A month after the closure of the Missouri Heart Center, Boone Health said its cardiology clinic operations are going smoothly.
Since opening, more than 120 patients have been seen per day, and roughly 1,000 patients were seen in the first two and half weeks. It is expecting about 3,500 patients by the end of June at the Columbia clinic, said Christian Basi, Boone Health marketing and communications director.
Patients living in Macon, Mexico and Sedalia can also receive Boone Health’s cardiology services in those areas.
“I am so impressed by how quickly the team here got that clinic up and running in all locations,” said Lana Zerrer, chief medical officer for Boone Health. “People just started seeing patients and taking care of people immediately.”
The clinic hired more than 50 staff members and plans to continue growing. Prior to the split, the Missouri Heart Center had 13 physicians, but the new clinic is looking to have 16.
For now, the clinic has hired temporary physicians to fill spots but are still heavily recruiting physicians and nurse practitioners to ensure everyone gets timely care, Zerrer said.
In May, Boone Health ended its partnership with Missouri Heart Center due to a breach in contract, according to previous Missourian coverage.
Since the transition, the Boone Health cardiology clinic has been able to keep the medical records Missouri Heart was using.
“Nothing was lost,” Zerrer said. “Patients can still use the same systems they used previously.”
Zerrer said the clinic is still providing outpatient and inpatient services, along with cardiac catheterizations, full echocardiogram scheduling, heart monitoring, nuclear medicine studies and diagnostic studies that they did previously.
Boone Health’s structural heart program, a service specialized to treating defects in the heart, is expected to be restored next month, she added.
To combat communication issues some patients may have experienced during the transition, a phone tree system has been put in place to help with urgent needs and appointment concerns.
Basi said Boone Health prioritizes urgent concerns first, and their goal is to get back to every patient who calls.
“Patients who have chest pain or shortness of breath or some kind of urgent clinical need should call 911,” Zerrer said.
