Hannibal Regional now offering heart failure clinic

HANNIBAL, Mo. — The Heart Failure Society of America estimates nearly 6.5 million Americans over the age of 20 have heart failure.

Hannibal Regional now offers a heart failure clinic that will operate under a collaborative practice model, utilizing a clinical pharmacist and registered nurse. Components of this program include individualized care for each patient with close monitoring, frequent contact, education, smoking cessation and medication management.

Along with medication adjustment through approved protocols in hopes of early intervention and prevention of exacerbations, the Heart Failure Clinic team will work closely with patients to develop a plan to navigate their individualized web of needs related to their heart failure diagnosis, including  education on the disease process, symptoms, monitoring strategies, need for medication adherence, lifestyle therapies including diet and physical activity, and the importance of regular follow up.

The clinic operates under the direction of Cecelia Hurst and Haley Hurst.

Hurst is a certified quality improvement associate with a background in critical care. She is a care manager for cardiology and pulmonology and has been with Hannibal Regional since 2013. In a press release, Hurst said, “I have always been interested and passionate about cardiopulmonary medicine, and this has led to my desire to help build up our heart failure clinic.”

Hurst is a clinical pharmacist with a certification in diabetes care and education. During the past five years, she has been involved in the Patient Centered Medical Home at the Hannibal Free Clinic. Hurst said she “gets to know patients, educate them about their conditions and medications, and become genuinely invested in their health and lives.”

People with a heart failure diagnosis who would benefit from having extra support from a nurse/pharmacist team are good candidates for this clinic. Patients will receive one-on-one education about their medical condition and medications, medication management and close follow-up with the heart failure team to help get their heart failure better controlled. The program is free of charge to the patient. Patients do not need insurance coverage to participate. 

For more information about this program, call (573) 629-3976 or email cecelia.hurst@hannibalregional.org.