NEWTON, NC—February is American Heart Month, a national effort to raise awareness about heart disease, the leading cause of death in the United States. As of 2025, 6.7 million Americans over the age of 20 are living with heart failure (Heart Failure Society of America, 2025). Without timely and specialized care, heart failure and other cardiac symptoms often lead to repeated hospital stays and a lower quality of life.
In response, Carolina Caring’s Advanced Cardiac Care program provides effective, tailored support to patients with chronic heart conditions. As the first cardiac care program of its kind in North Carolina, Carolina Caring combines nationally recognized standards of care with a home-based hospice approach. The focus on proactive symptom management and care planning helps patients remain safely at home with advanced clinical support.
In 2024, after completing a thorough credentialing process, the Advanced Cardiac Care program earned certification as an American Heart Association (AHA) Hospice and Palliative Heart Failure Program. The organization has continued to maintain this certification throughout its growth.
In 2025, the program served 531 patients across the organization’s service area. Patients report many benefits, including the reduced need to visit a doctor’s office. Care teams ensure that patients and caregivers are equipped to manage symptoms wherever they call home. This level of care has helped many hospice patients reduce trips to the emergency room and, in some cases, avoid hospital stays altogether.
“Our clinical teams are diligent,” says Rachel Hill, MSN, RN, CCRN, Senior Clinical Director of Hospice Services, Carolina Caring. “Staff are eager to advocate for their patients, unafraid to take initiative, and have become experts at following the algorithms to ensure patients receive the right care at the right time.”
Carolina Caring Serious Illness Nurse Navigator Sherry Revis, RN, has seen firsthand how cardiac care improves comfort for both patients and caregivers. “The thing I hear most from patients is they love having the guidance and magnets in the home so that they can manage their symptoms on their own time,” she explains. “They also appreciate the calls and check-ins from the nurses.”
Carolina Caring continues to partner with the AHA and the National Partnership for Healthcare and Hospice Innovation (NPHI) to stay current on advanced treatments, patient education, and caregiver resources.
For more information about the Advanced Cardiac Care program, Carolina Caring, and the organization’s mission to provide compassionate care for patients living with serious illness, please visit the organization’s website, carolinacaring.org or call 828.466.0466.
Pictured: Carolina Caring staff gather for Wear Red Day on Friday, February 6th, 2026.
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ABOUT CAROLINA CARING
Founded in 1979, Carolina Caring is an independent, community-based, nonprofit healthcare provider. It specializes in programs that offer relief from chronic conditions, serious illnesses, and the challenges they bring, including palliative medicine and hospice care for all ages, primary care, and grief counseling. Carolina Caring serves 12 counties across western North Carolina and the Charlotte Region. For more information about the organization and its mission, please call (828) 466-0466 or visit www.carolinacaring.org.
