Clinical Leadership

Clinical Leadership

A Continuum of Heart Care: UW Heart Center covers all aspects of cardiovascular treatments


	Dr. Dean observes a patient taking a treadmill test of heart function during exercise.

A patient with cardiovascular disease is likely to need consultations for more than one condition relating to this illness. A surgeon who specializes in coronary bypass operations may benefit from witnessing the latest treatments for hypertension. A medical student preparing to specialize in coronary care will be a better doctor if exposed to the variety of disciplines that treat heart diseases.

According to Dr. Larry Dean, director of UW Medicine Regional Heart Center and professor of medicine and surgery, these are a few of the reasons why the multidisciplinary concept behind the Center makes so much sense. The UW Medicine Regional Heart Center's integrated service team delivers all aspects of cardiovascular care in one continuum, including interventional cardiology, electrophysiology, treatment for advanced heart failure, cardiovascular surgery, and cardiac anesthesia.

"Over the years, physicians have treated patients as individual diseases -- as hypertension cases, clogged arteries, degenerative heart conditions, and so forth," Dean said. " The Regional Heart Center brings all the specialists together to look at all the issues affecting a single individual through one lens. This approach allows us to focus on the individual's needs, and it means we have much more to offer the patients under our care."

UW Medicine Regional Heart Center offers convenience as well as improved care. For example, when a patient needs to see a cardiovascular surgeon and a cardiologist, that person can go to one clinic for both appointments.

"It's the difference between seeing someone in the next room and driving across town," said Dean. "That can mean a lot to a sick person."

The UW Medicine Regional Heart Center is the only program in western Washington that performs heart transplants. More than 300 heart transplants have taken place at the Center in patients with advanced congestive heart failure. Ninety percent of the transplant patients, whose ages ranging from 15 to 67, are alive and well after five years. Dean added that the UW's combined cardiovascular surgical programs have one of the lowest mortality rates in the state.

As part of an academic medical center, UW Medicine Regional Heart Center is an environment for training and research, both of which benefit patient care.

"There is an ongoing cross-fertilization of ideas and knowledge among our physicians, researchers, and staff from all fields of specialization. That's possible because of our unified approach to cardiac care," Dean said.

According to Dean, enhancing patient care is ongoing. In 2002, a new division chief in cardiology was hired. In 2003, a catheterization laboratory was opened. In the future, the opening of a new cardiovascular clinic will make state-of-the-art diagnostic tools available in one area, and additional staff will be hired to provide care in the community. To put cardiac care closer to patients' homes, outpatient cardiology clinics will be opened in several locations. These clinics will improve access to cardiovascular services and will complement the cardiology clinics at UW Medical Center, Harborview Medical Center, UW Medical Center-Roosevelt, and the Eastside Specialty Center.

UW Medicine Regional Heart Center is also participating in UW Medicine's redesign of electronic medical records that will give physicians better access to their patients' data, as well as in an e-Health initiative that will give patients helpful information about cardiovascular diseases.

Development Note

The Fraternal Order of Eagles has a long tradition of supporting research at UW Medicine. The Eagle's fundraising and awareness efforts range from parades to community suppers. The Regional Heart Center is one beneficiary of the Eagles' faithful work for medical research and patient care.