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cardiologists associated with Centegra
Physician Care (CPC) and cardiothoracic
surgeons associated with Cardiac Surgery
Associates (CSA). They treat a wide range
of heart problems. (See “This Is Our Beat.”)
“The center uses a team-oriented approach
with all the medical talent in one area, under
one roof, and available to see the patient—
and collaborate with each other—on a daily
basis,” says Douglas Tomasian, MD, director
of CPC’s cardiology division.
HEART FAILURE EXPERTS
A major feature of the new center is the
Heart Failure Clinic.
Heart failure is a chronic disease being
diagnosed with increasing frequency—and
one of the most common health concerns
that sends Americans 65 and older to the
hospital. At Centegra, heart failure has
long been the No. 1 reason patients are
readmitted to the hospital after being
discharged, says Rachel Sebastian, vice
president and site administrator at Centegra
Hospital–McHenry.
When heart failure symptoms worsen,
medications and other therapies often must
be adjusted. Sometimes, though, it can take
This is our beat
The heart is a tough, no-nonsense engine.
But sometimes, even the most reliable
engine breaks down.
When that happens, cardiologists at
Centegra Physician Care (CPC) are ready
to help. CPC specialists can treat a wide
variety of heart troubles, including:
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Arrhythmia
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Cardiomyopathy
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Congenital heart disease
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Congestive heart failure
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Coronary artery disease
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Heart valve disease
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Hypertension
CPC cardiologists are located at clinics
across the region, including in McHenry,
Woodstock, Huntley and Crystal Lake.
When Centegra patients need heart
surgery, services are available through
Cardiac Surgery Associates (CSA), the
largest heart surgery physician group
in Illinois. More than 1,100 open heart
surgeries have been performed at
Centegra Hospital–McHenry.
What is heart failure?
"Heart failure occurs when the heart can no longer pump blood the way it should,"
says Thomas J. Hinkamp, MD, cardiovascular and thoracic surgeon. The body’s
tissues don’t receive the nutrients they need, and excess fluid can build up in the
feet, legs and lungs. Fatigue, troubled breathing and other problems can result.
Typically, patients need to closely monitor their symptoms to keep the
condition under control. That includes following a medication regimen that can be
complicated and keeping track of fluid buildup, weight gain and blood pressure.
Treatment may also include oxygen and a special diet and exercise program.
your lungs too
You can also turn to the new Centegra Cardiovascular & Thoracic Center for follow-
up after low-dose CT lung screenings. We offer these screenings free for heavy
smokers between the ages of 55 and 80 who have smoked one pack per day for
30 years or two packs per day for 15 years. A physician order is needed. For details,
visit
centegra.org/lungscreening
, or call
815-334-5566
to schedule a screening.
weeks for a heart failure patient to get
an appointment with a busy cardiologist.
Meanwhile, the patient’s condition can
deteriorate, perhaps to the point that a
trip to the emergency room—or even a
hospital stay—is required.
“This is a common problem all across
the country,” says Max Liebo, MD.
The Heart Failure Clinic is focused on
enabling local residents to receive timely
outpatient monitoring and treatment before
symptoms escalate. At the clinic, patients
can promptly see a nurse practitioner
trained in heart failure care—or other heart
failure experts as needed—on a day-to-day
basis to prevent the need for hospitalization,
says Linda Rood, DNP, NP-BC.
A CARING PARTNERSHIP
The Heart Failure Clinic is a collaboration
between Centegra Health System and
Loyola University Medical Center. This
partnership means that an assistant
professor at Loyola, cardiologist Max
Liebo, MD, will serve as medical director
of heart failure at Centegra and will see
patients at the clinic.
“A lot of patients used to go to the city
for heart failure care—including some
specifically to see Dr. Liebo,” Sebastian says.
“The center is designed to better support our
patients here in our community so they don’t
have to travel for this type of care.”
The Loyola partnership also helps
patients with more complex cases. For
example, advanced procedures—such as
a heart transplant—can be performed at
Loyola with follow-up care provided in a
coordinated fashion at Centegra.
Many doctors affiliated with either
Centegra or Loyola also have surgical and
other medical privileges at both facilities,
making collaboration smoother.
THE HEART CARE YOU NEED
This new, centralized location for key
heart services is focused on delivering the
advanced care and attention people need—
right when they need it. For everything
from ongoing heart health maintenance to
specialized procedures, the new cardiac
care center at Centegra is the place to turn.
“We really offer the full spectrum of heart
care,” Sebastian says.