New cardiovascular doctor joins ranks in Hillsboro

Hillsboro area residents now can receive comprehensive cardiovascular care at Hillsboro Community Hospital, your neighborhood hospital, rather than traveling to out-of-town for similar services.

“Our mission is to provide cardiology care Monday through Friday (at HCH) and be available on call 24-7 to provide high level physician directed cardiovascular care,” said Susie McClintock, an advanced registered nurse practitioner with more than 20 years of experience in cardiovascular medicine.

McClintock and cardiologist Vishwanatha Nadig are part of Cardiovascular Institute of America team that has partnered with Empower HMS to provide the highest level of quality cardiology care close to patients’ home. Empower HMS owns and operates Hillsboro Community Hospital.

Nadig has practiced medicine for 23 years and is board certified in internal medicine, cardiovascular disease and interventional cardiology. He specializes in the management of cardiovascular health, hypertension, diabetes—all those risk factors that can go along with patients who develop coronary disease.

According to Nadig, delivering person-centered care means working closely with his patients to manage their conditions while using the latest innovations in science and participating in continuing medical education and training.

The idea of providing comprehensive Cardiovascular care from Nadig’s observation of Kansas rural and semi-rural hospitals. These hospitals serve vast number of patients in rural America.

But the severe lack of cardiovascular specialists makes it inconvenient for the patients to seek cardiology care at their hometown hospitals.

With this in mind, the Cardiovascular Institute of America came with a unique cardiology care delivery model using telecardiology, onsite highly skilled mid-level practitioners coupled with constant physician supervision.

Physicians, in this case Nadig. regularly visit HCH to provide patient care by providing consultative services for the patients.

“This hybrid model has been working in six hospitals we are serving,” Nadig said.

At HCH, cardiac testing that can be performed include echocardiograms, carotid artery ultrasounds and testing for the peripheral arterial disease.

McClintock said patients of other cardiologists and physicians in the area can have cardiac tests conducted at HCH.

In practice, she said, the idea is to localize medical services in cardiology for area patients so that can have their diagnosis, treatment, and tests at Hillsboro.

McClintock, who is the chief nurse practitioner with Cardiovascular Institute of America, said her role is to set up processes and systems at HCH and other rural hospitals.

“We’re here to provide services for patients so they don’t have to drive anywhere,” she said.

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