While some of the symptoms of congestive heart failure (CHF) can be managed, patients often need advanced care as the disease progresses. The stress of driving long distances for care and assessment can have a serious impact on the patient’s quality of life. Thanks to the Hartford HealthCare Heart & Vascular Institute advanced CHF patients in the Norwich area now have the option of receiving some of their care close to home.
Advanced heart failure and transplant specialists Joseph Radojevic, MD, and Jason Gluck, DO, are now seeing patients at the newly established Congestive Heart Failure Clinic at the Hartford HealthCare Heart & Vascular Institute office at 164 Otrobando Ave. in Norwich. Drs. Radojevic and Gluck work closely with the team of local cardiologists to create care plans for heart failure patients with a focus of keeping care in the community when possible.”
“I look at CHF as its own service line. There is day-to-day care and management that local cardiologists do very well,” said Dr. Radojevic, who also serves as the Director of the Center for Advanced Heart Failure and Pulmonary Vascular Disease at Hartford Hospital. “When we’ve exhausted all of the options locally we look to Hartford for more advanced care.”
The clinic works seamlessly with the Heart & Vascular Institute’s Center for Advanced Heart Failure at Hartford Hospital. The program enables patients who have been diagnosed with congestive heart disease to manage their health and improve the quality of their lives through early symptom recognition, continuity of care, diet planning and medication management.
“Our goal has always been to provide seamless care to our patients and their families. Keeping care local helps us to advance services available thru our offices and local hospitals,” said John Foley, MD, East Region Director of Cardiovascular Services. “In addition it serves to decrease the burden of traveling for advanced care at a time when the patient is at their sickest.”
With the new clinic now open in Norwich, patients can get more of that care locally including IV therapy administered on an outpatient basis at Hartford HealthCare infusion centers in Norwich, Plainfield, Waterford and Willimantic.
“Now that we’re seeing patients locally, we can begin the conversation to discuss what their goals of care are,” said Dr. Radojevic. “Some patients aren’t interested in surgical treatment. Some patients just want to feel comfortable and don’t want to be in and out of the hospital every week.”
Drs. Radojevic and Gluck see patients every other Friday at 164 Otrobando Avenue in Norwich. To connect with the CHF Norwich Clinic call 860.886.0023 or to learn more about the Hartford HealthCare Heart and Vascular Institute’s Center for Advanced Heart Failure, click here.