Heart Failure

"Heart failure" sounds scary, as if the heart might fail at any second. Actually, those words describe a heart that is not pumping efficiently to deliver oxygen-rich blood to the body's cells.

OSF HealthCare Cardiovascular Institute focuses on improving quality of life for adult and pediatric patients with heart failure. Patients with heart failure tend to be readmitted to hospitals quite frequently. Our goal is to help them better understand and monitor their condition to avoid hospitalization.

Our staff will help patients manage symptoms by adjusting medications to achieve optimal medical therapy. Patient status can be evaluated by the latest in noninvasive monitoring. The OSF HealthCare Cardiovascular Institute also provides patients with referrals for device therapy or transplant (when appropriate). Patient education is a major emphasis because it enables patients to deal with the lifestyle modifications necessary to live with this chronic condition.

Heart failure is an ongoing chronic medical condition requiring careful monitoring and frequent modifications of the medical program. The OSF HealthCare Cardiovascular Institute is staffed by cardiologists and nurse practitioners, assisted by nurses with special training in heart failure who are expert in the diagnosis and treatment of this condition.

Learn more about heart failure , treatment options and ways to manage the condition. 

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