St. Joe’s, URMC open heart failure clinic

St. Joseph’s Health recently announced that its Cardiovascular Institute has opened a heart failure clinic at its Brittonfield cardiology office.

The heart failure clinic will provide early follow-up (within one week) to patients without an established physician/cardiologist, provide care to the uninsured and serve as a bridge for patients who aren’t able to make a follow-up appointment within one week.

“We see it time and again. People end up in the emergency department with heart conditions and when they are released, they don’t see a cardiologist fast enough, or they don’t start their medications right away,” said physician Russell Silverman, medical director of the St. Joseph’s health heart failure clinic. “This can cause continuing heart issues. The incorporation of the heart failure clinic at St. Joseph’s Health will further improve access to timely, quality care and improve outcomes for our heart failure patients.”

The heart failure clinic is a strategic partnership with University of Rochester Medical Center. URMC cardiologists Leway Chen and Mark Tallman will each see patients at the Brittonfield location, reducing the need for patients to travel to Rochester for routine care. Developing an advanced heart failure treatment clinic also allows St. Joseph’s Health to provide care to its LVAD (left ventricular assist device) patient community, a service that is not currently available.

Strategic placement of the heart failure clinic within the Brittonfield practice offers availability to stress, echo, and EKG services, as well as access to on-site medical cardiologists. It also supports the goal of reducing preventable readmissions in heart failure patients.