Overview
Congestive heart failure is a clinical syndrome where the heart does not pump blood effectively and can lead to fluid build up in the lungs and body which ultimately can cause shortness of breath and swelling of the extremities. Reasons why the heart muscle does not contract effectively include heart attacks, high blood pressure, and heart valve defects. More than 5 million people in the U.S. are currently affected by this syndrome with an additional 550,000 people estimated to be diagnosed with heart failure this year. A person’s lifetime risk of developing heart failure is 1 in 5, making it higher than the risk of developing any cancer.
Fletcher Allen Health Care has a multidisciplinary team of experts in heart failure that employ evidence based therapies for the care of patients and their families.
It includes the following programs and services:
- Comprehensive disease management that includes:
- Team of experts guiding your care
- Close and regular telephone and clinic monitoring
- Education to advance self care skills
- Resource center for referring providers
- Expert medicine management
- Inpatient consult service
- Evaluation for advanced therapies such as:
- Cardiac resynchronization therapy
- Implantable cardioverter defibrillators
- Cardiac transplantation
- Mechanical ventricular assist devices
- Advanced care planning
- Opportunity to participate in a wide range of clinical research activities
- Monthly support and education classes
- Cardiac rehabilitation for patients living with heart failure
The clinic staff will focus on the following patient centered goals:
- To prevent or delay the advancement of disease and thus improve wellbeing and survival
- To optimize medical management
- To evaluate for reversible causes of heart failure
- To avoid hospitalization and reduce length of stay in those admitted
- To educate the patient and their family about the disease and its management
- To assist the patient to maintain/improve the quality of life, functional health and to promote self care
- To evaluate patients for advanced therapies if needed
- To reduce the cost of treatment
- To assist the patient and family with end of life issues
