Heart failure is a chronic health problem with symptoms that can get better or worse from week to week, or even day to day. Heart failure cannot be cured, but it can be managed. People with heart failure can live full lives when they've learned about their disease and take control of their symptoms.

What is heart failure?
Heart failure means that your heart is not pumping blood as well as it should. Heart failure begins when the heart muscle has been damaged. When the heart muscle is damaged (which can result from several causes), the heart cannot fill with and empty blood the way it should. So, blood flow through your body is less than it should be, and important organs like the kidneys do not get the blood supply they need.

What causes heart failure?
Conditions such as long-standing high blood pressure, coronary heart disease, heart attacks, inflammation, and infections can weaken your heart. Other possible causes include thyroid problems, diabetes, certain drugs used to treat cancer, or a family history of heart disease.  
 
What are the signs and symptoms of heart failure?
People with heart failure often feel weak and tired, and have difficulty doing everyday tasks such as climbing stairs or grocery shopping. Common signs of heart failure may include: 

• feeling more tired than usual

• trouble breathing when laying down

• waking up in the middle of the night to catch your breath

• swelling of the feet or legs

• weight gain or loss

How is heart failure treated?
There are several common treatments for heart failure. Drugs known as diuretics may be prescribed to help eliminate fluid from the body. Other drugs will likely be used to lower blood pressure, regulate heart rate, and prevent blood clots. These same drugs may improve your heart function. You may also be asked to monitor your fluid and salt intake and check your weight on a daily basis. If needed, a device may be implanted to improve your symptoms and treat dangerous heart rhythms that may occur.

Why choose the Heart Failure Program at MetroHealth?
At the MetroHealth Heart Failure Program, we offer a highly trained team of heart failure specialists working together to help you manage your disease. Our focus is heart failure, and we will work with you to develop a program to fit your health needs and to have the best treatment and the best results.

Take Control of Your Life
Heart failure should not stop you from living a happy and productive life. We believe that providing you and your family with information about heart failure is an important part of providing quality care and helps you take better care of yourself!   
 

Our small group education sessions will help you take control of your heart failure and live your life to the fullest. You will learn about the heart failure disease process, signs and symptoms to watch for, and the importance of checking daily weights, taking your medications as prescribed, and making recommended lifestyle changes. 

Providers...
"I can't say enough about the medical professionals at the Heart Failure Program at MetroHealth. They gave me my life back by working with me hand-in-hand to regulate my medications and manage my heart failure. I was deathly ill,
but now I am enjoying my life again." James, 57-year-old patient 

Positive steps that you can take to live with heart failure:
 
The first step - contact the Heart Failure Program at MetroHealth.
 
For more information about heart failure prevention and treatment, or to schedule an appointment, call 216-778-BEAT (216-778-2328). 

The Heart Failure Program at MetroHealth is a highly specialized service that integrates acute and chronic heart failure care to provide outstanding heart failure treatment and significantly improve outcomes. Led by Dr. Mark Dunlap, our multidisciplinary team has over thirty years of combined experience in the treatment of heart failure. We apply the latest in disease knowledge, and focus on helping even the most difficult heart failure patients proactively manage their disease and lead active lives. Our goal is to develop individualized programs to improve quality of life and reduce the need for hospitalization.

Scope of services
Our team works with you, keeping you up-to-date regarding your patient's treatment and progress.  Some of the services we offer include:    

• Aggressive treatment of high-risk patients

• Increased Heart Failure Program availability

• Evidence-based medical management

• Education programs including heart failure classes and patient booklet

• Heart failure-specific EPIC notes

• Patient tracking tools including quality of life and functional assessment

• Inpatient and outpatient services enhancing continuity of care

• Seamless integration with electrophysiology

• Screening for co-morbidities

• Access to clinical research trials

"The Heart Failure Program at MetroHealth does an excellent job of maximizing heart function and as a direct result, improving the quality of life of my patients."
James Campbell MD MS AGSF

Education is Key
We believe that educating the patient, family, and other supportive persons is an integral part of providing comprehensive and quality care for patients with heart failure. Education develops self care skills and behaviors that promote positive health care outcomes, resulting in patients living fuller, happier lives despite having chronic heart disease. Heart failure education is delivered in a small group setting for patients, family members, and caregivers. Led by Sharon Mack, CNP, Heart Failure Specialist, the goals of the classes are to:  

• Improve patient symptoms and health outcomes

• Improve patient access to providers

• Minimize emergency department visits

• Minimize hospitalizations

• Improve productivity

Partners in Caring
Have a heart failure patient who could benefit from specialized care?  Call the Heart Failure Program at MetroHealth. We'll work with you and your patients to optimize their care.
 

MetroHealth Medical Center   2500 MetroHealth Drive    Cleveland, OH  44109  216-778-BEAT (2328)

MetroHealth Old Brooklyn Campus   4229 Pearl Road   Cleveland, OH  44109   216-778-BEAT (2328)

MetroHealth is the only Cleveland hospital to receive The American Heart
Association's Get With The Guidelines(sm) Triple Performance Achievement Award
for two consecutive years, recognizing MetroHealth's quality of care in Heart Failure,
Coronary Artery Disease, and Stroke.