The Texas Heart Institute at St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital Heart Failure Program has instituted programs to treat heart failure aggressively and has successful initiatives spanning the continuum of care. Referring physicians and their patients benefit from these programs, as can healthcare professionals who want to learn firsthand about optimal management approaches.
While remaining in the care of their referring physician, patients of the Heart Failure Program have access to specialty care as needed. Referring physicians can collaborate with a wide range of staff specially trained to care for patients with congestive heart failure, including cardiologists, cardiovascular surgeons, nurses, dietitians, rehabilitation therapists, social workers, and home health providers.
The Program's staff will work with you to provide the following options to your patients:
- State-of-the-art medical therapies including beta blockers, intravenous vasoactive medications (nesiritide), continuous intravenous inotropes, and various investigational agents, if appropriate.
- Advanced surgical therapies including left ventricular assist devices, resynchronization therapy and cardiac transplantation
- Intensive inpatient therapies including nesiritide, dobutamine, milrinone, and intra-aortic balloon counterpulsation on specialized inpatient units
- Potential future therapies including myocyte transplantation, somatic gene therapy and the next generation total artificial heart
The Heart Failure Program offers your patients:
- Individual follow-up and telemonitoring
- Outpatient IV infusion therapy
- Individual and group education programs for diet and exercise
- Specialized home nursing care
- Improved support for patients between scheduled appointments
- "Successful Hearts": Heart Failure Support Group
This team approach offers advantages and alternatives for both patients and their referring physicians. Through the Heart Failure Program, patients remain in the care of their referring physician, who are kept informed of their patient's condition and progress at all times.
