We are here for you during this time!

We Are Ready for You in Our Offices

May 29, 2020

We are extremely grateful for our patients who have worked with us throughout this pandemic. Many of you took advantage of our Telemedicine visits which were an excellent way for us to evaluate your overall health, adjust medications, answer your questions, and determine if you needed to be seen. While we did continue to see urgent issues in the offices, the majority of our visits were done by Telemedicine or rescheduled.

Encouraging Face to Face Office Visits

As of June 1^st, we believe it is now safe for our patients to resume office visits. Over the last several weeks, many patients put their heart issues on hold, which was understandable during a time of crisis. However, stalling your cardiac care can have serious repercussions and it is important to resume standard care.

Now is the time to be seen to:

• Manage your blood pressure
• Control your cholesterol
• Conduct EKGs
• Run additional tests if needed, including stress tests, echocardiograms, and vascular studies
• Ensure you are properly managing conditions such as congestive heart failure

Creating a COVID-Safe Environment

We are committed to doing everything possible to make this a COVID-safe environment. This includes:

• Pre-screenings before visits
• Temperature taking upon arrival
• Reconfigured waiting rooms to maximize social distancing
• Masks required by all patients, staff, and physicians
• Enhanced cleaning of all areas in between patients
• Rapid entry into the office with minimal to no time in waiting room, direct entry from car, or separate entrances for testing

We Continue to Offer Telemedicine  

For those patients who are high-risk or unwilling to come into the office just yet, we continue to offer Telemedicine visits. While these visits do not replace the value of a face to face encounter, patients have found these visits to be very beneficial. Talk to our staff who can assist you in setting this up.

Don’t Neglect Heart Issues!

We continue to reinforce that if you are experiencing cardiac issues, it is essential that you be seen. Research has shown that throughout the world, there has been a decline in people seeking treatment for acute cardiovascular emergencies. Researchers believe this may be due to peoples’ fear of the hospital, not wanting to overburden the healthcare system, financial concerns, or underestimating the severity of symptoms.

• Don’t delay needed treatment. If this pandemic leads people to delay or avoid care for heart-related issues, the death rate will extend far beyond those directly impacted by the virus.
• Time to treatment dictates the outcomes for people with heart attacks and strokes.
• Hospitals are equipped not only to care for people with COVID-19, but also those who have other life threatening problems.
• Avoidance of care for people with chronic conditions can ultimately be as big a threat as the virus itself.
• The pandemic toll will be much worse if it leads people to avoid care for life threatening, yet treatable, conditions like heart attacks and strokes.

Common Heart Attack Signs and Symptoms Include:

• Pressure, tightness, pain, or a squeezing or aching sensation in your chest or arms that may spread to your neck, jaw, or back
• Nausea, indigestion, heartburn, or abdominal pain
• Shortness of breath
• Cold sweat
• Fatigue
• Lightheadedness or sudden dizziness

We are available 24/7 to guide you. Contact our offices if you experience heart attack symptoms and we can advise  you on next steps.

Schedule Your Visit Today

Our team is here to help you with scheduling your next visit. 

All Offices: (860) 522-0604 |  Wallingford: (203) 265-9831

Cardiac Care during Covid-19

May 5, 2020

Dr. Jeffrey Walden talks with CBS about heart health during a pandemic. He discusses when it is important to contact your doctor about symptoms and why it is critical to not ignore certain warning signs.  He also shares important steps you can take to improve your overall health during this time.

Update On Telemedicine

April 17, 2020

Telemedicine is the practice of medicine using technology to deliver care at a distance. A physician or provider in one location can video conference with a patient in the comfort and safety of home. 

During this time, telemedicine is a valuable way for patients to continue to receive cardiology care without coming into our office. It is not attended to address urgent cardiac issues and we still offer office visits.

Click here for the steps to follow to video conference with your doctor >

Click here for a helpful video that discusses some of the many benefits of Telemedicine >

Below are answers to common questions:

What types of issues can be addressed?

Although video conferencing cannot take the place of an in-office visit, our medical team and patients are finding these visits to be very beneficial. Your provider can:

• Review your medications including dosages, refills, and updates
• Review your home blood pressure numbers if you have a home cuff
• Perform a wellness check and rule out any concerning symptoms
• Discuss your treatment plan and determine if updates are needed
• Answer your questions and concerns.
• Help you avoid trips to the ER or hospital
• Determine if an office visit is needed

Patients are finding the telemedicine process easy to use and valuable. We urge you to give it a try, especially before rescheduling.

How do I get started?

Call our office to schedule a visit. We use a few different video conferencing tools and our team will determine the best one for you and will walk you through the steps.

What do you need to do a telehealth visit?

You can use any of the following:

• Smartphone
• Apple iPad or a tablet with a camera
• Personal computer or laptop w/camera

What do I need to do to get the most out of my telemedicine visit?

• Find a quiet room to give you privacy.
• Make sure you have lighting in front of your face, rather than behind (which will put you in a shadow)
• Prop your smartphone, iPad, laptop or pc up to keep it steady & pointed at your face (rather than the ground or ceiling)
• Think about any concerns or questions you would like to address.

