Pillow developed to provide unique branding opportunity for hospitals while improving patient recovery

Situation
A prominent cardiac surgeon came to Shumsky looking to develop a pillow that patients could use following surgical heart procedures to help prevent further complications, including sternal malunions where bones grow together unevenly during the healing process. The cardiac surgeon was looking for an item that could be used by hospitals to help improve the patient healing process, reduce the amount of pain experienced by patients following surgery, and improve the hospital – patient relationship.

Solution
Working closely with the cardiac surgeon, Shumsky developed an innovative heart pillow that improved patient recovery, reduced patient pain, and enriched the patient-hospital relationship. The heart pillow utilized the “v” of the heart so patients could rest the pillow comfortably under their chin, while firmly holding the pillow against their chest. The added support gained from firmly pressing the pillow against their chest helped patients prevent sternal malunions and reduce recovery time.

In addition to healing support, Shumsky also developed the heart pillow to provide the hospitals an innovative branding opportunity to build a stronger relationship with their patients. The heart pillow featured a heart diagram on one-side of the pillow where surgeons could use the included fabric marker to educate their patients about the procedure, creating more patient trust with their hospital. The backside of the pillow had room for the hospital facility to put their hospital logo and brand message, creating a unique marketing piece for the organization.

Results
The heart pillow became a successful tool, not only for the prominent cardiac surgeon’s hospital, but for surgeons and hospitals throughout the country. The heart pillow was so successful that it turned into its own Shumsky product line and is now being used by surgeons to help reassure patients, improve the patient healing process, and reduce patient recovery time in over 11,000 hospitals. The Shumsky Heart Pillow’s success and patient demand led to hospital’s requesting other pillow designs including; kidney, lung, liver, and many others that provide distinct hospital branding opportunities and unparalleled patient healing and support.