Heart Failure Program Improving Care & Outcomes January 8, 2024 Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center recently earned the Get With The Guidelines®-Heart Failure Silver Award, recognizing commitment to improving outcomes for patients with heart failure through adherence to the American Heart Association’s guidelines. “With many disciplines working together, hospital and cardiology teams are improving patient care and outcomes in a variety of ways,” said Gregory Wood, MD, heart failure program director for Samaritan Heart Center. First, doctors in the hospital ensure patients are prescribed proper medications at discharge and referred to the heart failure program, where patients learn more about their medications, possible side effects, lab tests and lifestyle changes that will improve their health and reduce the likelihood of returning to the hospital. Registered nurses help patients work their way up to the optimal doses of heart failure medications as quickly as possible to improve quality of life and reduce the likelihood of further hospitalization. Patients who qualify are offered CardioMEMS, an implant which remotely monitors changes in pulmonary artery pressure, an early indicator of worsening heart failure. With ongoing monitoring, problems can often be addressed early through simple measures, such as adjustments to medications. “In my prior work with a heart program in Washington State, I was able to impact the lives of my patients individually, one by one,” said Dr. Wood. “My role at Samaritan Heart Center gives me the opportunity to have an impact on heart failure care across the region, reduce hospitalizations and improve lives.” Might you or a loved one be suffering from heart failure? Early symptoms include, but are not limited to, shortness of breath, fatigue, swelling in the legs, ankles and feet, wheezing and/or coughing that won’t go away. “If you have these symptoms, visit your primary care provider as soon as possible,” said Dr. Wood. To learn more about Samaritan Heart Center, visit samhealth.org/Heart.
