We offer multidisciplinary care for all stages of heart failure (also known as congestive heart failure), and our physicians have broad expertise in evaluating and managing patients with weakened heart muscles. Our program offers a wide variety of treatments including medical therapy, heart-assisting technology (such as LVADs and VADs) and heart transplantation, plus heart-failure management and education.

Our inpatient team of nurse practitioners and physician assistants assure safe, collaborative, team-based care while our patients outside the hospital are monitored and supported by a team of nurses and nurse practitioners who offer support and case management by telephone.

Our Goals

Because data for other health systems is not available, we measure our care against our own goals we’ve set to ensure our heart failure patients are getting the best possible care. We are rigorous in setting and achieving these quality goals for both the inpatient (hospital) and outpatient (physician office) settings. 

For patients who are hospitalized for heart failure, we measure care level in areas such as medication use and assessment of heart pumping strength. In these areas we meet and often exceed the national average. For our outpatients, we closely monitor adherence to heart failure guidelines with over 93% of our heart failure outpatients prescribed indicated medications.

We see patients with mild to the most severe forms of chronic heart failure. These patients include those whose lives are threatened by acute heart failure and are candidates for (or have received) a heart transplant as the result of any form of heart failure.

Based on the severity of heart disease, our patients follow three treatment paths:

• Patients who are able to manage the disease with medication, diet and exercise
• Patients for whom medication diet and exercise are not enough, who require treatments such as a Ventricular Assist Device (VAD), which helps the heart pump blood to the body
• Patients with severe heart failure who require a heart transplant

For patients in severe chronic or acute heart failure, heart-assisting technology, such as a mechanical heart pump, can offer a gateway to better long-term quality of life, or a bridge that can lead to a heart transplant. Our VAD Program is one of only a few institutions worldwide with access to many investigational and FDA-approved Ventricular Assist Devices capable of pumping blood to restore circulation of vital organs. This allows for the selection of the most appropriate device based on each patient's individual needs.

To schedule an evaluation with a Frankel Cardiovascular Center physician, call 888-287-1082. Or visit the Make a Cardiovascular Appointment page to learn what to expect when you call us.

• View Heart Failure information from the U-M Health Patient Education Library
• Video: LaVishia's Story