The Heart Failure Center at Sarasota Memorial Hospital is an outpatient program that provides heart failure patients and their families with comprehensive education, symptom management and monitoring to strengthen their cardiovascular health and improve their quality of life.
Studies show that patients referred to Heart Failure Centers often result in:
- Lower hospital readmission rates
- Improved heart failure status/shorter length of follow-up visits
- 24/7 patient support with ARNP available by pager
- Improved medication compliance (medication management with up titration of heart failure medications to guideline recommendations)
- Improved patient satisfaction
- Improved quality of life
Did You Know ...
Sarasota Memorial's readmission rates for heart failure are among the lowest in the nation and the lowest in Florida!
The data below is compiled by the federal government's Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and cover a three-year period from mid-2006 to mid-2009.
Heart Failure Mortality –10.3 percent, below national average of 11.2 percent
Heart Failure Readmissions – 19.2 percent, the lowest in the state of Florida and the eighth lowest in the nation (national average is 24.7 percent)
USA Today publishes the rates annually (latest update – July 2010)
Our Heart Failure Team:
Medical Director: Edmund Bermudez, MD Board-Certified Cardiologist
Clinical Nursing Leader: Michael Blanchette, ARNP-BC Board-Certified Family Practice (ANCC), member of Heart Failure Center Society of America & American Association of Heart Failure Nurses
Clinical Nursing Staff with specialized expertise in cardiovascular care: Kathryn Hollingsworth, ARNP and Opal Corneau, LPN
Clinic Manager: Annie Thornhill, MS, MBA Manager of Heart and Vascular Services and Non-Invasive Cardiology
Comprehensive 1-on-1 Approach
The Heart Failure Center services include:
- Diagnostic Clinical Education
- Functional Status Assessment
- Dietary Education/Reinforcement
- Patient and Family Education
- Pacemaker Function Optimization
Individualized Assessment/Treatment
We work with each patient to create an individualized plan of outpatient clinic visits, frequent symptom and weight tracking by phone, expert pharmacological regimes, activity/rest and dietary guidelines, and ongoing communication with each patient's primary care physician.
Patient/Family Education
Ongoing education and support to help patients and their families manage changes in diet, medications and other factors or medical conditions that can affect their heart health.
Patient Testimonials
"Thank you for saving my life on more than one occasion & for keeping me alive for the past 10-11 years ..." Click here to read what our patients have to say!
Referrals
We welcome patients at any stage of heart failure. All patients receiving treatment from the clinic must have a referral and visit their managing physician.
Cost
Medicare and most insurance plans cover this service. Physician referral is required for admission to the Heart Failure Center. For a referral form, or to schedule an appointment please call us at 941-917-PUMP (7867).
Heart Failure Centers
Sarasota Memorial Heart & Vascular Services
1540 S. Tamiami Trail, 2nd floor
Sarasota Memorial Health Care Center at Blackburn Point
929 S. Tamiami Trail, Suite 201, Osprey
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