Cartersville Medical Center Opens Congestive Heart Failure Clinic
Cartersville Medical Center announces the addition of its Congestive Heart Failure Clinic, providing individualized care and education for area patients diagnosed with congestive heart failure. The clinic specializes in helping patients gain a better understanding of their disease process and how to maximize their quality of life while living with a chronic condition. Clinical evaluation and support is provided by Digant Bhatt, MD, FACC, Harbin Clinic cardiologist on staff at Cartersville Medical Center.
Heart failure means the heart’s pumping power is weaker than normal, or the heart muscles are stiff and do not relax and fill properly. With heart failure, blood moves through the heart and body at a slower rate, increasing the pressure in the heart. Therefore, the heart cannot pump enough oxygen and nutrients to meet the body’s needs. Fluid can build up in the arms, legs, ankles, feet, lungs or other organs. Congestive heart failure (CHF) is the term used to
describe this condition.
The CHF Clinic at Cartersville Medical Center provides an education and treatment program designed to help patients manage their disease. Patients referred to the CHF Clinic are active participants in their treatment plan, which includes consistent follow-up through nursing assessments, blood work, monitoring vital signs and fluid retention management. Patients learn how to control CHF through medication compliance, dietary changes, as needed, lifestyle changes, regular physician follow-up appointments and weekly lab work.
“Although congestive heart failure is a chronic condition, our goal is to help our patients live well and improve the quality of their lives,” said Leah Hite, director, cardiovascular services.
Since opening the clinic in early September, there have been over 200 visits to the new clinic. Hite believes the numbers will continue to increase due to the prevalence of cardiovascular disease in Georgia. “According to the Georgia Department of Public Health, 1 out of every 3 deaths is caused by cardiovascular disease in Georgia and a majority of these deaths are premature and preventable,” said Hite. “The key to a patient’s success will be their individual participation in the program. The clinic also allows patients to stay within their own community for all of their healthcare needs.”
The CHF Clinic is the most recent addition to a vast array of cardiology services offered at Cartersville Medical Center, including technologically advanced diagnostic testing and procedures, like cardiac catheterization and interventional cardiology, and rehabilitation programs. The hospital’s cardiovascular service line includes the Chest Pain Center and Certified Primary Stroke Center, both accredited by the Joint Commission.
For more information about the Congestive Heart Failure Clinic at Cartersville Medical Center, call 770-276-7800 or visit
Congestive Heart Failure Clinic at Cartersville Medical Center.
About Cartersville Medical Center
Cartersville Medical Center is a 119-bed acute care hospital, Chest Pain Center, Certified Primary Stroke Center, Level III Trauma Center, Certified Total Joint program and Gold Seal Inpatient Diabetes program accredited by the Joint Commission. The Breast Imaging Center of Excellence at The Women’s Center provides mammography services that are gold seal accredited by the American College of Radiology. The Hope Center, a regional, Commission on Cancer approved cancer treatment facility, is conveniently located on the hospital campus and provides over 4,000 treatments with over 300 new patients per year from a ten county region.
For more information about programs and services offered at Cartersville Medical Center or The Hope Center, call MedLine at (800) 242-5662 or visit
www.cartersvillemedical.com.
