Canadian business icon Jim Pattison is making a $4-million matching donation to support Surrey Hospitals Foundation’s fundraising campaign to upgrade equipment inside the Jim Pattison Outpatient Care and Surgery Centre. In this video series, join us in exploring some of the 56 clinics providing vital health care for the community.
The current Surrey Hospitals Foundation campaign supports the care provided at the 56 clinics at the Jim Pattison Outpatient Care and Surgery Centre, including the Heart Health Clinic.
The Heart Health Clinic provides specialty cardiac care in three sub-specialty clinics: Heart Function, Cardiac Rehabilitation and Lipid Disorders.
The clinical team, which sees more than 17,000 patients every year, includes Physicians, Nurse Practitioners, Nurses, Pharmacists, Social Workers and Dieticians.
“There’s been a lot of research in cardiology over the last 10 years, so we have a lot more medications that are being offered, and diagnostics have improved tremendously,” says Dr. Tarun Sharma. “We’re picking up a lot more people who have these diagnoses, and we’re able to get them on the appropriate therapies, so we reduce their risk of worsening heart failure.”
The Heart Function Clinic sees patients after a heart attack, or with newly diagnosed heart failure. The team educates patients about their condition and gets them on a diet and medication schedule. Patients who visit the Cardiac Rehabilitation team will work with Physiotherapists and other specialists on an exercise program to reduce their risks and incorporate exercise into their daily routines. The Lipid Disorders Clinic offers specialty care to patients with complex cholesterol concerns.
The clinical team has developed a unique and streamlined process where they take high-risk patients with heart failure, who are seen in the Heart Function Clinic, and guide them through to Cardiac Rehabilitation. This helps them get back to their normal physical activity as quickly as possible.
The clinic is also working on a pilot project to evaluate patients who may have experienced or could be at risk for stroke from an abnormal heart rhythm, Dr. Sharma says.
“We’re trying to figure out if they have an abnormality that can be treated to reduce their risk of stroke in the future. Pilot projects like these are very important for us to move care forward in the Fraser Health Region and so we’re very grateful to the donors.”
The Heart Health Clinic Clinic is one of 56 specialty clinics at the Jim Pattison Outpatient Care and Surgery Centre. Help the Centre’s medical teams continue providing leading-edge care: Donate today at DoubleYourDonation.ca and Jim Pattison will match your donation!