Abstract Body (Do not enter title and authors here): Introduction
Heart failure (HF) rehospitalization poses a significant burden on the healthcare system. Multiple factors contribute to multiple HF admissions, such as polypharmacy, non-compliance, and inadequate treatment. Studies have demonstrated a strong association between early follow-up with primary care or a cardiologist within seven days of discharge and reduced 30-day HF rehospitalization.

Research Question/Hypothesis
A quality improvement (QI) study was conducted at a community hospital to decrease the HF rehospitalization rate. The study involved enrolling acute in chronic HF exacerbation patients and implementing early follow-up using a checklist for both in-person and telephonic visits.

Goals
The study aimed to reduce the HF 30-day readmission rate to 10-12% from the community hospital's 18% average by focusing on early primary care follow-up within seven days of discharge and using a standardized American Heart Association (AHA) Target HF checklist at the time of follow-up.

Method
The QI project employed a bundled intervention approach, incorporating patient education, scheduling post-discharge follow-up appointments, and utilizing a standard AHA checklist integrated into EPIC smartphrases for streamlined documentation during follow-up appointments. The project used Tableau to review the 30-day readmission rate.

Results
Quality improvement measures were initiated at the community hospital in September 2023 to decrease the 30-day readmission rate. Monthly HF readmission rates from October 2023 to March 2024 in image 1 showed variation with significant peaks due to seasonal periodicity, peaking in January 2024. Despite variation, the project increased HF education resources, achieving 1-2 follow-up HF visits per week at the continuity clinic with increased checklist utilization.

Conclusion
With the help of QI, we successfully increased the number of HF education books across all the nursing units on the telemetry floor. We addressed challenges in implementing the approach, focusing on improving education access, increasing staff awareness with interdisciplinary collaboration regarding discharge appointments, and creating awareness posters (as shown in images 2 and 3) in common workplaces.
Currently, the project aims to raise awareness among internal residents and familiarize them with the checklist and advanced HF therapy referrals. This is an ongoing QI project tracking the 30-day readmission rate with the implementation of a bundle intervention approach.