MDNews - South Central Pennsylvania

THERE ARE T WO PRIMARY GOALS WHEN IT COMES TO MANAGING HE ART FAILURE ˜HF™ š PRE VENT THE DISE A SE FROM GE T TING WORSE AND KEEP PATIENTS OUT OF THE HOSPITAL. WITHIN WELLSPAN HE ALTH, THOSE GOALS ARE L ARGELY ACCOMPLISHED THROUGH ITS HF CLINICS, WHICH ARE LOCATED AT WELLSPAN YORK HOSPITAL, WELLSPAN GE T T YSBURG HOSPITAL AND WELLSPAN EPHR ATA COMMUNIT Y HOSPITAL. THESE SITES COLLECTIVELY MANAGE UP TO 1,000 PATIENTS E ACH YE AR. SERVICE S OFFERED THROUGH the clinics include physical assessments, medication management, patient education, telemanagement of symptoms and advanced HF consultations. The clinics also give patients access to research studies and advanced treatment technologies o•ered within WellSpan. "At WellSpan, we o•er the full spectrum of HF care," says Adnan Malik, MD, Heart Failure Program Director. "HF is a complex disease with multiple causes. Each patient needs his or her own personalized treatment plan. We have become successful in improving quality of life and making this a condition that can be well-managed using a team approach. In my experience, there is always something we can o•er to patients who are contending with HF." One of the biggest changes in the management of HF in recent years has been the increased use of technolog y to monitor patients' conditions while they are home. This is important because up to 20 percent of HF patients who are discharged from the hospital are readmitted within 30 days. Remote monitoring allows clinicians to check on a patient's weight, blood pressure, fluid retention and decompensation. Small fluctuations in these areas can be early indicators of a potential problem. "The sooner we pick up on a problem, the faster we can intervene to prevent that problem from getting worse," says Tanya Minich, CRNP, coordinator for the HF clinic at WellSpan York Hospital. "In addition, we regularly call our patients to see how they are doing, make sure they are taking their medications and answer their questions. In some cases, we may call as often as twice a week." Many of the patients cared for by WellSpan are referred to one of the HF clinics by a cardiologist or following a hospitalization. Sta• at the clinics work collaboratively with primary care physicians, advanced practice clinicians and cardiologists, keeping them updated on their patients' medical conditions and prescribed treatments. Education is among the clinics' most important services. Patients are taught how to care for themselves at home by HF specialists including nurse practitioners, nurses and dietitians. The goal is for patients to understand their disease and make changes in their lives that will keep them stable and out of the hospital. A unique aspect of WellSpan Ephrata Community Hospital's HF clinic is a low-sodium food pantry that is available to patients. HF patients must maintain a low-sodium diet but often find it di¦cult to know which foods they should eat. "We have a dietitian and nurses who do a great job educating patients about what they should and should not be eating," says Kelly Trynosky, CRNP, coordinator for the HF clinic at WellSpan Ephrata Community Hospital. "The food in the pantry — most of which is donated — provides patients with healthy items they can take home with them." Patients often don't realize how debilitating HF is when they are first diagnosed. They may feel fine one day and be extremely sick a week later. "We know that HF is a progressive disease, but it doesn't need to take away from living the fullest life possible," Dr. Malik adds. "Our understanding of HF from a scientific standpoint is resulting in significant breakthroughs in treatment, whether those are updated diet and lifestyle recommendations, new medication options, or cutting-edge devices that can assist a weak heart. Now we can alter the course of the disease for the better." To refer patients to one of the heart failure clinics, call 717-851-6000 in York County, 717-339-2326 in Adams County or 717-721-5868 in Lancaster County. ■ Keeping Heart Failure Patients Healthy and out of the Hospital 0 4H E A R T F A I L U R E M A N A G E M E N T

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