Live the Good Life With Help From NKCH's Accredited Heart Failure Program
May 30, 2017By: Jodi Rawson
The words “heart” and “failure” when used together can be scary, especially when you hear them from your doctor. In the U.S. alone, the condition affects nearly 6 million people and their families. According to a recent report from the American Heart Association, the number is growing.
By 2035, AHA projects more than 9 million people in the U.S. will receive a heart failure diagnosis.
The good news? Even though heart failure presents its fair share of health challenges, it’s still possible to live life to the fullest.
What is Heart Failure?
Despite the name, heart failure doesn’t mean your heart has stopped working. It means your heart doesn’t pump as well as it should. It often develops after other conditions have damaged or weakened your heart.
NKCH Heart Care Clinic
If you or a loved one has heart failure, we want you to know that life can be about more than just coping with the condition if you have the right treatment and support. Our hospital is the only facility in a four-state area with an accredited heart failure program. Accreditation means ours programs, services and facility meet national standards for patient care.
A few years ago, we opened a clinic specifically for people with heart failure. We call it the Heart Care Clinic (formerly the Heart Failure Clinic). Your team of cardiologists, registered nurses, nurse technicians, social workers, dietitians, pharmacists and case managers shows you how to take an active role in managing your condition so you can go about your life. The staff gives you all the education, guidance, treatment and support you need to thrive and minimize your risk of returning to the hospital.
Ways We Help
Advantages of the Heart Care Clinic include:
- Frequent telephone follow-up
- Education (including nutrition, medications)
- Intravenous (IV) therapy
- Lab follow-up
- Medical management (including Cath Lab services)
- Symptom management
- Transitional care coordination (including Home Health)
- Frequent contact with your primary care physician to manage and coordinate care during acute phases of heart failure
Watch and hear Mary Maag and Brandon Louis talk about their experiences with the Heart Care Clinic. Read about our full range of heart care services.
