Letter from the President - Dr. Yazan Khatib

It’s about YOU the patient.

Last October, we celebrated 20 years of serving Northeast Florida and Southern Georgia. A bit shy of 200 strong, our team remains united on one mission: "you the patient." We cherish the blessing of your trust and renew every day our pledge to do the absolute best for you. We aspire to educate, help, prevent, and treat not only your heart, lungs, vessels, and wounds; but your soul. In doing so, we are enriched as well.

There has been a growing interest in a novel approach to the way healthcare is delivered; value-based healthcare (VBH). VBH is a concept that FCCI is proud to pioneer and embrace. In this new system, the goal is to pay doctors and hospitals based more on outcome and cost e ciency. There are a few important principles to adhere to, for VBH to work well for the patient, and you will learn more about them within these pages.

Every edition of this magazine coincides with exciting progress in cardiovascular medicine. New medications and procedures are further improving the lives of heart failure patients. The latest procedures help us prevent more amputations. Advanced techniques enable better prevention and treatment of strokes.

While we are fortunate to live in the United States and we benefit from all the latest technology that the medical world has to o er, it is still important to take responsibility for our own health. That is why we encourage you to know your metrics! In this edition, we highlight the importance of knowing your blood pressure numbers.

Last January, a healthy young athlete in excellent physical shape collapsed on a football field in Cincinnati after a routine tackle. Bu alo Bills player Damar Hamlin most likely would have died of cardiac arrest that evening if a medical team had not immediately rushed to his aid to perform CPR. You never know when you may have an opportunity to save a life. We invite you to read our article and learn the easy steps it takes to perform hands-only CPR.

We hope you enjoy this latest edition of The Heart of Jacksonville. It has been a pleasure putting it together for you.

Remember this: YOU are the heart of everything we do here at First Coast Cardiovascular Institute.

Sincerely,

Yazan Khatib, MD President of First Coast Cardiovascular Institute

Interventional Cardiologist & Endovascular Specialist Board Member and Past President, American Heart Association | First Coast Chapter

WHY VALUE-BASED HEALTHCARE?

What Does Value-Based Healthcare Mean to YOU?

It’s about saving YOU money.

It’s about YOU not having to go to the ER or get readmitted to the hospital unless absolutely necessary.

It’s about YOU not having to go through repetitive, redundant, or unnecessary tests.

It’s about YOU not getting stuck with unexpected medical bills.

It’s about YOU being seen by a specialist the same or next day when necessary.

It’s about YOU enjoying the peace of mind that comes when you have a caring team finding the best possible outcome for YOU!

It’s about YOU receiving the highest quality care possible at the least cost.

HOW DO WE IMPLEMENT VALUE-BASED HEALTHCARE?

Success in value-based healthcare requires following these three steps and principles:

1. “Right care” in the “right place” at the “right time.”

2. Collaborative teamwork to include proactive patient-focused and compassionate primary care and specialist teams.

3. Maximizing innovations

A procedure or a test that is safely doable in an o ce (right place) should never be done in the hospital or a hospital-based o ce where it costs more and drains resources away from a more critical and needy patient. Such medical care should be done timely (right time) to decrease the chance for complications to set in.

In an environment of rapidly rising deductibles and copays, the patient must be involved in his/her own care. Communication among the di erent doctors and providers is key.