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EDITOR'S NOTE: This article was produced in partnership with the Alliance of Cardiovascular Professionals (ACVP).
Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the U.S. According to the AHA, every 30 seconds, an American dies of the disease; women are more highly afflicted. What can we do to improve these facts and statistics? One center is making strides.
Scripps' story
California's Scripps Center for Integrative Medicine is well-known for excellence in the treatment of cardiovascular disease. The center offers sophisticated prevention, diagnostic testing and treatment programs personalized for each patient--for the healing of body, mind and spirit. The center is part of Scripps Health, which has five hospital campuses throughout San Diego County.
Overlooking the Pacific Ocean, the center is located on the Scripps Green Hospital campus, which is home to 350 multispecialty physicians and world-renowned for interventional cardiology and research. The Integrative Medicine Center is known for its high-tech, high-touch approach to cardiac care. The Dickinson & Gooding Early Detection Center (EDC) with its unique healing environment complements the center's full range of advanced diagnostic testing, including a state-of-the-art 16-slice positron emission tomography (PET)/CT scanner and a nuclear medicine diagnostic lab. Stress testing and nuclear cardiac imaging are performed in this newly built diagnostic lab.
Based on well-documented environmental research linking a person's physiological wellness with an innate need for nature, the center's architecture was designed to elicit a calm, peaceful state of mind. This has been largely achieved by using the Golden Mean as its template for structure and interior design, a natural sacred geometric proportion. From the generous use of curved spaces, natural light and variations in ceiling height to the application forms, textures, patterns and colors borrowed from earth, water and sky, nature truly coexists with the design.
The team approach
Two cardiologists, two nurse practitioners (NPs), nurses, medical assistants and radiologic technologists provide comprehensive, full-spectrum care at the early detection center. They screen patients for genetic risk factors for heart disease and assess them hemodynamically, followed by advanced lipid testing and management. When it's indicated, they perform non-invasive CT angiography (CTA), coronary calcium screening or rubidium PET imaging to assess myocardial perfusion and viability. The care team creates a comprehensive program including nutrition and exercise recommendations and the appropriate use of medication and nutriceuticals. Registered pharmacists in the herbal pharmacy supervise all recommended herbal supplements.
If patients need more invasive procedures such as coronary stenting, they're treated at the adjacent Scripps Clinic and Scripps Green Hospital. The integrative outpatient clinic model and various healing services work hand-in-hand with conventional care--the high- tech, high-touch approach.
Comprehensive care
The Scripps Center for Integrative Medicine blends outstanding medical care with evidence-based complementary therapies to support health and healing. The model is based on a physician practice group, individual services, programs, education and research. All patients at the center are evaluated by a physician and the team develops a personalized treatment program based on each person's health care needs and goals for nutrition, exercise, and nutriceuticals.
A variety of complementary therapies, such as biofeedback, acupuncture, healing touch, guided imagery and massage are available. Patients routinely meet with nutrition counselors and spend time in stress mastery classes. Patients, especially those referred for serious treatments such as coronary artery bypass surgery, often experience intense stress throughout treatment. Both patients and loved ones experience emotional, mental and spiritual challenges; the holistic approach to patient care supports patients beyond their physical needs.
Patient protocols
The protocol for open-heart surgery patients is to have an integrative service coordinator, also a nurse, provide a healing touch. She offers patients guided imagery CDs to prepare them psychologically and emotionally for the upcoming surgery. When the patient returns to the intensive care unit (ICU) after surgery, they receive another healing touch treatment and a guided imagery CD focusing on pain management. The integrative service coordinator then follows the patient along with the cardiac surgery team until discharge. This coordinator also teaches cardiac discharge classes and encourages patient to enroll into our cardiac rehab program called Healing Hearts. A cardiologist and NP medically manage this 12-week comprehensive lifestyle change program.
The program participants receive individual consultations by a physician, NP, registered dietitian, exercise physiologist and psychologist. Participants attend support groups, mindful yoga, meditation and visualization classes. Music therapy, spirituality classes, vegetarian cooking school and an educational lecture series on various health and healing topics are also available. Finally, the cardiac rehabilitation patient exercises with telemetry monitoring under medical supervision in the adjacent fitness center.
Scripps Center for Integrative Medicine's vision is: "Healing people and changing lives through science and compassion." After seeing hundreds of patients over the years, we can say that heart disease is preventable. Broken hearts can be healed, and lives can be transformed with a unique combination of allopathic medicine, lifestyle change, complementary modalities and tender loving care.
Rauni Prittinen King RN, BSN, HNC, CHTPI, is founder and director of programs and planning at Scripps Center for Integrative Medicine, La Jolla, Calif.
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