Don't miss a beat: Experts recommend coordinated cardiology

When it comes to your heart care, you don’t want to miss a beat! According to experts at Meritus Health, coordinated heart care is important. Coordinated care facilitates shared decision-making, ensuring that patients are well-informed and actively involved in their treatment plans. It also allows for a greater relationship to develop between the care teams and the patient. This comprehensive approach not only improves patient outcomes but also enhances patient satisfaction.

Recently, Meritus added interventional cardiology to its line-up of expert heart care, welcoming interventional cardiologists Drs. Stephen Williams and Mansoor Ahmad. This means patients with advanced heart challenges can receive the expert and coordinated care they need close to home, and ensures all members of their care team are included in treatment plans and needs.

Interventional cardiologists are a specialized subset of cardiologists who are skilled in performing minimally invasive procedures to treat various cardiac conditions, including coronary artery disease, heart valve disorders and structural heart abnormalities. They often work closely with both primary care physicians and cardiologists to provide advanced treatment options when necessary.

“Coordinated care is of paramount importance to ensuring the best patient outcomes. This becomes particularly crucial when dealing with cardiovascular health, where the collaboration between primary care physicians, cardiologists and interventional cardiologists plays a significant role,” said Dr. Christopher Vaccari, cardiologist at Meritus Hagerstown Heart.

The team of expert cardiologists at Meritus seamlessly collaborate with a patient’s primary care provider to develop personalized treatment plans based on the patient's condition, medical history and risk factors all through access to Meritus’ patient health record system.

“The primary care provider’s insights and comprehensive patient history enable the cardiology team to make informed decisions regarding further investigations, appropriate referrals, and treatment options,” Dr. Vaccari said. “Timely communication and exchange of medical records between primary care and cardiologists ensure that patients receive the right care at the right time, preventing delays in diagnosis and treatment,” he added. “This continuity of care promotes long-term cardiovascular health, reduces the risk of complications, and improves overall patient well-being.”