BERRIEN COUNTY, Mich. -- A new advanced heart failure clinic has opened in Southwest Michigan that has the potential to treat roughly 300 patients each year.

The Corewell Health Lakeland Hospitals Heart & Vascular – Royalton, was opened in Royalton Township which sits between Stevensville, Berrien Springs, and St. Joe.

Health officials say the clinic is open two Thursdays each month from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. with plans to treat about 25 patients per month or potentially 300 annually. The team says it will monitor the volume and increase capacity depending on demand.

Before the opening of the new clinic, patients had to drive from Southwest Michigan to Grand Rapids to receive advanced heart failure treatment from specialists such as Michael Dickinson, M.D., the former heart failure program director for Corewell Health in West Michigan.

“This is a strategic step of integrating advanced services within the care that's available at Corewell Health in Southwest Michigan,” Dr. Dickinson said. “So that we can lead to that vision, that if you walk in the door and ‘Corewell Health’ is on the building, you can be confident that the care you're getting is highly sophisticated and that we're going to figure out what you need and be able to deliver it for you.”

If patients need further care that is only available in Grand Rapids, Corewell says Dickinson can help facilitate access to advanced services such as transplant, ventricular assist device, high-risk cardiac surgery or other high-risk or complex interventions.

"The drive and travel out of the area could previously be a challenge for some patients," Dickinson said.

The new clinic is located at 3950 Hollywood Road, Suite 110.

“There is a growing need for advanced heart failure services in our region,” said J.P. Markovic, M.D., cardiologist, Corewell Health in Southwest Michigan. “Embedding this subspecialty in a program that is already recognized for its heart and vascular care enables us to bring the full array of tools in our arsenal to improve the health of patients in our communities.”

According to Dickinson, the following patients should be referred to the clinic:

• If the physician or APP is not happy with the patient’s response to treatment.
• If the patient is not pleased with their response to treatment or their symptoms.
• If the patient has an adverse trajectory (worsening or failing to improve).
• If the patient has other stage D indicators, including:
• Two or more hospitalizations for heart failure in a year.
• Having to pull back on medical therapy, especially if it is due to blood pressure or declining renal function.
• Patients who have required the use of inotropes during a hospital stay.
• Patients who have declining renal function.
• Patients who are requiring a high daily diuretic dose to keep them compensated (such as Lasix 80 milligrams twice daily or higher).
• Patients with complex conditions such as cardiac sarcoidosis, cardiac amyloidosis, arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy, etc.
Ejection fraction that remains severely depressed (
• Patients with severe valvular disease without good treatment options.
• Complex coronary disease that is not readily amenable to revascularization.

Corewell Health believes that by being embedded in the region, Dickinson is now able to do consults, provide advice, optimize patient care and mentor and develop staff.