Heart failure initiatives succeed
Victor Mangini, 85, owes his good health to the doctors and nurses at Mills-Peninsula. Three years ago, the former mayor of Burlingame was diagnosed with heart failure, which left him weak and short of breath. He could barely walk across his living room.
Mills-Peninsula doctors inserted a pacemaker and gave Mangini medications to help his heart work better. Nurses from the Mills-Peninsula heart failure program taught Mangini things he could do to improve his health and optimize his quality of life.
The program's telemanagement team calls Mangini on a regular basis to monitor his health and help him stay out of the hospital.
"The care I received turned my whole world around," Mangini said. "I feel great. I have more energy and feel stronger. I even exercise with free weights."
Mangini is among hundreds of patients to benefit from Mills-Peninsula's heart failure program, which follows standard heart failure treatment guidelines used Sutter-wide. A team of Sutter Health doctors, nurses and clinicians developed the guidelines, also known as best practices, in 1999 based on scientific research and the work of top cardiologists. Heart failure readmission rates have since dropped 10 percent and continue to decrease. Last year, Mills-Peninsula's heart failure program statistics were among the best in the Sutter Health network.
"The goal is to ensure best practices become uniform throughout the entire Sutter Health system," says George H. Cohen, M.D., director of Mills-Peninsula's heart failure program. "The heart failure guidelines are a good example of how Sutter Health doctors and clinicians, working together, can truly improve the quality and outcomes of patient care.
Dr. Cohen is part of a team of Sutter Health doctors and clinicians working on new cardiac care initiatives, such as standard guidelines for treating patients showing heart attack symptoms. Initiatives are also in the works concerning cardiovascular disease, cardiovascular surgery, diabetes management and heart disease in women.
"A big advantage to being part of the Sutter Health system is that multiple specialists in the same field can share ideas. Everyone has a unique and valuable perspective," Dr. Cohen said.
"Instead of reinventing the wheel, we can discuss what works best for us and help each other solve problems. The end result is better care for our patients."