If you've been diagnosed with heart failure, even the term may sound shocking.
It doesn't mean, however, that your heart "failed" or stopped.
It means that the heart can't pump properly to meet your body's needs.
At the
Excela Heart Failure Clinic, we can help you manage your heart failure through a comprehensive approach.
Additionally, we are an educational resource to lessen or prevent hospital
readmission and increase your understanding of heart failure - including
the disease process, diet, medications, and symptoms - to improve your
quality of life.
Our Team
In our outpatient clinic, our board certified cardiologists have extensive
knowledge and expertise in treating heart failure and work with a certified
nurse practitioner, clinical pharmacist, registered nurse navigator, and
patient care technician, all trained in heart failure management and treatment,
to provide your care.
Our Goals
To treat your symptoms actively
To decrease emergency department visits
To minimize hospitalizations and readmissions
Your Appointment
We want you to become an active participant in managing your health. At
your appointment, we:
Review symptoms and medications
Provide education so you fully understand your disease and process
Coordinate care with other departments if needed including cardiac rehabilitation,
home health, dietary, or your preferred pharmacy
We keep your primary care doctor and/or cardiologist informed about your
clinic visits, which are meant to complement the care they provide, not
replace it.
Know Your Zones
GREEN – ALL CLEAR – This zone is your goal
Your symptoms are under control. You have:
No shortness of breath
No weight gain of more than 2 pounds
No swelling of your feet, ankles, hands, or stomach
No chest pain
YELLOW – CAUTION – This zone is a warning
Call your doctor’s office if:
You have a weight gain of 3 pounds in a day or 5 pounds in one week
Shortness of breath
Swelling of feet, ankles, hands, or stomach
Feeling tired, no energy
Dry, “hacky” cough
New or increased chest pain
Feeling uneasy and you know something is not right
It is more difficult for you to breathe when lying down or sleep sitting
in a chair.
RED – EMERGENCY – This zone is critical
Go to the emergency room or call 911 if you have any of the following:
Chest pain
Confusion or cannot think clearly
Struggling to breathe
If you or a loved one have been diagnosed with heart failure and are interested
in learning more about the Heart Failure Clinic at Excela Health's Heart,
Lung & Vascular Institute, please call
724-689-1357 to request an appointment.
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