MDNews - Minnesota

"At University of Minnesota Health, we are devoted to recognizing patients who are at risk of congestive heart failure or have a decrease in heart function and need treatment to avoid progressing to congestive heart failure. We can help them understand how to prevent worsening their condition and make sure they receive the right treatments and medications to keep them stable." — Eric Ernst, MD, FACC, cardiologist and Medical Director of the CORE Clinic for Heart Failure Management for University of Minnesota Physicians Heart treatment, medication optimization and edu- cation, assessment of electrical issues, condi- tion maintenance, and redirection for when patients fa ll off their treatment course and need to be guided back into the program." After the initial evalua- tion and treatment phase, patients usually return to their home communities, meaning the CORE pro- gram must follow them outside the clinic walls, often across state lines. A simple telemanagement system makes home-based care possible. "We set patients up with a touchtone phone at home," Dr. Ernst says. "Every day, they enter their weight and answer several symptom-related questions. In the event of a problem with weight gain, fluid reten- tion or other symptoms, a nurse calls back right away. This system reminds patients to strive to be continually conscientious about diet and medications so they can stay out of the emergency room. They appreciate the oversight and attention to their concerns." Patients in many walks of life, from working adults to seniors with multiple health conditions, benefit from the CORE program. So do primary care physicians and cardiologists, who enjoy close con- sultation with their patients' heart failure specialists at University of Minnesota Physicians Heart. According to Dr. Ernst, the CORE pro- gram helps patients live their lives more fully and reduces hospital readmissions while shortening the time patients spend in hospital. In fact, 30-day readmissions for CORE patients dropped from 26 percent to 22 percent from 2012 to 2013. "We aim to improve patients' quality of life and help them return to the activities they miss," Dr. Ernst says. "We communi- cate with patients as much as possible so we can understand their goals, keep them out of the hospital and provide extra help when they get off track. We also help them understand their disease progression and work with them when they do decline, whether guiding them towards advanced treatments such as LVAD or towards pallia- tive care. With the CORE program, we can help patients in all phases of heart failure." To l e a r n m o r e , p l e a s e v i s i t www.umphysicians.org/heart. ■ on long-term LVAD support, as well as numerous transplant recipients and patients requiring medical management for their heart condition. Many of these patients live in rural areas far from the Twin Cities. The organization has devel- oped the Cardiomyopathy Optimization, Rehabilitation and Education (CORE) program to meet the challenge. Designed to help patients avoid hospitalization, live longer and enjoy higher quality of life, the CORE program has been in existence more than 10 years at Fairview Southdale Hospital and established a clinic at University of Minnesota Medical Center five years ago. "We wanted to design a program oriented around patients — one geared to help them understand their disease process so they could actively participate in their care," says Eric Ernst, MD, FACC, cardiologist and Medical Director for the University of Minnesota Physicians Heart CORE Clinic for Heart Failure Management. "We created a five-phase program, consisting of evaluation and Monica Colvin-Adams, MD, MS, FAHA Eric Ernst, MD, FACC Peter Eckman, MD Ranjit John, MD M D N E W S . CO M ■ MD NEWS Minnesota | 1 3

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