National alliance formed to improve AF care

Five US cardiac centers and a patient advocacy group have formed the National Alliance of Integrated AFib Centers, an organization dedicated to improving care delivery and quality of life for patients with atrial fibrillation, according to a press release.

The alliance was founded by Sentara Heart Hospital in Norfolk, Va., Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute in Los Angeles, Calif., St. Helena Arrhythmia Center in Napa Valley, Calif., St. Vincent’s Medical Center in Bridgeport, Ct., Orlando Health Heart Institute in Orlando, Fl. and StopAfib.org, a website that provides information and answers to patients’ AF-related questions. The organization will eventually grow to include other major cardiac centers nationwide.

The goals of the National Alliance of Integrated AFib Centers (NAIAC) include research development; patient outcome data analysis; personalization of patient care through synergy among cardiac specialties; and performance monitoring; and the sharing and standardization of best practices among member facilities.

The alliance will offer educational support for patients with AF and will also connect patients with the nearest center of excellence for treatment. The idea is for each patient to receive personalized care from a team including a cardiothoracic surgeon, arrhythmia specialist, electrophysiologist and patient care coordinator, according to the release.

“As an [AF] patient, I can personally and professionally say that we must improve the quality of care for irregular heartbeat patients,” Jonathan Philpott, MD, president and cardiothoracic surgeon at Sentara Heart Hospital, stated in the release. “Utilizing our collective resources and expertise, NAIAC will help [AF] patients better understand their condition and treatment options in order to attain a much higher quality of life.”