Digestive Diseases Program

Patient Diagnosis

Digestive system surgical procedures are often associated with complications and can result in long stays in the acute care setting. In particular, diagnoses such as digestive malignancies, inflammatory bowel disease and surgical procedures involving the esophagus, stomach, small or large bowel can require extended hospital stays. Our Digestive Diseases Program is designed to allow the transfer of these patients to a Laurels’ Medically Complex Program once the diagnosis and any invasive procedures have been completed.

Program Design

The Laurels’ Digestive Diseases Program combines the services of several disciplines to meet the specific needs of the digestive disease population. Services provided may include:

• Administration of I.V. antibiotics

• Enteral or parenteral nutrition

• Wound care

• Pain management

• Respiratory care

• Conditioning and careful monitoring of the patient’s bowel sounds, intake/output and other key indicators

The interdisciplinary team will meet routinely to establish treatment goals and review progress.  The team will consist of the patient’s physician, case manager, registered nurse, registered dietitian, and may also include an enterostomal nurse, pharmacist, in-house therapist, or specialty physician.

Program Protocol

The Laurels’ Digestive Diseases Program is appropriate for adult patients who have:

• An established diagnosis

• Had invasive procedures or are in need of recovery before an invasive procedure can be performed

• Stabilized in their medical condition  (e.g. stable cardiac status, no excessive bleeding) or

• A prognosis of recovery to allow discharge to a lower level of care

Patients remain in the Digestive Diseases Program until established goals are met or until transfer to a lower level of care can occur.

Attending primary care physicians and/or surgeons are welcome to follow their patients participating in our Medically Complex Programs. If that is not feasible, a member of The Laurels’ medical staff will attend to the patient.