Customer Spotlight: Jody Cuningham, HEARTest Yard Congenital Heart Center at Levine Children’s

At Wilburn Medical Supply, we believe healthcare partnerships should extend beyond transactions. That’s why we’re proud to launch our Customer Spotlight series by recognizing the extraordinary work of Jody Cuningham and the social work team at the HEARTest Yard Congenital Heart Center at Atrium Health Levine Children’s.

The HEARTest Yard Congenital Heart Center was created to provide comprehensive care for patients living with congenital heart disease, supporting families from fetal diagnosis through adulthood. The program grew out of the HEARTest Yard initiative founded by former NFL player Greg Olsen and his wife Kara, whose own son was born with a complex congenital heart defect. Their vision was to create a place where families could receive coordinated care and support not only during hospital stays, but also as they navigate life at home after surgery and treatment.

But behind the advanced medical care is another essential layer of support: the social work team led by Jody Cuningham, ensuring families can access and sustain the treatment their children depend on. Nearly 80% of the families served by the cardiac program are economically disadvantaged or reliant on Medicaid. Along with that reality, many face transportation instability, food insecurity, housing challenges, and insurance limitations that complicate access to consistent care.

While about 30% of the program’s patients are adults living with congenital heart conditions, roughly 70% are pediatric patients — many of whom require frequent monitoring and ongoing care to safely manage complex heart conditions. For example, children with valve replacements often need INR monitoring three to four times per week to properly manage anticoagulant medications, making reliable access to care essential.

Jody, who has spent nearly 30 years in social work and the past 12 years building Levine’s cardiac social work program, understands these realities deeply. She has grown her team from one to seven dedicated advocates focused on bridging the gap between what insurance will cover and what families truly need. From securing grant funding for home INR devices that allow safe monitoring without repeated clinic visits, to helping families with gas cards, household bill assistance, and other essential support services, the team operates with a simple mindset: if there is a barrier, find a solution.

When we recently spoke with Jody, she highlighted her reason for continuing to partner with Wilburn Medical Supply: we are mission-aligned and operate as a budget-conscious collaborator willing to work within the realities of grant funding. That includes working within grant timelines, helping stretch limited funding, and thinking creatively alongside her team to solve problems as they arise. Through this partnership, more than 75 families have received critical equipment and supplies that make managing complex cardiac conditions at home safer and more sustainable. What began with PT/INR analyzers has grown to include additional supplies and equipment that help transplant and cardiac patients successfully transition home after procedures and maintain compliance with their care plans. Our work together is just one small piece of the broader impact of the HEARTest Yard initiative, which has helped raise more than $5 million to support programs and services for families affected by congenital heart disease.

Healthcare is ultimately about people. And when leaders like Jody Cuningham bring relentless passion and problem-solving to their work, we are grateful to stand beside them — helping remove barriers, extend resources, and support the families navigating some of the most difficult medical journeys imaginable.