She was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis - a degenerative and deadly lung disease - when she was only three months old, but that never stopped Tara and she always lived her life to the fullest. She finally received a double-lung transplant on New Year's Day - and although the road to recovery has been incredibly challenging, she has never wavered in her determination to get her life back. This is her story.

"I've been incredibly fortunate to have been able to do so much during my life, even with the burden of CF (cystic fibrosis)" Tara shared. "I did all the normal kid things, grew up, played soccer in college, got a BS in Math, and oh yeah! I met my husband on the UC Davis double-decker bus - he was the driver and I was the conductor. We saw each other in the mirror, went on a date and well, the rest is history as they say!"

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Nursing Homes Starting to Offer More Individualized Menus

On a recent Thursday, the staff at Sunny Vista Living Center in Colorado Springs bustled in the kitchen. Read more.  

AHRQ Reports Continued Gains in Health Care Quality

Health care quality is improving overall, especially in hospitals, and more people have health care coverage and a usual source of medical care since the Affordable Care Act took effect, according to a new report by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Read more.  

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The story of Dr. Al Sindi is a remarkable narrative of perseverance, support and recovery. His wife, Dr. Eman, shared it with us on the day before her husband was to be discharged.

"My husband had spinal surgery in April of 2015. After the procedure, he was highly functional and everything looked like it was going well, until he had an embolic stroke not long afterwards. He lost all function and developed serious complications, including sepsis" said Dr. Eman. "He was admitted to Northwestern Memorial Hospital where he had extensive surgical treatment to stabilize his condition - which couldn't have been more serious as he was completely disabled by the stroke."

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 "We must distinguish ourselves on the quality of CARE we provide, the FUNCTION we restore or maintain, the COMPASSION we show our patients and each other, and the PHYSICIAN we work with and support. Kindred must provide SERVICE and a patient experience that is second-to-none."  

This is the message Dr. Marc Rothman, Chief Medical Officer of Kindred Healthcare, conveys in his recent video addressing Kindred's company-wide commitment to improving the quality of the care they provide day in and day out.

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Erline is the Patient Advocate and Activity Coordinator at Kindred Tomball, and she shared that she was drawn to the medical field from an early age. This is her story of defying the odds.

 

"I began working as an orderly at Methodist Baytown in 1991, then I became a CNA and started doing home health" Erline said. "Then one morning in October of 1997 when I was driving to my first appointment my life was to be changed forever."

"I lost control of my car that morning and collided with a very big oak tree. I don't remember how it happened, or much of anything else, although I remember arriving at the hospital - and then nothing, until I woke up seven days later." 

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AHA Issues Guide for Improving the Patient Experience through the Physical Environment

One way for hospitals to improve patient satisfaction is to focus on their physical environment, according to a new guide by the AHA's Hospitals in Pursuit of Excellence initiative and American Society for Healthcare Engineering. Read More    

Hospitals Eye Community Health Workers to Cultivate Patients' Successes

Donnie Missouri, 58, doesn't have medical training. He started his health career in the linens department in Johns Hopkins Hospital. Read More

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Do you know what to do if you receive a phishing e-mail or lose a mobile device? What types of events qualify as HIPAA violations? Reporting security and privacy events when they happen can significantly reduce their impact. Phishing e-mails can be blocked and mobile devices can be wiped. The exposure from misdirected faxes and other PHI disclosures can be limited if you act quickly. Do your part  to protect Kindred, your coworkers and our patients by being aware of threats and reporting them when you see them. 

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Number of Seniors Who Need Personal Care Help Increasing, CDC Says

A "significantly" increasing number of adults over age 65 need help with personal care, according to new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Read More  

Why Redefining 'Sepsis' Could Save Lives

An international task force has released an updated definition of sepsis-the condition responsible for approximately half of all hospital deaths-that it hopes will improve early identification and treatment. Read More

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With today's abundance of digital toys and devices, children of this generation are exposed to technology from the day they are born. Many of these devices are connected to the Internet, which brings the world to their fingertips, provides them with educational opportunities, entertainment and connections to friends and family through social media. Just like the physical world, however, cyberspace has its dark alleys and shifty characters. Limit your children's access to the seedy side of the net by following a few best practices:

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At Kindred Healthcare, we consider ourselves fortunate to call Tucson, Arizona one of our homes. Our 51-bed transitional care hospital, located in the beautiful Sonoran Desert, allows us to offer long-term acute care to medically complex patients in the Tucson area. Many of our patients come to us with serious medical conditions that require a coordinated, specialized approach from our dedicated team of professionals.  Read Full Post