It is critical that cardiomyopathy patients receive treatment from a medical center that specializes in cardiomyopathy or heart failure*. It is important to note that not all cardiologists are specially trained in these two areas.
Doctors with specialized training in cardiomyopathy or heart failure can be found at heart failure centers or heart transplant centers. (Note: Do not allow the words “Heart Failure” or “Heart Transplant” to scare you. If a medical center is established to perform transplants, they will provide the best and most up-to-date medical care possible for cardiomyopathy patients.)
“Since seeing a heart failure specialist, I received the specialized care I needed. Seeing someone who specializes in heart failure is critical to my care.” – Cardiomyopathy Patient
Find a Cardiomyopathy (Heart Failure) Medical Center
When seeking expert care for your cardiomyopathy or heart failure, do not look only for a single doctor to manage your care. It is most important to look for a heart failure center with many expert physicians in different areas. Your care is based on a team approach and having deep resources in one center will give you the best care.
There are several ways cardiomyopathy patients can search for specialized care which are outlined below.
*Insurance Note: Before seeking new care it is important to always check with your insurance company first to see if the new preferred provider is covered by your insurance.
1.) Heart Failure Centers: Look for a Heart Failure Center Center near you. Oftentimes, university or academic medical centers have heart failure centers and are therefore well-equipped to handle heart failure and cardiomyopathy.
To locate a heart failure center near you, simply search Google for “heart failure medical centers near me”.
2.) Heart Transplant Centers: Look for medical centers that perform heart transplants near you. We have found that any medical center that performs heart transplants tends to be equipped to handle cardiomyopathy and heart failure cases. Also, providers at heart transplant centers usually work in teams of various specialists such as Advanced Heart Failure, Interventional Cardiology, General Cardiology, Electrophysiology, Radiology, Cardiothoracic Surgery, and Pharmacology. This means your care is not managed by only one doctor, but instead, can be coordinated among an array of specialists, which can result in better care.
To locate a transplant center near you, simply search Google for “heart transplant centers near me”.
3.) Follow the 3 Steps Below to Find a Heart Failure Specialist Near You:
- Click HERE to access the MediFind* website (which will open in a new browser).
- Click “Find a Doctor” and the resulting page will look like this:
- Enter the patient’s zip code and “heart failure” as the condition, and a list of resulting providers that meet that criteria will be provided.
4.) Live in a Remote or Rural Area? If you live in a rural or remote area without a qualified heart failure or transplant center near you, contact Angel Flight. This FREE service is available for qualified patients to access flight transportation to and from medical centers. Click HERE to learn more.
5.) Need More Information? If you need more information about how to locate a cardiomyopathy specialist near you, please email patientquestions@dcmfoundation.org
*Disclaimer: The DCM Foundation does not endorse any specific medical provider, medical center, or clinical trial that you may find as you complete your search. Please use these tools in conjunction with other research methods to find the best medical care for your condition.