Heart Failure Team

The goal of our program is to improve quality, prevent unnecessary emergency room visits and hospital admissions, promote consistency in use of heart failure medications and promote better self-management through patient education and lifestyle changes. This is a complete program focusing on early treatment of heart failure to prevent worsening of symptoms.

What does the heart failure team do?

Our team offers:

• One-on-one personalized care from a clinical pharmacist and a registered nurse who are specialized in heart failure management.

• Comprehensive education and counseling on chronic disease management tailored to you.

• Medication management, including adjusting medications to manage symptoms.

• Education and guidance on self-care behaviors that include daily weight monitoring, regular exercise, low-sodium diet, and knowing your symptoms.

• Prompt follow-up after hospitalization or periods of instability.

• Care coordination with your cardiologist and/or primary care provider.

• Assistance in monitoring the signs and symptoms of heart failure and fluid overload to avoid emergency room visits or hospitalizations.

• Easy access to our heart failure team with quick responses to questions and concerns.

• Assessment for CardioMEMS™ HF System, a monitoring program that would be ordered and overseen by your Cardiologist. Should this program be appropriate for you, the heart failure team can place a referral to your Cardiologist.

Heart failure questions

Where is the Heart Failure Clinic located?

The Beacon Heart Failure Clinic, located at both Memorial Hospital of South Bend and Elkhart General Hospital. The team of pharmacists and nurses work closely with your cardiologist to optimize your treatment goals and provide patient-centered care.

What if I’m in the hospital for heart failure?

If you have been hospitalized for heart failure, you will be visited by the heart failure navigator nurse prior to discharge for education and coordination of post-hospitalization care and appointments. Nurse care coordinators may be available to you following discharge to ensure you are doing well at home between follow-up visits.

Do I need a referral?

Through education and support, the heart failure clinic has reduced hospitalizations (including readmissions) for heart failure patients and improved quality of life.

Hospitalized patients can request to attend the Heart Failure clinic when meeting with their Heart Failure Coordinator.  To request an appointment, call Memorial Hospital’s clinic at 574-647-8120 or Elkhart General Hospital’s clinic at 574-389-4856.

Most insurance policies cover a portion of the cost of this program.