
200 Henry Clay Ave.
New Orleans, LA
The Heart HIPPOS
