Maine Medical Center Development Department | 22 Bramhall Street Portland, ME 04102 | (207) 662-2669

Cardiovascular Institute

Advanced Heart Failure ClinicPatient Support Fund

Long recognized as a leader in cardiac care, the Maine Medical Center Cardiovascular Institute remains on the forefront of today’s most advanced treatments and procedures. Our comprehensive program provides the highest level of expertise and leading edge technology, meaning patients don’t need to leave the state for quality heart care.

The Advanced Heart Failure ClinicThe Advanced Heart Failure Clinic at Maine Medical Center services some of the sickest cardiology patients in Maine. This includes patients who have undergone heart transplants or are waiting for a transplant, advanced heart failure patients who are on continuous infusions of intravenous medications, end-stage heart failure patients, and patients who have received left ventricular assist devices (LVAD) implants. Patients and their families travel from all corners of Maine to receive their care at the Maine Medical Center clinic. This care is often complicated and very challenging given the severity of their cardiac disease, co-morbidities, and sometimes frayed social and economic supports. Frequently, these patients have very limited resources that make caring for their health difficult and in some cases impossible.

The Call for Patient SupportIn the past, providers and staff at the Advanced Heart Failure Clinic have raised money through bake sales and provided personal donations to help low income patients access the care they need. Yet this approach is unsustainable. The need is too great and the existing resources for helping patients are too thin. Establishing a patient support fund for the Advanced Heart Failure Clinic will allow the clinic staff to better assist patients and help them overcome barriers to their healthcare.

The Advanced Heart Failure Clinic Patient Support Fund will be administered at the discretion of the Advanced Heart Failure clinic staff and providers. The fund will be available to cover patient care necessities such as transportation to Boston for transplant evaluation, miscellaneous items not covered by insurance yet required for transplant and LVAD work up (such as a dental evaluation or home electrical evaluation). Support may also be provided to help patients purchase required medications.

Get InvolvedCommunity support is essential to provide this much needed resource for low income patients. These families are already dealing with so many challenges as a result of their heart disease. Please join with us to help them.

For more information on the Advanced Heart Failure Clinic and Advance Heart Failure Patient Support Fund, please contact the Maine Medical Center Development Department at (207) 662-2669 or visit our website at www.mmc.org/giving. We’re happy to answer your questions!

The Story of MattMatt was 29 years old with two young kids, divorced, and living in northern Maine when he developed heart failure. He comes from an impoverished background, living together in a trailer where his parents help take care of his children. Matt received an LVAD device to stay alive but he couldn’t leave the hospital. He and his family simply could not afford to hire an electrician to have proper electricity installed in the trailer to be able to support the LVAD device. Learning this, a staff member generously wrote a check for $225 to pay for the electrical wiring that allowed Matt to go home. Five months later, Matt’s heart function has improved and he is likely to make a full recovery. Matt’s story of financial hardship is not uncommon. Nor is the ability of philanthropy to change outcomes. You can make a difference through your donation to the Advanced Heart Failure Clinic Patient Support Fund.