The number of people with heart failure continues to grow, and it’s a complex problem to treat. Fortunately, we have new ways of diagnosing and treating the condition to help patients feel better and live longer. Cone Health’s Advanced Heart Failure Program provides the most up-to-date care in both inpatient and outpatient settings. We offer the latest medications, monitoring devices, defibrillators and mechanical circulatory support (heart pumps). We also help heart failure patients manage their medications and we provide follow-up care and education related to heart failure treatment. Our treatments include: • Multidisciplinary Care for Pulmonary Hypertension. Pulmonary hypertension is caused by high pressures in the pulmonary arteries that supply blood to the lungs. It can cause the right side of the heart muscle to weaken or fail when left untreated. Several new classes of medicines have been developed to treat patients with pulmonary hypertension effectively. Cone Health has a multidisciplinary team of heart failure cardiologists and pulmonologists specially trained in diagnosis and treatment of the condition. Advanced Heart Failure Program 32 33 CONE HEALTH | HEART AND VASCULAR CENTER CONE HEALTH | THE NETWORK FOR EXCEPTIONAL CARE • Cardiopulmonary Exercise Testing Program (CPX). Our advanced cardiopulmonary exercise testing laboratory – one of few in the state – is used to evaluate patients with unexplained shortness of breath and to further evaluate the severity of patients with heart failure. The test measures the amount of oxygen a patient’s heart, lungs and muscles can use during exercise. Over the past 10 years, the Cone Health CPX laboratory has been part of an international exercise- testing consortium publishing nearly 100 scientific papers on the role of CPX testing in patients with heart failure. • Cardio-Oncology Program. Up to 30 percent of patients receiving some types of chemotherapy are at risk for side effects that can weaken their heart. Over the past six years, physicians in the Cone Health Advanced Heart Failure Clinic have joined with the Cone Health Cancer Center to form one of the only cardio-oncology programs in the state. The program ensures that high-risk patients are closely monitored for early signs of cardiac side effects so they can be treated before permanent damage is done. The program is helping cancer patients live longer and healthier lives. Members of the Advanced Heart Failure program, back row to front, left to right: Michael “Andy” Tillery, PA-C; Molly Reece, BSN, RN; Daniel Bensimhon, MD; Dalton McLean, MD; Kimberly Lutterlow, RN; Jacqueline Brennan, LCSW; Amy Clegg, NP-C; Stephanie Dixon, RN; Kamilah Stephens; Kristen Thomas, MS, RCEP; Heather Schub, RN-BS; Chantel Jeffries, CMA; Megan Bradley, BSN, RN; Erika Nicolsen, PharmD, BCBS; Jasmine Brown, CMA. 34 35 CONE HEALTH | HEART AND VASCULAR CENTER CONE HEALTH | THE NETWORK FOR EXCEPTIONAL CARE