Regional Collaborations Increase Access to Care
An innovative collaboration strategy by the Heart Institute has led to increased access to world-class heart care for many patients and families beyond Greater Cincinnati. This Cincinnati Children’s team works together with many physicians and health systems throughout the region. The approach is a unique one, with each program tailored to meet the needs of the specific community being served.
“We always want to deliver the highest level of care as close as possible to home,” says Andrew Redington, MD, executive co-director of the Heart Institute. “Our aim is to provide the community with what it needs without compromising the quality of care.”
Here’s a look at three different ways the Heart Institute has been reaching out in the region.
Joint Pediatric Heart Program with UK HealthCare Kentucky Children’s Hospital
With the Joint Pediatric Heart Program, the Cincinnati Children’s Heart Institute has teamed with Kentucky Children’s Hospital to provide advanced cardiac care for patients in and near Lexington, Kentucky. Patients range from newborns to adolescents and adults with congenital heart disease.
Four surgeons are on staff between the two institutions, with each having privileges at both centers. Interventional and surgical cases are jointly conferenced, and the team provides services at the location most appropriate for the patient and their family. To date, more than 100 patients have received interventional treatment through this program, including surgery, cardiac catheterization and electrophysiology studies.
Technology makes it possible for faculty and staff at both institutions to be in constant contact with one another via telemedicine and to work together in real time. They collaborate on every aspect of care, from case conferencing and surgical planning to clinical care and research.
The flexibility of this program allows for care to be provided at Cincinnati Children’s when needed, with follow-up care transferred back to and managed through Kentucky Children’s Hospital.
Pediatric Cardiology and ACHD Support Through Kettering Medical Center
For nearly three years, the Heart Institute has supported the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Kettering Medical Center in Dayton, Ohio. Heart Institute physicians also provide support for Kettering’s maternal-fetal medicine specialists. In addition, the Adult Congenital Heart Disease Program out of Cincinnati Children’s holds a clinic at Kettering to help care for adults born with heart defects. The ACHD specialists keep in close communication with the referring adult cardiologists at Kettering Health Network to coordinate the best possible care.
Most recently this collaboration has led to the opening of a general pediatric cardiology clinic on-site at Kettering. And overweight and obesity treatment is now available through the Heart Institute’s Center for Better Health and Nutrition, which also holds a clinic at Kettering.
The goal is to provide patients in the Dayton region just north of Cincinnati with what’s recognized as top-tier care available in the country, and to make it as convenient as possible for them to access that care.
“When we send our team to this community, it makes it easy for them to receive care that’s close to home. And if a family eventually does need to travel to Cincinnati for more advanced care, having a relationship already established with them helps ease their worries,” explains Redington. “When patients have become familiar with us and with congenital heart disease and how we treat it, it tends to lead to a more relaxed and better outcome for everyone.”
Community-Based Clinics in Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky
Heart Institute physicians also are performing outreach in areas with a lack of pediatric cardiologists. They provide monthly clinics in multiple rural locations including Washington Court House and Portsmouth, Ohio, and Maysville, Kentucky. A clinic in Batesville, Indiana, is held in conjunction with Margaret Mary Hospital. These cardiology clinics offer all noninvasive cardiac services including echocardiograms, electrocardiograms (ECG), Holter monitors and event monitors.
The model for this outreach was developed more than 10 years ago by Lisa Lee, MD, director of Outpatient Services with the Heart Institute. Her model was founded on offering diagnosis and treatment to those with suspected or diagnosed cardiovascular disease who may not have easy access to pediatric cardiac services.
“When it’s difficult for patients to find care close to home, that presents a significant barrier to them getting the care they need,” Lee says. “Having these clinics in these locations makes it much more convenient for the patients. It also gives the referring physicians a point person to work with at the Heart Institute, which makes it easier for them to get support when they have questions and helps improve the referral process.”
The Heart Institute is continuing to develop similar relationships based on the needs of regional institutions and their communities. The ultimate goal is to spread high-quality care so those who need it have easier access to it.
