Congestive heart failure is the fastest growing cardiovascular disorder and the leading cause of hospitalization in the United States, with about five million Americans suffering from the disease. Annually, an additional 550,000 people are diagnosed. With 250,000 victims dying each year, and many more suffering debilitating symptoms, heart failure patients are in need of comprehensive, specialized care to help maintain quality, and length, of life. To meet the extensive needs of these patients, Deborah Heart and Lung Center recently introduced its Heart Failure Evaluation and Management Program. The multidisciplinary program is comprised of a team of healthcare providers who specialize in the evaluation and management of a wide variety of symptoms associated with heart failure, combined with an arsenal of the latest treatment options, including pharmacologic therapies, electromechanical device therapies, and interventional and surgical procedures.

This team approach provides significant benefit to patients in the program. In several studies, patients enrolled in specialized heart failure programs have better outcomes than those receiving standard care, including better short-term survival, improved quality of life, fewer hospital days, and lower overall healthcare costs. The majority of heart failure programs utilize a team approach, with patient care coordinated by an advanced practice nurse or physician assistant that specializes in the management of heart failure. This allows the cardiologist to focus on diagnostic and treatment strategies, while the mid-level practitioner focuses on in-depth patient education, medication optimization, and assessing the needs of the patient as a whole person. According to Augustine Agocha, MD, Director, Heart Failure Evaluation and Management Program, “The use of specialized physician assistants in our heart failure program gives the patient improved access to our services and more time during a visit to ask questions and speak with practitioners who have heart failure expertise.”

Upon referral to the program, patients receive a comprehensive health evaluation to determine current status, and results are used to craft a personalized care plan for each patient. Each patient then receives comprehensive education on the care plan, as well as on diet, medication compliance, alcohol abstinence, smoking cessation, and other lifestyle choices that can affect the care process and quality of life.

Electromechanical Device Therapy
Deborah has led the advancement of device therapy to treat heart failure and prevent associated sudden cardiac death, participating in numerous clinical trials and offering devices unavailable elsewhere in the region. A division of Deborah’s Electromechanical Therapy Institute, the Heart Failure Evaluation and Management Program offers the most advanced devices to patients who would benefit from this therapy. “More and more, science is supporting the benefits of device therapy for heart failure patients,” stated Raffaele Corbisiero, MD, Director, Electromechanical Therapy Institute, Deborah Heart and Lung Center. “Knowing that device therapy can drastically improve quality of life for our patients, we’re pleased to offer them, and to give our patients the comfort of knowing that they’re receiving the latest, most appropriate device for their individual condition.”

Program Benefits
“The collaborative nature of this program has allowed Deborah to combine the multiple disciplines involved in the treatment of congestive heart failure,” explained Dr. Agocha, “We are providing care for patients needing advanced device therapy while the community physicians add their expertise for managing the patients medically-you can’t get better than this.”