Truist Donates to support Heart Failure Clinic at Baptist Health Louisville

A five year pledge of $600,000 makes a tremendous difference to heart failure patients in the Louisville area.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (June 5, 2021) – A five year pledge of $600,000, made in 2019 by Truist (formerly BB&T), has made a tremendous difference to heart failure patients in the Louisville area. Baptist Health Foundation Greater Louisville is grateful for the support of the mission to provide excellent care to every patient at Baptist Health.

“The development of a Heart Failure Clinic at Baptist Health Louisville was the first step in developing a robust Heart Failure program. The benefit this patient population can see from the smallest adjustments to medications or lifestyle can have lasting impact on the patient’s cardiovascular health,” said Jonathan Elliott, executive director of the Cardiovascular services at Baptist Health Louisville. “The philanthropic support that Baptist Health Louisville received from Truist bank allowed us to bring this life changing care to our patients and we could not be more grateful. Our clinicians and care givers consider it a privilege to have the ability to provide this level of care to our community and do their part to reduce hospital re-admissions and have a direct impact on the trajectory of this disease.”

The Heart Failure Clinic opened its doors in late July of 2020 during the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic. Already they have seen significant progress in the patients enrolled in the program. The staff consists of a nurse practitioner with extensive experience in cardiovascular care, a clinical pharmacist with expertise in ambulatory care, and a doctorally prepared RN coordinator, with clinical research experience in addition to board-certified cardiologists who collaborate on patient care.

“At Truist, our purpose is to inspire and build better lives and communities. We feel that our partnership with Baptist Health and our support of their work at the Heart Failure Clinic is a perfect expression of that purpose. The clinic is impacting real people and significantly improving the quality of lives,” says Calvin Barker, Regional President - Kentucky/Ohio at Truist.

The Heart Failure Clinic is made up of a multi-disciplinary team and offers the following services:

• Early follow-up after hospitalization, and continued close monitoring.  Administration of IV diuretics is available as needed.
• Evidence based approach to reaching optimal guideline directed medical therapy
• Intensive ongoing education for patients, families, and caregivers.  Topics discussed include diet, medications, exercise, self-care, and symptom recognition.
• Advance Care Planning.  All staff have received training to support patients and families in goals of care discussions, and assistance with advanced directives
• Multidisciplinary collaboration for additional services including nutrition, Home Health, Cardiac Rehab, and advanced heart failure therapies.

“We are deeply grateful for the generous gift from Truist Bank that was instrumental in achieving a long-standing goal of opening an outpatient management clinic devoted to the care of our patients with heart failure.  Heart failure is a chronic condition, impacting many aspects of the lives of patients and their families and caregivers. Though there is no known cure, services offered by the clinic can positively impact the course of the disease, specifically by enhancing the continuity and coordination of heart failure care,” says Anna Laura Trimbur, DNP, APRN, FNP-BC, CHFN; Heart Failure Coordinator.

Additional philanthropic support will enable expansion of the heart failure program to provide more comprehensive services across the care continuum. Added resources will enable augmentation of the existing care team to include a LCSW, designated dietitian, mental health professional, and case manager. A robust comprehensive program, encompassing both acute care and ambulatory care, will serve to reduce the burden of disease and improve quality of life for our patients who suffer with heart failure. Investment in this type of program not only benefits individual patients, which may include someone you know, but the community as a whole.

For more information on the Baptist Health Foundation of Greater Louisville, visit SupportBaptistHealth.com or contact Justin Leighty, Executive Director at Justin.Leighty@bhsi.com.