MDNews - Minnesota

Educated and Experienced ERIC ERNST, MD, FACC, is the Medical Director of the University of Minnesota Health C.O.R.E. Clinic. A cardiologist with University of Minnesota Health Heart Care, Dr. Ernst is board certified in internal medicine and cardiovascu - lar diseases, and is a board member of the Minnesota Heart Failure Consortium. He also serves on the Heart Failure Society of America. Dr. Ernst graduated from the University of Wisconsin Medical School, completed his residency in internal medicine at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, and followed that with a cardiology fellowship at the University of Wisconsin Hospital in Madison. "Management of congestive heart failure requires a team of providers to address all complex issues," Dr. Ernst says. "We are eager to improve the way we address cardiac issues through a variety of specialty care, and we want to continue to team with our primary care physician referral base to make sure the non-cardiac conditions our patients face are cared for, allowing them to have the best possibility of success." recog nized as high performing in hea r t failure care by U.S. News & World Report. Thanks to C.O.R.E. Clinic initiatives, readmission rates for heart failure patients have dropped to 17 percent throughout program locations, a number well below the national readmission rate average of 24 percent. "What we do very well is keep our patients out of the hospital," says Dr. Ernst. "The patients who are hospitalized tend to be the sickest of the sick. We work to reduce hospitalizations and mortality rates, allowing our patients to maintain a high quality of life for as long as possible." ADVANCED, HANDS-ON CARE Patients referred to the C.O.R.E. Clinic are evaluated by cardiologists to determine their treatment needs. Depending on the severity of a patient's disease process, a variety of treatment protocols may be utilized, including medical therapies that can decrease or reverse the progression of the disease. Tools used to diagnose and treat heart failure include: + Cardiac-assist devices + Cardiac surgery + Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) + Heart transplant + Medical management + Outpatient infusion clinic + Oxygen therapy + Ventricular assist device In addition to procedures necessary to treat cardiac issues, medication optimization and patient education are key parts of the condition's management. This may include frequent o¦ce visits with nurse practitioners and physician assistants. During these o¦ce visits, patients not only address medical needs — such as adjusting medication levels — they also receive assistance with making lifestyle changes and overcoming socioeconomic barriers to care. For patients with heart failure, a§ording medication can present a challenge. So can following a strict schedule of medication therapy. Nutritional education about a low-salt diet is a vital part of care, as is understand- ing how to circumvent barriers to exercise, such as joint pain or access to safe fitness facilities. Cardiac rehabilitation is also available to heart failure patients participating in C.O.R.E. Clinic programs who could benefit from regular, structured exercise. These programs are particularly helpful to patients with cognitive impairments who struggle with remembering instructions, fitness schedules or why medication is necessary. Throughout these v isits, nurses a nd adva nce practice prov iders a re v ita l to providing the necessa r y tools for lifest yle cha nges. What's in a name? C.O.R.E. stands for Cardiomyopathy Optimization, Rehabilitation and Education. 0 7 M D N E W S .C O M /// M D N E W S M I N N E S O TA ■ 2 017

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