How do I start my telemedicine visit?

For your initial telehealth appointment, one of our friendly office staff with call you ahead of time to guide you through the process of connecting with your doctor.

For subsequent visits, you can either call our office for help or just follow a few simple steps to start the visit at a designated time.  Telemedicine visits can only be conducted by appointment.

Is my telemedicine visit covered by my insurance?

Yes, with the onset of COVID-10, Medicare and many of the major insurers began covering telemedicine visits.

A Special Thank You

April 14, 2020

Our staff was thrilled to receive a recent donation of handmade masks from one of our patients and his church. We are appreciative of this act of kindness during this challenging time.

Heart Conditions Prove Especially Dangerous for Covid-19 Patients

April 13, 2020

The Wall Street Journal highlights that people with cardiovascular disease face more life-threatening complications from the coronavirus. Even those with simple high blood pressure are being urged to take extra care against infection.

Click here to read the article>

One of the aspects highlighted in the article is that patients isolated at home or recently unemployed may miss out on medications and care. It is especially important that patients do not stop taking blood-pressure medications. Failure to take these medication could increase the risk of Covid-19 infection. And in fact, some studies have shown that these drugs may actually provide a benefit against Covid-19, by blocking an enzyme that promotes inflammation in the lung.

So in summary:

• If you have cardiovascular issues, maintain safety measures – even when society begins to reopen.
• Continue to stay on your prescribed medications and don’t make any adjustments without talking to your cardiologist.
• If you have any issues, contact our office. We are seeing people in the office for acute issues and can also do telemedicine visits.

Don’t Neglect Signs of Heart Attacks

April 7, 2020

The NY Times posted an interesting article on April 6^th entitled ‘Where Have All the Heart Attacks Gone? They note that hospitals are eerily quiet except for Covid-19 cases. Medical professionals across the globe are questioning where are all the patients with heart attacks and strokes?

One of the conclusions is that patients are scared to go to the hospital and would rather stay home and suffer than seek the necessary care.

This is extremely dangerous and we want to remind our patients of a few important facts:

• Don’t delay needed treatment. If this pandemic leads people to delay or avoid care for heart-related issues, the death rate will extend far beyond those directly impacted by the virus.
• Time to treatment dictates the outcomes for people with heart attacks and strokes.
• Hospitals are equipped not only to care for people with covid-19, but also those who have other life-threatening problems.
• Avoidance of care for people with chronic conditions can ultimately be as big a threat as the virus itself.
• The pandemic toll will be much worse if it leads people to avoid care for life-threatening, yet treatable, conditions like heart attacks and strokes.

Common heart attack signs and symptoms include:

• Pressure, tightness, pain, or a squeezing or aching sensation in your chest or arms that may spread to your neck, jaw or back.
• Nausea, indigestion, heartburn or abdominal pain.
• Shortness of breath.
• Cold sweat.
• Fatigue.
• Lightheadedness or sudden dizziness.

Our team is here for you! Contact our offices if you experience heart attack symptoms and we can guide you on next steps.

What Our Patients Say About Video Conferencing

April 2, 2020

We are pleased to hear that our patients are adapting well to video conferencing during this time. While nothing replaces the benefits of a face to face visit, our patients are finding that video consultations can be valuable to discuss symptoms, monitor medications, ask questions, and determine if an office visit is needed.

Read below what some patients shared about their experience:

“While we were only able to have our consultation over FaceTime, I found Dr. Dinkler to be extremely easy to talk too. He listened to me when I asked him a question, and took the necessary time required to answer them to my satisfaction. He took care to make sure that we covered and both understood my medical conditions, before he explained in detail how we would proceed with my care.”

“Did video visit through Hale app. Worked out great. Dr. Walden is very helpful.”

“I talked to Dr. Lee through communication on my iPad during this virus crisis. He was very patient in answering my questions and communicated in a direct knowledgeable way. I felt reassured and plan to see him again. The staff was very caring and helpful also.”

Safety Tips for Cleaning & Hygiene

March 26, 2020

At this point, we all know how important it is to wash hands frequently or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer. But, here are some other helpful hints from a leading coronavirus medical expert on how he keeps safe during this crisis:

• To protect yourself, sanitize your hands right before eating and right after touching things touched by others.
• To protect others, use clean hands to touch others’ things or when handling things to others.
• Sanitize objects you get, and only give out sanitized objects. For example, I have hand sanitizer open and ready to clean my credit card right after I get them back from cashiers before I put it back in my wallet.
• Outside your house, sanitize smooth surfaces you will touch directly with your hands (e.g. tables and chair edges, wherever you put your phone and computer).
• Keep track of whether hands/objects are clean. As long as they have not encountered unknown/dirty things after their last cleaning, they don’t need to be recleaned. This is why I suggest immediate sanitation of hands after touching unknown/dirty things, so you can resume using your clean things without worry.
• You can open doors with your body or foot, and use paper towels to handle faucets or knobs.
• Create clean zones – your house, your office (if you’re allowed to work), your car.
• Sanitization can be done by soap and water (hands) or hand sanitizer (hands or objects) or Windex (objects).
• “Disinfectants” like bleach are for large areas for which soap (due to the need to rinse) or alcohol (due to fumes, expense) is not practical. If you can use soap or alcohol, you don’t need them.
• Finally, if your hands are clean, you can touch your face! But remember to sanitize them before you touch other people’s stuff.

