Heart Failure Program Including New CardioMEMS Procedure

More than five million Americans live each year with heart failure. Heart failure is a condition in which the heart can’t pump blood the way it should. It develops over time as the pumping of the heart grows weaker.

The heart can be affected in two ways, either become weak and unable to pump blood (called systolic heart failure) or it become stiff and unable to fill with blood adequately (called diastolic heart failure). Ultimately, both conditions lead to retention of extra fluid. Many people don’t even know they have it because symptoms are often mistaken for signs of getting older. Heart failure does not develop overnight – it’s a progressive disease that starts slowly and gets worse over time.

• Nearly 6 million Americans over the age of 20 have heart failure, and 960,000 new patients are diagnosed each year.
• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention cite that half of heart failure patients die within five years of diagnosis.
• The estimated cost of heart failure in the U.S. is expected to double by 2030.
• The prevalence rate of Heart Failure among US adults is approximately 1.9% to 2.6% for the overall population and is higher among older patients.
• The prevalence rate is expected to increase to 8.5% among 65- to 70-year-olds.

At Mary Washington Healthcare, we have developed a comprehensive heart failure program to promote the health and well being of our patients and their families, providing them with the life skills needed to manage their condition successfully.

Congestive Heart Failure Pathways Project

The Congestive Heart Failure Pathways Project at Mary Washington Healthcare involves complex algorithms to ensure patients are receiving the most precise and advanced cardiac care possible.

A collaborative team of physicians and clinicians, including our emergency department, hospitalists, intensivists, cardiologists, and heart failure nurse navigators, all play an integral part in treating and caring for our heart failure patients.

Congestive heart failure patients are more susceptible to cardiac events. Utilizing advanced technology, including remote patient data collection and implanted devices, our cardiologists and clinical teams are able to monitor and assist with slowing the progression of heart failure. These include:

• CardioMEMS to monitor progression of heart failure.
• Cardiac Contractility Module (CCM), which helps strengthen the heart.
• Implantable Cardioverter Defibrilator (ICD), which helps prevent any sudden cardiac death.
• Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy (CRT), a treatment that helps the heart chambers squeeze in a better and more organized way.

New CardioMEMS Remote Monitoring Implant for Heart Failure Patients

Mary Washington Hospital offers a miniaturized, wireless monitoring sensor to manage heart failure (HF). The Abbott CardioMEMS HF System is the first and only FDA-approved heart failure monitoring device clinically proven to significantly reduce hospital admissions when used by physicians to manage heart failure.

Heart failure is the leading cause of hospitalization for Americans over age 65. This device allows patients to remotely share daily sensor readings from their homes to their healthcare providers, allowing for personalized care to reduce the likelihood of hospitalization. Innovative telehealth, like the CardioMEMS HF System, reduces the need for in-person appointments. Data from a recent clinical trial found that the remote monitoring technology reduces heart failure hospital admissions by up to 58 percent.

Inpatient Heart Failure Care

An admission to the hospital may be your first introduction into our coordinated heart failure program where a specialized group of professionals are available to provide services to include cardiology, hospitalists, nursing, nutritional services, pharmacy, and physical/occupational therapy, care management and palliative care.

During your stay, we will provide you with heart failure education and will make sure you and your family understand your treatment plan. In addition, our nurses will provide you with written information about heart failure, including a daily weight calendar, as well as answer your questions.

Our professionals will also work with you to determine what needs you may have following discharge. When necessary, our nurses and care management staff will assist you in making arrangements to ensure you receive the necessary care after you go home.

Outpatient Heart Failure Maintenance

To facilitate continuous care after leaving the hospital, we have put programs in place in the community to help our patients manage heart failure and reduce their trips to the hospital.

• MWHC Nurse Advice Line - When heart failure patients are discharged from the hospital they can expect to receive a phone call from one of our experienced nurses to ensure they understand and are following their discharge instructions, follow up appointments, medication management and more. You can also call the nurse advice line at 540.741.1000, 7 days a week (7:00 a.m. to midnight).
• MWHC Home Health Services - For patients that are homebound, our home health team can provide disease management services directly to the patient at home. Nurses with advanced training in heart failure can provide medication management, answer questions and educate patients and their families on how to manage symptoms. Dietitians, social workers and rehabilitation specialists are also part of the Home Health team. Please call 540.741.1667 or visit homehealth.mwhc.com for more information.

Our Quality

The Heart Failure Program at Mary Washington Hospital is committed to continuous quality improvement.

Mary Washington Hospital has realized success in improving patient outcomes. While we are here to provide you care when you need it, our goal is to also educate you and your families to manage your condition, reducing the need for frequent and recurring hospital admissions.