Why I Chose Heart Failure Care — and What It Means for Saint Francis Patients

By Jamie Hernandez-Montfort, M.D.

Medicine was never abstract in my household growing up. Both of my parents were physicians, and our dinner table conversations often centered on patients — their stories, their outcomes and the responsibility that comes with caring for them. 

That environment shaped the way I think about this work. It's always been personal.

During medical school, my grandfather developed advanced heart failure. Watching the progression of his disease — and the gaps in access to specialized care — was formative in a way I still carry with me. 

It showed me both how devastating heart failure can be when it isn't optimally managed, and how much difference the right care at the right time can make. That experience is part of why I do this work.
 

What Drew Me to Heart Failure Care

What has always drawn me to advanced heart failure is the longitudinal nature of the relationship. This isn't episodic medicine — a single visit, a single procedure and a handoff. It's a journey. We engage patients across multiple stages of disease, with the goal of improving not just survival, but functional status, quality of life and clarity around what to expect. 

When it's done well, it is among the most meaningful work a physician can do.

My training has been shaped by that belief. While completing a Master of Public Health, I was involved in building mechanical circulatory support teams and cardiogenic shock programs — models that have since become widely recognized standards of care. 

I also helped develop research registries that evolved into an international consortium, enabling shared learning across some of the most complex and lethal cardiovascular conditions.

A later Master of Science in Health Economics from the London School of Economics gave me a different lens — tools to understand the real-world implications of advanced therapies like durable mechanical heart support and transplantation, and how to make those therapies accessible to the patients who need them most.
 

What We're Building at Saint Francis

At Saint Francis Heart and Vascular Institute, we have the opportunity to take an already strong heart failure program to the next level. That means consolidating mechanical circulatory support, reopening the transplant program and expanding advanced heart failure services across the region.

But perhaps more importantly, it means engaging patients earlier — not only when they require high-profile interventions, but when functional decline, diagnostic uncertainty or quality-of-life concerns first emerge. 

Too often, patients with heart failure aren't referred to a specialist until their disease is significantly advanced. Earlier engagement means more options, better outcomes and a more meaningful relationship between patient and care team.
 

A Team Built Around You

Advanced heart failure care is not something any one physician can deliver alone. Our success depends on an integrated team — coordinators, navigators, specialized nurses, advanced practice providers and physicians — working together in close coordination around each patient.

That team-based approach is how we deliver care that supports patients across the full continuum of their disease. Not just through a hospitalization or a procedure, but across the entire journey — with a singular goal: your long-term well-being.

If you or a loved one is living with heart failure — or has been told your symptoms may be related to your heart — I encourage you to reach out. The earlier we connect, the more we can do together.

If you don't have a primary care doctor, start with Saint Francis Well Connected to get one. From there, your physician can refer you to a cardiologist at Saint Francis HVI if needed.

You can also access free and low-cost screenings without a referral, CLICK HERE to learn more.