Hendrick Heart Failure Program

Heart failure is a chronic disease that occurs when any part of the heart muscle weakens and the heart can't supply the body's cells, organs and systems with enough oxygen and nutrient-rich blood.  Everyday activities can become difficult due to fatigue and shortness of breath. 

According to the American Heart Association, an estimated 5.3 million Americans live with heart failure, and 600,000 new cases are diagnosed each year.

Heart failure is the primary reason for 12-15 million office visits annually and 6.5 million hospital days per year.

The number of patients age 65 and older who were hospitalized for heart failure increased from 348,866 in 1980 to 807,082 in 2006 — a 131 percent increase!

Hendrick Heart Failure Program
The outpatient heart failure program at Hendrick can help. By working closely with your cardiologist and/or family physician, our clinic will help to stabilize and manage your symptoms of heart failure. We are designed to meet the ever-changing needs of the cardiac patient by  providing routine monitoring and wellness visits, in addition to, and in between your scheduled physician appointments. By following a disease management plan, we hope to:

• Control the reoccurring symptoms like shortness of breath, swelling and fatigue that often accompany heart failure
• Improve your quality of life and functional status at home
• Decrease the frequency of your inpatient hospitalizations by staying “ahead of the game.
• Shorten the number of days you stay if you do go into the hospital for heart failure
• Make you a more active part of your health care by educating you and your family about heart failure, treatments, medications, and lifestyle changes.

Outpatient services offered:

• Physician-directed care and assessments
• Coming soon!  Nurse Practitioner/Physician's Assistant to provide follow-up/crisis care
• Medication review, initiation, up-titration and maximization of recommended  medications and device therapies
• Educational programs and diet assessment
• Experienced heart failure nurses to educate patients and families. & monitor patient status
• Individualized multidisciplinary disease management plans to get you back on track.
• Comprehensive diagnostic data collection and analysis from implanted pacemakers and defibrillators.
• Laboratory/diagnostic services and monitoring
• Quarterly progress reports to your cardiologist and/or referring physician
• Ambulatory IV therapies/diuretics if the need arises.

The mission of the Heart Failure Program is to provide comprehensive outpatient disease management through all stages of heart failure. Through compliance with recommended guidelines, patient education, close patient follow-up and continuity-of-care, we will strive to improve the quality of life of the heart failure patient.

Ask your doctor if the Hendrick Heart Failure Program is right for you.  Feel free to contact us for more information:
Hendrick Heart Failure Program
Located adjacent to Hendrick in Cedar Mall
1150 N. 18th St.  Suite 400
Abilene, Texas 79605
325-670-3667
fax: 325-670-3679