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09/28/09
INDIANAPOLIS - Heart failure is responsible for more than 11 million visits to a physician's office and results in 3.5 million hospitalizations annually, with one-third of those patients requiring repeat hospitalization within three months. According to the American Heart Association, the total cost for treatment of heart failure exceeds $38 billion dollars annually, including more than $20 billion in hospital days alone.
As a result of Clarian Cardiovascular's commitment to providing heart failure patients with a higher quality of life and improving its continuum of care, Methodist Hospital, Clarian North and Clarian West recently received full Acute Heart Failure Center accreditation from the Society of Chest Pain Centers. Additionally, Clarian North and Clarian West received the distinction of being the first two community hospitals in the nation honored with this accreditation.
Heart failure occurs when the heart muscle or valves have been damaged and the heart is unable to pump blood throughout the body the way it should.
"We provide our patients with more than episodic in-hospital care. We partner with our patients and their families to help them understand their disease and empower them to take control of their care," said Irmina Gradus-Pizlo, MD, cardiologist and director of the Heart Failure Program, Krannert Institute of Cardiology. "Managing congestive heart failure more effectively is good for our patients as well as the economy by lowering the national health care cost growth."
By 2030, one in five U.S. adults will be age 65 or older, with the elderly population expected to reach approximately 70 million. The number of heart failures increases dramatically with the aging population, which means higher costs for Medicare - the government's health insurance program for the elderly. Currently, the total cost of hospital readmissions cost Medicare approximately $18 billion annually, of which heart failure is one of the leading causes of hospital readmissions.
Offering comprehensive heart failure care with a patient-education focus is not new to Clarian Cardiovascular. In February 2009, Methodist Hospital became the first accredited Heart Failure Institute in the state of Indiana - and fourth in the nation - by the Healthcare Accreditation Colloquium.
Because of Clarian Cardiovascular's record and expertise of providing the best heart and vascular care in Indiana, its world-renowned physicians and region's top medical and surgical staff, and successful outcomes in treating heart failure, Methodist Hospital was asked to serve as a beta site by the Society to refine what the accreditation process means and what a quality acute heart failure center should look like.
"Clarian is truly a leader of establishing new standards at both the state and national level," continued Dr. Gradus-Pizlo. "As the preeminent health care provider in Indiana, Clarian Cardiovascular is committed to educating referring physicians and the community about best practices in heart failure care, as well as process and quality improvements."
About Clarian Health - Clarian Health is an Indiana-based, private, non-profit organization offering a broad base of tertiary services, specialized pediatric care and a Level 1 Trauma Center. Clarian is Indiana's most comprehensive health center and one of the busiest hospital systems in the nation. Clarian owns or is affiliated with 18 hospitals and health centers throughout Indiana, including Methodist and Indiana University Hospitals, Riley Hospital for Children, Clarian West Medical Center and Clarian North Medical Center. Clarian Health is also affiliated with the Indiana University School of Medicine, the nation's second largest medical center and a national leader in medical education and research. Clarian Health operates the Methodist Hospital, Indiana University Hospital and Riley Hospital for Children campuses as a single hospital under Indiana law.
About the Society of Chest Pain Centers - Founded in 1998, the Society of Chest Pain Centers (SCPC) is a non-profit international society dedicated to the belief that heart disease can be eliminated as the number one cause of death worldwide. Because we know that time translates to muscle during a heart emergency, the Society bridges EMS, emergency medicine, cardiology, nursing and other professions jointly focused upon improving timely, quality care for cardiac patients. In order to disseminate shared practices and processes in heart care the Society promotes protocol-based medicine and the adoption of process improvement science by healthcare providers, ideally delivered through a Chest Pain Center model, to address acute coronary syndrome, acute heart failure, and processes of care for the short stay acute heart failure patient. The Society of Chest Pain Centers is headquartered in Columbus, Ohio. For more information visit the Society of Chest Pain Centers' Web site.
Content Modified on: 10/01/2009 10:16:28
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