Patient Visits Atrium Health Floyd Polk Medical Center Weekly
CEDARTOWN, Ga., Feb. 28, 2024 – When leaders at Atrium Health Floyd decided to open a congestive heart failure clinic at Atrium Health Floyd Polk Medical Center, they knew it would provide an important service to many patients who live in the largely rural area in the region.
Betty Haney is a perfect example of the clinic's success story.
Haney, a heart failure patient, lives in Bremen, approximately a half hour ride from the hospital. If the service was not offered at Polk Medical Center, she would probably have to travel another half an hour to Rome to the heart failure clinic at Atrium Health Floyd Medical Center.
The 82-year-old was first diagnosed with heart failure in October. She said she has been hospitalized several times but has been feeling better since going to the clinic, which she does every week. It is not a chore for her.
“That place is a lifesaver for me," Haney said. “They have just been wonderful. I look forward to going. They are so nice. They are like friends."
The clinic helps people learn to take better care of themselves and manage their chronic disease. It provides educational resources, lab work and medication administration.
“It has really made a difference in their lives," said Lacey Hobbs, clinical manager. “We know a lot of our congestive heart failure patients don't feel good; they are pretty sick. So, the fact that they can just drive a couple of miles down the road and get care here is life-changing."
Before Haney started going to the clinic, she said she had problems with her legs swelling and had trouble walking. “Now the swelling is down, and I can walk much better," she said. “I am not out of breath like I was before.
The clinic helps heart failure patients stay active longer. Even without the clinic, the hospital had been recognized for the care it provides those patients. For five consecutive years, the hospital has earned Gold certification from the American Heart Association for its heart failure care.
Patients learn about:
- Types of heart failure, including congestive heart failure (CHF)
- Healthier eating
- Medication side effects
- Ways to increase activity
- How to monitor what they eat and drink
- Tracking how much they weigh
The clinic is open Monday through Fridays from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and can be reached by phone at 770-749-4157.
Polk Medical Center is considered one of the nation's top rural hospitals by the Leapfrog Group, a national watchdog organization that focuses on patient safety. The hospital earned the designation in 2009, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2023. Only 15 hospitals nationwide earned that honor last year.
About Atrium Health Floyd
The Atrium Health Floyd family of health care services is a leading medical provider and economic force in northwest Georgia and northeast Alabama. Atrium Health Floyd is part of Charlotte, North Carolina-based Advocate Health, the third-largest nonprofit health system in the United States, created from the combination of Atrium Health and Advocate Aurora Health. Atrium Health Floyd employs more than 3,500 teammates who provide care in over 40 medical specialties at three hospitals: Atrium Health Floyd Medical Center – a 304-bed full-service, acute care hospital and regional referral center in Rome, Georgia; Atrium Health Floyd Polk Medical Center in Cedartown, Georgia; and Atrium Health Floyd Cherokee Medical Center in Centre, Alabama; as well as Atrium Health Floyd Medical Center Behavioral Health – a freestanding 53-bed behavioral health facility in Rome – and also primary care and urgent care network locations throughout northwest Georgia and northeast Alabama. Atrium Health Floyd also operates a stand-alone emergency department in Chattooga County, the first such facility to be built from the ground-up in Georgia.
About Advocate Health
Advocate Health is the third-largest nonprofit integrated health system in the United States – created from the combination of Advocate Aurora Health and Atrium Health. Providing care under the names Advocate Health Care in Illinois, Atrium Health in the Carolinas, Georgia and Alabama, and Aurora Health Care in Wisconsin, Advocate Health is a national leader in clinical innovation, health outcomes, consumer experience and value-based care, with Wake Forest University School of Medicine serving as the academic core of the enterprise. Headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, Advocate Health serves nearly 6 million patients and is engaged in hundreds of clinical trials and research studies. It is nationally recognized for its expertise in cardiology, neurosciences, oncology, pediatrics and rehabilitation, as well as organ transplants, burn treatments and specialized musculoskeletal programs. Advocate Health employs nearly 155,000 team members across 68 hospitals and over 1,000 care locations and offers one of the nation's largest graduate medical education programs with over 2,000 residents and fellows across more than 200 programs. Committed to equitable care for all, Advocate Health provides nearly $6 billion in annual community benefits.