Heart patients in Fort Dodge and surrounding communities won't have to worry about losing around-the-clock cardiovascular care at UnityPoint Health Trinity Medical Regional Center. On Thursday, UnityPoint Health — Fort Dodge announced the UnityPoint Health — Trinity Heart Center. It's a new outpatient heart center opening on Oct. 28 at the hospital's campus in the Physicians Office Building East. "We will have four to five physicians in clinic every day to be able to care for the pent-up demand of the need here for cardiology services," said Leah Glasgo, the president of UnityPoint Health-Fort Dodge. In addition to day-to-day work, UnityPoint Health says they have hired physicians who will be on-call for emergencies, providing that 24/7 care. Glasgo says they'll be able to provide things like a cardiac catheterization.Currently, MercyOne Iowa Heart Center provides UnityPoint Health Trinity Medical Regional Center with 24/7 on-call interventional cardiology services. Interventional cardiologists specialize in invasive but nonsurgical procedures for treating issues such as coronary artery disease and valve disease. The agreement between the two health systems spans decades. "We've had great support from Iowa Heart Center and they've done wonderful work for us and for our community," said Dr. Lincoln Wallace, a family medicine physician with UnityPoint-Fort Dodge and the vice president medical director. Back in May, it was announced that MercyOne would not be able to provide those services to the hospital after Oct. 19 due to staffing limitations. The Iowa Heart Center in Fort Dodge, however, is not going away. In a statement shared with KCCI on Thursday, a spokesperson said: "MercyOne Iowa Heart Center remains committed to providing Fort Dodge and the surrounding region with high-quality cardiovascular care."The announcement made back in May had UnityPoint Health-Fort Dodge leaders coming together quickly to figure out a solution. "Last year, we had 63 people that had interventions in off hours: overnight; on weekends," Wallace. "We couldn't tell those 63 people that we'll get you there as soon as we can because that's the difference between life and death." Glasgo says in the months following May, there were a lot of conversations, especially with UnityPoint Health system partners in Des Moines, Waterloo, and Sioux City. "We really began to figure out how do we bring that 24/7 coverage to our community," Glasgo said. Glasgo says while the UnityPoint Health-Trinity Heart Center will open Oct. 28, providers will start on Oct. 18, so there's no gap. "We are seen as one of the transfer centers for the small community hospitals around us," Glasgo said. "We know that peoples' hearts — literally their hearts — are at stake here." People can start calling UnityPoint Health-Fort Dodge to schedule appointments beginning Oct. 28. More information on services the center will provide and how to make an appointment can be found here.
FORT DODGE, Iowa —
Heart patients in Fort Dodge and surrounding communities won't have to worry about losing around-the-clock cardiovascular care at UnityPoint Health Trinity Medical Regional Center.
On Thursday, UnityPoint Health — Fort Dodge announced the UnityPoint Health — Trinity Heart Center. It's a new outpatient heart center opening on Oct. 28 at the hospital's campus in the Physicians Office Building East.
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"We will have four to five physicians in clinic every day to be able to care for the pent-up demand of the need here for cardiology services," said Leah Glasgo, the president of UnityPoint Health-Fort Dodge.
In addition to day-to-day work, UnityPoint Health says they have hired physicians who will be on-call for emergencies, providing that 24/7 care. Glasgo says they'll be able to provide things like a cardiac catheterization.
Currently, MercyOne Iowa Heart Center provides UnityPoint Health Trinity Medical Regional Center with 24/7 on-call interventional cardiology services. Interventional cardiologists specialize in invasive but nonsurgical procedures for treating issues such as coronary artery disease and valve disease.
The agreement between the two health systems spans decades.
"We've had great support from Iowa Heart Center and they've done wonderful work for us and for our community," said Dr. Lincoln Wallace, a family medicine physician with UnityPoint-Fort Dodge and the vice president medical director.
Back in May, it was announced that MercyOne would not be able to provide those services to the hospital after Oct. 19 due to staffing limitations.
The Iowa Heart Center in Fort Dodge, however, is not going away. In a statement shared with KCCI on Thursday, a spokesperson said: "MercyOne Iowa Heart Center remains committed to providing Fort Dodge and the surrounding region with high-quality cardiovascular care."
The announcement made back in May had UnityPoint Health-Fort Dodge leaders coming together quickly to figure out a solution.
"Last year, we had 63 people that had interventions in off hours: overnight; on weekends," Wallace. "We couldn't tell those 63 people that we'll get you there as soon as we can because that's the difference between life and death."
Glasgo says in the months following May, there were a lot of conversations, especially with UnityPoint Health system partners in Des Moines, Waterloo, and Sioux City.
"We really began to figure out how do we bring that 24/7 coverage to our community," Glasgo said.
Glasgo says while the UnityPoint Health-Trinity Heart Center will open Oct. 28, providers will start on Oct. 18, so there's no gap.
"We are seen as one of the transfer centers for the small community hospitals around us," Glasgo said. "We know that peoples' hearts — literally their hearts — are at stake here."
People can start calling UnityPoint Health-Fort Dodge to schedule appointments beginning Oct. 28. More information on services the center will provide and how to make an appointment can be found here.
