Patient assistance extends care beyond hospital walls

For Dr. Roopa Rao, treating advanced heart failure is personal.

It was Dr. Rao’s experience watching her mother undergo treatment for heart failure that inspired her to go into cardiology. That experience also helps her relate to the challenges patients and families face when navigating heart failure treatment – and the ways philanthropy can help.

IU Health Foundation patient assistance funds assist patients and their families in ways that go above and beyond their medical care. Dr. Roopa Rao is a cardiologist with specialized training in advanced heart failure. She currently serves as the Director of the Transplant and left ventricular assist device (LVAD) program at IU Health.

“I love my job, because heart failure is my passion,” said Dr. Rao. “I’m blessed to have a great team of people – coordinators, nurses, pharmacists and social workers. We work together to get our patients through this critical illness so they can lead a normal life.”

Those efforts are supported by donors to IU Health Foundation, who give to Patient Assistance Funds so the clinical teams can help patients beyond the medical care they deliver.

Dr. Rao became a cardiologist after watching her mother undergo treatment for heart failure. It’s much-needed assistance. As Director of the Transplant and Left Ventricular Assist Device (LVAD) program at IU Health, Dr. Rao often treats patients facing significant financial burdens. Her team accesses patient assistant funds to ease that burden, helping cover the cost of life-sustaining medications, cardiac rehabilitation, and basic needs like transportation to and from the hospital, which she said can prove especially challenging for patients traveling from rural areas.

The preparation for and recovery from LVAD or a heart transplant can be as intensive as the procedures. Patients are required to be on-site at IU Health’s Center of Life for Thoracic Transplant (COLTT) undergoing custom treatment plans three to five times per week. The required commitments of time and energy can be a hardship on patients and their families. “Philanthropy is more than financial support,” Dr. Rao said. “It’s an extension of the compassionate care we strive to provide at IU Health. Every donation, no matter the size, has a ripple effect, giving patients hope to live fuller healthier lives.”

The cost of care isn’t the only financial burden families face when a loved one is going through treatment for heart failure or a transplant. Travel costs, housing and food expenses can add up. That’s where philanthropy can be especially helpful.

Common uses of patient assistance funds for patients receiving cardiovascular care

• transportation assistance for patients and their families to and from the hospital
• food assistance for patients traveling from out of town for COLTT physical therapy sessions
• hotel vouchers in conjunction with partner organizations.

“The most rewarding aspect of my role is offering tangible solutions that can positively impact a patient’s long-term well-being,” said Lesley May, a social worker in the Cardiology Clinic at IU Health Methodist Hospital. “I’ve learned sustaining health requires collaborative effort. Donor contributions to the Patient Assistance Fund is a testament to your dedication to our shared community.”

“When a crisis lands in my lap, I think, ‘How can I fix this and how fast can I fix it?’” May’s colleague and fellow social worker Allyson Bradford said. “If one of the major areas in a patient’s life is experiencing difficulties, that could impact [their eligibility for] a transplant.”

Unfortunately, due to overwhelming need, the social work team consistently receives more requests for patient assistance than they can adequately provide.

“Your contributions directly impact individuals and families during their most vulnerable moments,” Dr. Rao said.

Philanthropic giving could allow us to meet even more patient assistance needs including:

• 30-day garage passes for family members of inpatients
• gas cards
• emergent needs for utilities or housing assistance, if a patient is unable to work due to illness.

Supporting the Cardiovascular Patient Assistance Fund is simple and accessible, and every gift makes a difference for a patient in need, with 100% of donor gifts going directly to patients and their loved ones. Join IU Health Foundation in making all the difference in the lives of patients facing heart failure and other cardiovascular conditions and their families with a gift to the Cardiovascular Patient Assistance Fund by visiting iuheatlhfoundation.org/heart.