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Heart Function Clinic

According to the Canadian Heart and Stroke Foundation, approximately 330,000 Canadians have been diagnosed with congestive heart failure and another 500,000 are living with the disease but don't know it

patient being weighedCongestive Heart Failure (CHF) is a serious health issue that requires active treatment and monitoring. CHF does not mean your heart has failed. It just means your heart does not pump as strongly as it should. This is because the heart muscle is weak.

CHF usually develops slowly. That's why it's important to start managing it, as soon as it is diagnosed. Patients who understand their condition and participate in treatment live a longer and healthier life.

The Heart Function Clinic provides care to patients with CHF. The clinic's health services include patient evaluation, education, regular monitoring, and immediate response to a patient's clinical needs. This also includes liaisons with hospital and community services on behalf of patients. Over time, patients usually develop a close relationship with their care team at the clinic.

Currently, the Heart Function Clinic is located at the University of Alberta Hospital but will move to the heart institute later this year.

Referral Information
Patients who are 18 years and older are referred to the Heart Function clinic by his/her attending physician.

To refer a patient, physicians may fax an informal letter with the patient's most recent assessment information, any diagnostic concerns, and patient contact information to
(780) 407-6452.

Contact Information
Once the referral letter is received by the Heart Function Clinic, patients are contacted by staff with an appointment date, appointment location, and further instructions (such as diagnostic testing to be completed prior to appointment). If the patient needs to reschedule, he or she may contact the clinic directly at (780) 407-7044.

Mail for the Heart Function Clinic may be sent to:
2C2.14, Walter C. Mackenzie Centre
8440 - 112 Street
Edmonton, Alberta
T6G 2B7

Important Patient Note
Please bring a support person (family member or friend), as well as a current list of all your medications to the appointment.

Location
Patients are contacted by Heart Function Clinic staff with appropriate appointment location information.

Parking
Public parking is available at metered, underground, surface, and parkade lots on site. For information on hourly, weekly, and monthly parking, as well as locations, please see the Mazankowski Alberta Heart Institute information sheet.

About congestive heart failure

The heart is a hollow muscle, about the size of an adult's fist. The main job of the heart is to pump blood and oxygen through the body. Just like a car needs gasoline, the body needs blood that carries oxygen to work properly.

Congestive heart failure occurs when a damaged heart cannot pump properly. Because the body does not get enough oxygen-rich blood, patients with CHF can feel tired. Also, if the heart does not pump strongly enough, swelling can occur, which can make breathing difficult.

Many conditions can lead to CHF. A patient may develop CHF after surviving a heart attack or as a result of high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart infection, a damaged heart valve, or after drinking too much alcohol over time. CHF is a very common and serious problem—the number one reason adult patients are admitted to hospital.

Because you are the most important person managing your condition, your care team, including staff at the Heart Function Clinic, will advise you, support you, and keep you well informed.

Experience tells us that patients who understand their condition and participate in treatment have a longer and better quality of life. In fact, there are many things you can do to feel better and to prevent your condition from getting worse.

Where can I find more information?
Capital Health and other organizations support online resources on CHF and heart health. These resources should be used as a general guideline only. Individual assessment, interpretations, and advice by your cardiologist should always be your most important resource.

For more information, please see:

 

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