Honourable Deputy Premier and Alberta Health Minister Sarah Hoffman and Honourable Minister Irfan Sabir visited the CHARM Clinic on April 27, 2017. They came to understand the impact of congestive heart failure on Albertans and how re-hospitalizations can be reduced. Dr. Anmol S. Kapoor, Cardiologist, welcomed them and presented data from the Charm Clinic. The innovative work done by the clinic (which is run on a charitable basis) was greatly appreciated.
DWF support the CHARM Clinic, Alberta`s only outpatient chronic disease clinic. The CHARM Clinic is a leader in heart failure care in the community that is actively engaged in ongoing clinical research. Over 320 hospital stays have been prevent since its conception, adding up to an average of 3,200 “bed days’’ saved by the clinic alone. This unique initiative frees up a hospital bed for other Albertans, and uses your support to run as this is not a government-supported program. Through the support you have provided, the foundation has been able to;
- Embrace the needs of over 25,000 people in Alberta, and numerous more around the world
- Saved the health care system over $15million
- Establish the very first Heart Research chair of its kind at the University of Calgary, a $1 million collaboration
- Donate $ 21,414 to the Mosaic PCN Refugee Clinic to help Canadian Refugees access medications
- Support the province`s only community based chronic disease clinic-CHARM Clinic
- Work in the community to inform and education about brain heart connection, with the DWF Social Worker
Source: Heart and Stroke Foundation (Slide 1 and 2)
Why Congestive Heart Failure?
The CHARM clinic is physician directed, however the patient care is managed by Nurses. The Heart Failure team consists of a Cardiologist/Heart Failure Specialist, Internal Medicine Specialist, Family Physicians, Heart Function Nurse, Respiratory Therapist, Echocardiogram and Stress Test Technicians. CHARM clinic is located in Northeast Calgary, which has a high number of visible minorities, with many having English as their second language. With easy access to Calgary Lab Services, CTRAIN/bus route, and free parking, CHARM Clinic provides services to the surrounding township of Chestermere, Strathmore, and Airdrie. The total number of family physicians that the clinic serves is over 200, with a service area of over 400 000.
The Cost of Hospitalizations in Alberta.
Patients that are diagnosed with CHF, often have other co-morbidities, which impact their health, well being and quality of life. Below is a chart showing what other conditions patients of the CHARM clinic present with. Since the inception of the CHARM Clinic over 320 hospital visits have been avoided. This translates to approximately 3200 “bed days” . saved by the clinic alone. This unique initiative frees up a hospital bed for other Albertan’s, and uses your support to run, as this is not a government supported program. The CHARM Clinic is a leader in heart failure care in teh community that is actively engaged in ongoing clinical research.
This is a pie chart showing co-morbidities in CHF patients at the CHARM Clinic – 26% have Diabetes, 31% have Coronary Artery Disease, 6% have COPD and 37% High Blood Pressure.
Donations and DIL Walk fund raising events, help to support the CHARM clinic. If you are interested to make a donation, please visit www.dilwalk.ca. All donations will receive a income tax receipt. Also, please do talk to your MLAs and MPs and help us give a helping hand to heart failure patients.
Charm Clinic
The CHARM (Community Heart Failure Assessment, Rehabilitation and Management) clinic at Advanced Cardiology Consultants and Diagnostics (ACCD) is Alberta’s ONLY community based, outpatient clinic. The clinic is run on a charitable basis with the support and donations from the DIL Walk Foundation and ACCD.