Heart Function Clinics - Heart Health

Island Health’s Heart Function Clinics provide education, assessment, and medical management for people living with heart failure in our community. Our goal is to improve survival and quality of life for people living with heart failure as well as promote the patient’s ability to manage their disease. 

Our team includes specialty heart failure cardiologists and nurse clinicians. Your care team might also include a pharmacist, physiotherapist, exercise specialist, social worker, and/or a psychiatrist.
 
We do this through:

• medical assessment by a heart doctor and tests as required
• education and support
• exercise guidance as required
• referrals to other programs and services as required
• teach how to manage heart failure better at home

Why would I need a heart function clinic?

People are referred to the Heart Function Clinic because they have a condition called Heart Failure, which means their heart does not pump as well as it used to. This condition has many different causes. 

What can I expect from a heart function clinic visit?

• discuss how to manage your heart failure and keep you as healthy as possible
• support you and your family in making changes in your life to improve your health such as increasing activity and exercise, and changing eating habits
• review your heart failure medications and treatments, adjusting them if needed
• arrange for various heart tests
• regularly update your family doctor on your condition 

How do I prepare for my first appointment? 

• arrive at least 15 minutes prior to your appointment time
• expect to be at the clinic for up to 2 hours
• bring all of your medications in their original packaging
• bring a support person

Can I review my test results before my appointment?

You can access your Island Health test results, certain documents, and some appointments via the MyHealth Patient Portal  or by calling 1-844-844-2219.

Patient and caregiver support

Heart Life Foundation
Men's support group
Women's support group
Community Virtual Care for Heart Failure

What do I need to know about heart failure medications? 

Heart Failure Medications Guide 
Managing the Cost of Medications 

How can I start managing my condition at home?

• it is important that you know what to monitor and what to watch for. Please review some of these symptom management strategies 
• heart failure zones - English, Arabic, Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese, Filipino, French, Hindi, Punjabi, Spanish
• activity 
• heart and stroke activity guidelines
• daily weights 
• fluid restriction 
• potassium in food 
• sodium restriction 

Additional resources

Cardiac Services BC
Heart & Stroke Canada 
The Heart Hub
Living with Heart Failure

Visit the Heart Health and Heart Diseases page to learn more about heart health.