Who we are
Dr. R. deGoma is one of a few - a triple board certified preventive cardiologist (Cardiovascular Disease, Internal Medicine and Clinical Lipidology) who started implementing aggressive evidence-based prevention in 2001. His expertise comes for over 25 years of experience in a busy clinical practice and 10 years of leadership in heart attack and stroke prevention. His excellent patient outcomes are due to his innovations in successfully treating most high risk patients to recommended treatment goals. He is the only preventive cardiologist in the US with published performance data (85% vs. 18% in L-TAP) and his own self-developed clinical information management system. For more about Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention at CDC, click here.
In a recent National Lipid Association journal article featuring Dr. deGoma and his practice, Dr. deGoma said "My personal and professional journey to prevention took longer than my 3-year cardiology fellowship more than 25 years ago, but it changed the way I practice cardiology. Prevention is the missing component of cardiac care." NJ Preventive Cardiology is a best practice model. It already accomplished what healthcare reform is trying to achieve:
1. apply evidence-based therapies in clinical practice
2. treat patients to recommended target goals
2. improve patient outcomes
3. reduce cardiovascular events
4. reduce healthcare cost
5. document (published) performance data
6. mentor and coach patients to adopt healthier lifestyle
What we provide
- Comprehensive heart attack and stroke risk assessment
- Customized treatment goals setting and evidence-based therapies that comply with U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommendations and latest NCEP ATP Treatment Guidelines.
- Patient mentoring and coaching
- Treatment monitoring and adjustments
- Risk reduction tracking and progress report
- Not limited to prevention, also include diagnosis and treatment of heart disease
- Physician consultation and follow up visits are covered by insurance
Who may want to consult us
- Those who are at risk for heart attack and stroke
- Those with high LDL (bad) cholesterol, low HDL (good) cholesterol or high triglycerides
- Those on treatment for cholesterol problem or high blood pressure but not have reached target treatment goals or are experiencing side effects
- Those who want maximum prevention because history of heart attack, stroke, stent, angioplasty, heart bypass, leg or neck bypass and diabetes
- Those who continue to have recurrent cardiovascular events
- Those who need complex therapies
- Those with symptoms of possible heart disease
- Those with known heart disease
Important information for employers, insurers, employees and Medicare beneficiaries about healthcare reform mandate and coverage
Prevention is a vital component of healthcare reform because it improves patient outcomes by reducing cost. Only proven evidenced-based heart attack and stroke prevention therapies are covered under the healthcare reform. Some provisions are in effect this year, some by January 2011 and the insurance premium discount in January 1, 2014. Prevention starts this year, not 2014.
- Require qualified health plans offered by employers to provide at a minimum coverage without cost-sharing for preventive services rated A or B by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. (Effective six months following enactment)
- Permit employers to offer employees rewards—in the form of premium discounts, waivers of cost-sharing requirements, or benefits that would otherwise not be provided—of up to 30% of the cost of coverage for participating in a wellness program and meeting certain health-related standards. The reward limit may be increased to 50% of the cost of coverage if deemed appropriate.
- Provide Medicare beneficiaries access to a comprehensive health risk assessment and creation of a personalized prevention plan.
Healthcare reform may succeed where previous public health policies failed.
Lack of prevention causes unnecessary deaths, disabilities and consumption of expensive cardiovascular healthcare resources. Significant rewards in the form of premium discounts are given because proven evidence-based therapies are known to improve clinical outcomes with resulting fewer hospitalizations, stents, bypass, etc. The American public supports investment in prevention as part of healthcare reform - prevention is the second highest proposal supported, after prohibiting insurance companies from denying coverage because of age,
medical history or pre-existing conditions.
EuroASPIRE III disappointing data highlight the challenge and difficulty of treating high risk patients to lipid and blood pressure goals. An innovative healthcare delivery system is needed to treat a large population of high risk Americans to recommended goals using evidence-based therapies.
