General and Preventative Cardiology Center of Excellence

Tampa General Hospital’s (TGH) General and Preventative Cardiology Center of Excellence offers patients specialized programs to prevent cardiovascular disease through risk assessment, education and ongoing support. Tampa General Hospital and USF Health’s specialists enable earlier diagnoses and treatment of cardiovascular conditions, as well as increase adherence to preventive care, which improves patients’ quality of life.

NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED, MULTIDISCIPLINARY CARE
The General and Preventative Cardiology Center of Excellence at TGH features a multidisciplinary team of clinicians, including preventive cardiologists, pulmonologists, internal medicine physicians, endocrinologists, obstetricians and gynecologists, exercise physiologists, registered dietitians, bariatric specialists, radiologists, psychologists, geneticists, registered nurses and nurse specialists.

This multispecialty team offers decades of experience in evaluating the risk factors for heart disease along with further specialization in women’s heart health, vascular medicine, hypertension, obesity, metabolic syndrome and lipid disorders.

ONLY CARDIOMETABOLIC DISEASE PREVENTION PROGRAM ON FLORIDA’S WEST COAST
Tampa General Hospital’s Cardiometabolic Disease Prevention Program is the only one of its kind on Florida’s West Coast, drawing referrals from physicians statewide. The program’s specialists utilize cutting-edge research and advances in medical imaging to identify heart disease at its earliest stage while understanding the behaviors, exposures and medical conditions that contribute to cardiovascular disease.

Every patient undergoes a comprehensive risk assessment, which includes a detailed personal and family medical history, evaluation of lifestyle habits, physical exam and advanced lipid profile.

At the core of TGH’s cardiometabolic program is the use of coronary CT angiography with advanced, artificial intelligence-enabled quantitative plaque analysis to detect early disease, stage heart disease based on plaque burden and assess treatment response. This multifaceted approach has proved highly effective in preventing new or future cardiac events by implementing early therapies in a very personalized manner.

COORDINATION WITH CARDIO-OBSTETRICS PROGRAM
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains the leading cause of mortality for women despite increasing awareness and national recognition. TGH’s Women’s Cardiology Program is specifically designed to offer cardiovascular care specialized around women and their unique needs, while increasing community engagement, education and research.

The specialized physicians include advanced practitioners, nurse navigators and multidisciplinary partnerships with other specialists essential to women’s comprehensive cardiovascular care. As part of this focused approach, the women’s cardiology program also offers a Cardio-Obstetrics Program, the first and only academic program of its kind in the Tampa Bay region. In partnership with TGH’s maternalfetal medicine team at the Women’s Institute, specialists within the Cardio-Obstetrics Program protect women’s heart health before, during and after pregnancy with world-class, multidisciplinary care. The program provides pre-conception risk assessment, longitudinal management of high-risk pregnancies through delivery, and a specialized initiative, Healthy Hearts, dedicated to bridging the gaps in postpartum care and enhancing engagement in long-term cardiovascular health.

CARDIAC REHABILITATION PROGRAM
Tampa General Hospital also offers several options for cardiac rehabilitation, in order to assist patients in obtaining optimal recovery after any cardiac event. Phase II cardiac rehab, consisting of 36 monitored visits with an exercise physiologist and/or nurse, is offered at the downtown Tampa location as a group class.

TGH also offers an intensive cardiac rehab option through a virtual care platform. Patients participating in virtual care receive monitored care through this virtual platform, including individualized one-on-one or group classes, also under the supervision of an exercise physiologist and/or nurse. This unique virtual care offering accepts referrals for patients throughout Florida, which allows TGH to support patients who are not able to attend rehabilitation during the week at the downtown location.

NEURO-CARDIAC PROGRAM
Tampa General Hospital’s NeuroCardiac Program — the only one of its kind in the nation — was designed in collaboration with neurology to offer patients defined care pathways for cardiovascular testing and treatment that can reduce future stroke risk.

Within the unique collaborative structure, patients presenting with stroke are routinely screened for cardiac care needs and assessed in the hospital for acute management. Ultimately, they are transitioned to dedicated clinics in the outpatient setting post discharge to ensure the follow-up loop is completed without care interruption.

From this setting — which also offers the option of same-day neurology and cardiology consultation — patients can be expeditiously scheduled for procedures where indicated, or additional sub-specialty consultation. Examples of procedures include closure of cardiac defects where stroke might originate from, such as a patent foramen ovale (PFO) or the left atrial appendage (LAA), or placement of long-term cardiac monitors to detect heart rhythms that may promote stroke risk.

Not only has the NeuroCardiac Program garnered national attention as a novel care model, but it has also served as the foundation for multiple clinical research studies targeting stroke prevention. Tampa General Hospital has been invited to participate in numerous multi-center clinical trials, bringing cutting-edge concepts, drugs and devices to patients in the Tampa Bay region. As an example, TGH was one of the first programs in the country to develop a minimally invasive LAA occlusion pathway, which enables patients to safely avoid general anesthesia, hospital admission and multiple health care visits while completing their LAA occlusion procedure. Such efforts to streamline the care experience for patients with stroke continues to drive ongoing care innovation in this uniquely collaborative arena.

View the Heart & Vascular Institute Annual Highlights Booklet