Quality Reports - Herma Heart Center
Adult Congenital Heart Disease Program - Volume
Why we measure it - Research shows that physicians and hospitals that treat a large number of patients tend to provide better care and have improved outcomes for treatments and procedures.
What this means - With advances in the diagnosis and treatment of congenital heart disease, 85 percent of children born with a heart defect can expect to live into adulthood. Currently more than 1 million adults are living with a repaired heart and will soon surpass the number of children with congenital heart disease. This program is expected to grow at least 5 percent each year to meet the increasing demand. Almost all new patients have been outside referrals representing new uncaptured volume.
About the data - This graph includes new and follow-up clinic visits of patients older than 18 years of age with congenital heart disease or connective tissue disorder captured in our registration system.
Related dimensions of care:
  
What we're doing to provide the best care:
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The Adult Congenital Heart Disease Program is a member of the Alliance for Adult Research in Congenital Cardiology, the only multicenter research group in the United States dedicated to advancing research in adults with congenital heart disease. This group was formed to foster collaborative relationships between programs and investigators, further and sustain research efforts to include goals of innovative investigations and improve outcomes by advancing knowledge in the adult with congenital heart disease. Currently, we are recruiting patients for several studies including Tetralogy of Fallow patients, single ventricle patients after the Fontan procedure, coarctation of the aorta patients and pregnant patients with history of congenital heart disease. For more information about these studies, call (414) 266-6784 or e-mail Michael Earing, MD.
- Our adult congenital heart disease specialists travel to Children's Hospital of Wisconsin Clinics-Fox Valley to reduce the number of trips patients need to make to our Milwaukee hospital location.
- We train future pediatric and adult cardiologists in our fellowship program and actively are recruiting additional cardiologists to care for the ever-increasing number of patients who seek our care.
- We will be expanding our clinic space to care for more patients with the hospital tower construction due for completion in 2009.
Patients/Families - In order for us to see the large number of patients who seek our care:
- If you cannot make a scheduled appointment, please call Central Scheduling at (877) 607-5280 or (414) 607-5280 as soon as possible to reschedule so another patient can be seen.
- Arrive 15 minutes before your scheduled appointment so we can gather needed information from you before you see the doctor.
- Bring the name, address, phone and fax numbers of your primary care and/or referring doctor so we can update them appropriately on your care.
- Bring a full list of the medications you are taking including over-the-counter medicines such as vitamins and supplements.
If you have questions about this data or information, e-mail us or call (414) 266-6726. |
