Total Joint Program – Nurse Navigators and Posh Clinic
Vanessa Valcorba will discuss:
Understanding the Program & Team:
t
Understanding the Program & Team
What the Total Joint Replacment Program is at Southcoast Health, and what makes it unique compared to other providers in the region.
2 Who qualifies for total joint replacement surgery
3 What the role is of the nurse navigator in the joint replacement journey
4 How the nurse navigator supports patients before, during, and after surgery
5 What the POSH Clinic is and how it works in collaboration with the orthopedic team
Patient Education & Experience:
1 What patients can expect during their consultation with the nurse navigator
2 How the Total Joint Program prepare patients and families for surgery
3 How Southcoast Health involves families in the care and recovery process
4 How and why personalized care such a big part of the joint replacement program at Southcoast
5 What kind of wellness follow-up calls patients receive from the nurse navigator after surgery
Before Surgery (Prehabilitation & Planning):
1 What prehabilitation is and how can it benefit patients preparing for joint replacement surgery
T The importance for patients to strengthen their body before surgery
3 How patients are helped to manage fear or anxiety leading up to surgery
4 The steps involved in planning for discharge even before the surgery takes place
During & After Surgery:
1 How it is decided if patients are candidates to discharge home the same day
2 What patients can expect during the initial recovery after surgery
3 How pain is managed after surgery, and what role rehabilitation plays in long-term success
4 The average overall recovery time is for patients
Results & Long-Term Outcomes:
1 What the types of outcomes are that patients experienced from total joint replacement at Southcoast
2 Advice to someone who’s been living with chronic joint pain but is unsure if surgery is right for them
About Vanessa Valcorba NP
Vanessa Valcorba, DNP, Total Joint Program Coordinator, began her academic journey at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth where she earned her Bachelor of Science degree in nursing. She then furthered her medical expertise, earning her Doctor of Nursing Practice degree, also from the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth. Vanessa is a certified bariatric nurse and adult-gerontology primary care nurse practitioner. In addition, she is fluent in both English and Portuguese.
Vanessa’s personal philosophy of care is rooted around compassion and empathy, and her goal is to always strive to provide holistic and quality care to each patient she encounters. It is very important to her to care for her patients as a whole, and not just the disease or condition in which they are seeking care for. When not at work, Vanessa enjoys traveling, readidng, powerlifting and spending rime with her family and friends.