Duke Cardiology of Raleigh is expanding care for advanced heart failure (HF) and pulmonary arterial hypertension in Wake County. These efforts build on the practice’s long-term growth in offering more specialized and advanced care. With more than two decades of experience in HF care in western North Carolina, Benjamin H. Trichon, MD, advanced heart failure specialist, returns to Duke to join Stuart D. Russell, MD, and the cardiology department in Raleigh as part of this expansion.

“Wake County is one of the fastest-growing regions in the state,” says Trichon. “We want to extend the resources of the Duke Heart Failure Group to the growing population in our area closer to their homes.” These efforts are an important component of ongoing expansion of the practice and Duke Raleigh Hospital, a campus of Duke University Hospital. “Our goal is to provide the highest quality care for heart failure and pulmonary hypertension patients on a campus that is much more accessible to the community,” Trichon adds.

Nearly 6.7 million adults over the age of 19 have HF, with the number expected to increase in the coming years. Treatments for HF continue to advance as well. “Our goal is to offer patients in our area an expanded portfolio of options for treatment from medications to devices as well evaluations for advanced HF therapies such as left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) or heart transplant,” says Trichon.

The menu of treatment options is rapidly growing for patients with HF, regardless of their underlying heart function. “I’m happy to see any patients when primary care physicians or specialists are concerned about optimizing their HF care,” he says. “We can offer a comprehensive evaluation of their heart failure state and make shared decisions regarding the most appropriate treatment strategy. We also are able to provide patients access to ongoing clinical trials of novel therapy options for their condition.”

With extensive experience working with Duke Health as a referring provider while practicing in Asheville, Trichon stresses that the Duke team works with providers and specialists to provide coordinated care. “As a referring physician, there was never a hesitation to partner with Duke. They were always more than willing to get patients in as quickly as possible and proceed with the evaluation we were looking for.”

As a former Duke fellow and current Duke physician, Trichon looks forward to working with the community and increasing access for patients with HF in Wake County. “By offering a dedicated HF program at our Raleigh campus, we’re ensuring patients can be seen quickly for evaluation, and they can continue with their care conveniently closer to their home,” says Trichon. In most cases, patients can be seen within three days of calling for an appointment.