Health Sciences North (HSN) and a team of cardiologists in Greater Sudbury have joined forces to launch a new one-stop centre for cardiac care.

The Cardiac Out-Patient Centre (COPC) brings together a number of services and clinics designed to help people manage heart conditions which do not require hospitalization.

“This new set-up is much better for my mother’s ongoing care,” says Sadia Della Vedova, whose mother is a patient in the COPC. “She doesn’t need to be in hospital, but she does need help managing her heart condition, so it’s great that her cardiologist and the clinics she uses are in the same place.”

Located on the third floor of the Sudbury Outpatient Centre, the COPC  houses a number of services including echocardiography, holter monitoring, stress testing, a rapid access cardiology clinic, Congestive Heart Failure care, a Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation pre- and post-assessment clinic, and Ontario Telemedicine Network (OTN) capabilities. There is also space for medical learners.

“We’re providing these services in a setting that is better designed for this patient population,” says Debbie Gray, Administrative Director of HSN’s Critical Care Program, which includes cardiac care. “We have bundled our services and made them available in one location, which is much more convenient for the patient.”

The COPC uses a system of electronic medical records that will be shared between the HSN clinics and the cardiologists.

“As a cardiologist, it’s great to be located here, alongside my colleagues and staff at HSN,” says Dr. Dino Shukla, a cardiologist. “Being in the same location, with access to electronic medical records,  will make consultations much easier and quicker and lead to better coordination of care for our patients.”

The care team in the Cardiac Out-Patient Centre also includes nurse practitioners, registered nurses, registered practical nurses, cardiac sonographers, and clerical and support staff.

Initially, the COPC will operate eight hours a day, five days a week, with flexibility built into the schedule.

“The new Cardiac Out-Patient Centre is another step in our patient-centred, hospital-without-walls approach to care, “says Dr. Denis Roy, HSN’s President and CEO. “It’s designed with patients in mind, where we help them manage their chronic conditions so they can stay healthy and also stay at home. This is where health care is heading and our team has done a great job of showing leadership in this area.”