The Value of Telemedicine Visits

March 24, 2020

At this time, many people may be tempted to cancel their visit and reschedule several months down the road. While that is understandable, it is important to realize that there are many important issues that we can address over videoconferencing. 

On these calls, we can:

• Review your medications including dosages, refills, and updates
• Review your home blood pressure numbers if you have a home cuff
• Perform a wellness check and rule out any concerning symptoms
• Discuss your treatment plan and determine if updates are needed
• Answer your questions and concerns.
• Help you avoid trips to the ER or hospital
• Determine if an office visit is needed

Patients are finding the telemedicine process easy to use and beneficial. We urge you to give it a try before rescheduling.

Be Aware of Coronavirus Scams

March 23, 2020

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General is alerting the public about fraud schemes related to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).

Scammers are offering COVID-19 tests to Medicare beneficiaries in exchange for personal details, including Medicare information. However, the services are unapproved and illegitimate.

Fraudsters are targeting beneficiaries in a number of ways, including telemarketing calls, social media platforms, and door-to-door visits.

These scammers use the coronavirus pandemic to benefit themselves, and beneficiaries face potential harms. The personal information collected can be used to fraudulently bill Federal health care programs and commit medical identity theft. If Medicare or Medicaid denies the claim for an unapproved test, the beneficiary could be responsible for the cost.

Protect Yourself

• Beneficiaries should be cautious of unsolicited requests for their Medicare or Medicaid numbers.
• Be suspicious of any unexpected calls or visitors offering COVID-19 tests or supplies. If your personal information is compromised, it may be used in other fraud schemes.
• Ignore offers or advertisements for COVID-19 testing or treatments on social media sites.
• A physician or other trusted healthcare provider should assess your condition and approve any requests for COVID-19 testing.
• If you suspect COVID-19 fraud, contact National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline (866) 720-5721 or [email protected]

Now Offering Telemedicine Visits

March 23, 2020

Telemedicine refers to the practice of caring for patients remotely when the provider and patient are not physically present with each other. Modern technology has enabled doctors to consult with patients by using HIPAA-compliant video-conferencing tools.

What you need to know…

• For non-urgent visits and routine care, we now offer visits using a combination of video conferencing and phone.
• Our staff will assist you in preparing for your visit.
• Medicare, Medicaid, and most other insurance companies are providing insurance coverage for Telemedicine visits. You may have a co-pay or co-insurance.
• We will continue to accept new patients to the practice. However, your first encounter may be over the phone.
• Our offices are open to see patients with urgent needs.

Other things to keep in mind…

• Please let us know if you are going to the hospital.  There are different levels of triage and we can help expedite your care. 
• We know people have a lot of questions/concerns and we are experiencing high call volume. If possible, please hold off on calls for non-urgent issues.  We will be placing priority on urgent calls first. 
• If you do need to be seen in an office for a visit, you may be asked to go to an office that you do not traditionally visit. Thank you in advance for your flexibility.

Current Health Recommendations

March 22, 2020

We know that there are stories in the press that may be concerning. Please don’t call us or send us information about your latest online search; we are very aware of ongoing recommendations. Some information is based on very limited data and other information may be inaccurate or require further research.

• There have been some concerns raised about the coronavirus and commonly used medications including Losartan, Valsartan, Lisinopril, or other medications in the ACE or ARB family. At this time there are no recommendations about stopping or starting any of these medications.
• There have been concerns voiced about not using non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agents such as Advil. This is still under investigation. We recommend using Tylenol products first.
• At this time, there are no proven preventative or treatment medications such as chloroquine or hydroxychloroquine (Plaquenil). Some of the research articles in the news cycle are only involving six patients. These medications have some cardiac complications. 

Please make sure to talk with your doctor before discontinuing or adding any new medications.

Keeping an Eye on the Coronavirus

March 10, 2020

The coronavirus outbreak is a very dynamic and serious situation. At Consulting Cardiologists, our utmost concern is for the welfare of our patients and staff. Unfortunately, people with cardiovascular disease and advanced age are at significantly higher risk from this virus.

We are asking for your cooperation to minimize any potential spread of this virus. Please bear with us as we institute policies that may temporarily impact your personal experience at Consulting Cardiologists.

• If you have a cough, fever, or flu-like symptoms, please contact us before coming to the office so that we can reschedule your appointment.
• Please notify the staff if you have been in any high-risk areas or been exposed to someone with the coronavirus.
• We will be following the Hartford Hospital policy regarding the handling of suspected cases of coronavirus.
• Before and after your office visit, please wash your hands or use an alcohol-based sanitizer with a minimum of 60% alcohol.

For more information regarding hygiene recommendations and government information, please visit the helpful CDC site.