From Spotlight on Health Jan./Feb. 2008

Richard Prom was born with a heart defect and has battled heart problems all of his 74 years. In
2006, after the St. Cloud man was told his heart was failing, he enrolled in the Heart Failure Management Program at the Central Minnesota Heart Center at St. Cloud Hospital.

“This is a great service for patients,” Prom said. “I know if I’m having a problem, I can always call and get advice from Dona, the nurse who works in the heart failure program. It’s a relief to know there’s always someone there who can help.”

The heart failure program features a team of specialists, consisting of a cardiologist, a nurse practitioner, registered nurses and other consulting specialists who diagnose, treat and follow-up with patients.

“We’re very excited about the Heart Failure Management Program here at the Central Minnesota Heart Center,” said Tim Schuchard, M.D., cardiologist specializing in heart failure disease management. “It allows us the ability to provide our heart failure patients with the highest quality care.”

“Our heart failure program uses a patient and family approach to manage the disease in the home
setting,” said Dona Bloch, R.N., cardiology practice nurse. “Our program improves patients’ quality
of life by educating them and those who support them on how best to live with heart failure. We are
available to patients whenever they need assistance, whether it is by phone or a clinic visit.”

The Heart Failure Management Program uses the latest research to manage heart failure. As a member of the Minnesota Heart Failure Consortium, the program actively takes part in research studies with many other hospitals. When standard therapies have been tried without success, this research program allows patients to try experimental therapies unavailable elsewhere.

“With our association with the Minnesota Heart Failure Consortium, we have access to new technology and therapies that wouldn’t have been available to our patients in the past,” said Schuchard, who is the newest member of the Minnesota Heart Failure Consortium board.

Learn more about the Heart Failure Management program of the Central Minnesota Heart Center.