Oct. 1, 2007/- For more than seven years, the cardiac program at Kingston General Hospital (KGH) and Hotel Dieu Hospital (HDH) has provided critical information and support to patients from across southeastern Ontario through the Heart Failure Clinic. Now, thanks to a donation from a leading pharmaceutical company, this clinic will assist in the creation of a new network of heart failure clinics across the region by providing training and information to nurses in other communities.

“The rural nature of our catchment area means that people, often very ill, must travel long distances to receive follow-up care that clearly improves outcomes with regards to heart failure,” says Dr. John McCans, Medical Director of the Heart Failure Clinic at KGH and HDH, Professor and Chief of the Department of Medicine at Queen’s University. “The benefit of establishing clinics in other areas in the region will be to make this service more available and more convenient to everyone.”

Follow-up care for a heart failure patient is very intense and complex, involving multiple medications, special interventions with devices such as pacemakers and defibrillators, education and support from specialized health care providers.

An added complication for most patients is that heart failure is only one of many conditions. Often other chronic diseases such as diabetes, obesity or lung disease may also be present, requiring changes in lifestyle (e.g. diet modification, exercise, smoking cessation and stress reduction) and multiple medications to optimize their quality of life.

To address the need for ongoing support and follow-up care after discharge from hospital, the cardiac program established the Heart Failure Clinic at Hotel Dieu in 2000 to provide additional support and education to this challenging patient population. Using a multidisciplinary approach, the clinic includes the services of advanced practice nurses, social workers and dietitians. This comprehensive approach addresses a much greater range of patient needs and vastly improves outcomes. In fact, a comparative analysis of patient outcomes in the year preceding enrolment in the clinic and the subsequent assessments by staff one year later, demonstrated an 80 per cent reduction in heart failure patient visits to emergency departments or reentry to hospital for heart failure.

“Heart failure clinics have demonstrated significant improvements and outcomes for patients,” explains Patti Staples, Clinical Nurse Specialist/Advanced Practice Nurse, who has been working at the clinic since it opened. “We teach people how to better take care of themselves, monitor their own condition and recognize the warning signs for when they do need help. This donation will support nurses from other locations to gain experience and lead clinics in their own communities.”

Telephone follow-up goes a long way to preventing return visits to the hospital, Staples explains. Whenever there is an adjustment to medication, a clinic nurse will call the patient within two or three days to see if there is a change in their condition, for better or worse. Factors regarding diet, exercise levels and stress can have an impact, so lifestyle questions are an important part of the treatment plan. Having these resources available locally and staffed by familiar faces in the community will help with patient comfort, convenience and confidence.

The donation provided by pharmaceutical manufacturer AstraZeneca Canada Inc. to the University Hospitals Kingston Foundation, the fundraising arm for Hotel Dieu Hospital, Kingston General Hospital and Providence Care, enables nurses from other communities to gain invaluable experience at the HDH heart failure clinic that will assist in the establishment of clinics throughout the South East Local Health Integration Network (LHIN). Along with improved patient outcomes, the integration of health services translates into significant, long-term cost savings by using the right supports at the right time in the right location.

“Our primary goal is making a meaningful difference in patients’ lives,” says Mark Jones, President and CEO of AstraZeneca Canada Inc. “We are delighted to be able to assist the Regional Heart Failure Network help people throughout the region with heart conditions return to full and productive lives as quickly as possible, and reduce the number of hospital and emergency room visits they will require in the future.”

“We value the generosity of AstraZeneca. Their leadership in showing ongoing support for our hospitals is truly appreciated,” says Roger Wright, Chair of the University Hospitals Kingston Foundation, the fundraising arm of KGH, HDH and Providence Care. “We welcome this opportunity to celebrate their philanthropy.”

Working together, Kingston’s hospitals provide a continuum of specialized health care in this region. Our teaching hospitals offer leading-edge clinical care, pioneering research and outstanding teaching opportunities through their affiliation with Queen’s University. These dynamic partnerships translate into quality patient care for our community.

University Hospitals Kingston Foundation is the fundraising arm for Hotel Dieu Hospital, Kingston General Hospital and Providence Care (formerly Providence Continuing Care Centre). The Foundation raises money for programs, equipment, education and research that benefit the 500,000 people in Kingston and Southeastern Ontario served by the three teaching hospitals. To find out more about giving opportunities or to make a donation call 613-549-5452 or toll-free 866-549-5452 or go online to www.kingstonhospitalsfoundation.ca.