This Heart Week (6-12 May), did you know your public healthcare service, Bass Coast Health (BCH), offers an extensive range of heart health services?
BCH provides consultations with visiting Cardiologists from The Alfred who can help you with cardiac conditions, including atrial fibrillation, chest pain, heart failure, hypertension, lipid disorders, palpitations and syncope or pre-syncope.
Appointments are available at Wonthaggi Hospital and Phillip Island Health Hub. To make an appointment, ask your medical practitioner to fax a referral to Cardiology on 03 9102 5307 or email it to access@basscoasthealth.org.au
Our Rapid Access Atrial Fibrillation (AF) Clinic provides specialist care to patients with AF. AF clinics have been proven to save lives, and reduce hospital admissions and prevent stroke. A stroke is the biggest preventable risk in patients with AF. Patients receive a personalised AF management care plan and stroke risk assessment, and oral anticoagulant review.
Early identification and treatment of AF can greatly reduce the risk of stroke, and that’s why our clinics aim to see patients quickly once referred to BCH.
“Most patients are referred to us by their GP or via our Emergency Department at Wonthaggi Hospital. They will then have an electrocardiogram to determine if they have AF or a different arrythmia,” Rapid Access Atrial Fibrillation Clinical Nurse Consultant Angela Tiziani said.
BCH also offers Stress Echo testing and Transthoracic echocardiograms (TTE or Echo) to examine heart function. To make an appointment with our AF Clinic, chronic cardiology clinic, rapid cardiology clinic, Stress Echo testing or for an echocardiogram, email access@basscoasthealth.org.au
BCH’s Cardiology Clinical Nurse Consultant Karen Billman, and Cardiopulmonary Clinical Nurse Consultants Jane Ori and Kerry Sibson run our Cardiac/Heart Failure Rehabilitation program.
This helps people to recover from a heart event or diagnosis, as well as people with high blood pressure or cholesterol.
Patients are assessed and take part in eight group exercise and eight group education sessions to improve their health and wellbeing, and reduce the risk of future heart problems. Exercise sessions are held at Wonthaggi YMCA and Phillip Island Health Hub.
To join these programs, a referral from a doctor or other health professional is preferred but you can refer yourself or a family member. Send referrals to access@basscoasthealth.org.au or fax 9102 5307 or phone 5671 3333.
If you are aged 45 and over and do not have heart disease, see your GP for a Medicare-subsidised Heart Health Check. First Nations peoples are eligible for this check from the age of 30 and people with diabetes from the age of 35.
The 20-minute check-up assesses your risk of having a heart attack or stroke in the next five years. Your doctors will ask you about your lifestyle, and medical and family history. They will also check your blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar levels, and use this information to estimate your risk of a heart attack or stroke, and discuss steps you can take to lower your risk.