Case Study · Benson Hospital
The Shortest Road to Recovery
How a rural critical access hospital and TMC Health brought cardiac rehab to Cochise County, with Tucson specialists coaching every session over Vitalchat.
Outcomes
Outcomes for Participants
In rural Cochise County, the nearest cardiac rehab program was more than an hour away in Tucson. Benson Hospital, a small critical access hospital, partnered with TMC Health to launch Heart Close to Home, now the county’s only cardiac rehab program, with Tucson specialists monitoring every session on Vitalchat.
Today, 80% of referred patients take part, versus about 34% nationally, with measurable gains in fitness, blood pressure and mental health.
Improved exercise capacity (METs) by 40% or more.
Kept resting blood pressure below 130/80.
Reported less depression and anxiety.
Exercise capacity measured in METs; depression and anxiety measured with the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS).
The Challenge
A 100-Mile Round Trip, Twice a Week
For heart patients in rural Cochise County, recovery meant driving to Tucson and back for every session.
- No cardiac rehab program anywhere in Cochise County
- The nearest program was more than an hour away in Tucson
- A 100-mile round trip, twice a week, for every patient
- Only 5% of eligible Benson-area patients took part
The Solution
Benson Patients, Tucson Specialists
Benson Hospital and TMC Health opened a fully supervised cardiac rehab program in Benson. A cross-trained Benson nurse supervises each session in person, while a TMC exercise physiologist in Tucson coaches over Vitalchat and tracks vitals live through ScottCare monitoring.
Key Components
The Rehab Room
- A cross-trained Benson nurse supervising each session in person
- ScottCare monitoring that streams patient vitals live during every session
Vitalchat virtual care connecting the Benson rehab room to TMC specialists in Tucson
TMC Specialists
- TMC exercise physiologists coaching and monitoring remotely
Equipment paid for by foundation and community grants.
What Each Session Includes
- Patients referred by cardiologists after bypass, valve surgery or heart failure
- Two patients per 50-minute session
- Supervised exercise, with progress measured in METs
- Guidance on diet, lifestyle and emotional well-being
- Depression and anxiety tracked with HADS
The Approach
From Gap to Blueprint
- Phase 1
Identify the Gap
Only 5% of eligible Benson-area patients took part in cardiac rehab, with the nearest program more than an hour away in Tucson.
- Phase 2
Fund the Program
Foundation and community grants paid for the rehab equipment and technology.
- Phase 3
Launch in Benson
Heart Close to Home opened in Benson, connecting local patients to TMC exercise physiologists through Vitalchat and ScottCare monitoring.
- Phase 4
Care for the Whole Person
Sessions pair supervised exercise with diet, lifestyle and emotional well-being guidance, tracking fitness, blood pressure and HADS scores.
I’m in better shape now than I was before my quadruple bypass surgery.
Benson Hospital has demonstrated that:
- A small rural hospital can deliver specialist-level care through partnership and virtual care
- Bringing care close to home dramatically raises participation in proven programs
- A local nurse paired with remote specialists puts each partner’s strengths to work: TMC brings the specialists, Benson brings the room and nurse
- Whole-person care improves physical and mental health together
Transform Care On Your Terms
Vitalchat delivers a flexible virtual care platform designed to improve outcomes across the continuum, from hospital to home.