MD ASAP Cardiac Rapid Response Clinic: Bridging the Gap in Cardiac Care

Holy Cross Health now offers a solution to bridge the gap in cardiac care. The MD ASAP Rapid Response Cardiac Clinic at Holy Cross Health in Fort Lauderdale accommodates patients who need to be seen in a timely manner for non-emergency cardiovascular concerns.

Supervised by Charles Russo, M.D., FACC, the clinic is supported in part by  Allison Hamlett, NP and Darla Erlich, DNP  (pictured) to provide care to those with intermittent heart problems that do not require a visit to the Emergency Department (ED). Heart failure specialists Joshua Larned, M.D. and Elias Collado, M.D. also provide coverage.

Patients can be seen quickly – typically within 24 hours – Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the clinic on the ground floor of Holy Cross Health in Fort Lauderdale. If patients’ physicians are booked or out of town – and if they want the benefit of immediate access to a physician with extensive cardiovascular expertise – this model offers an alternative to the ED, urgent care or going for prolonged periods without addressing the issue.  

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains the leading cause of death in the United States, accounting for 928,741 deaths in 2020, according to the American Heart Association. In 2020, coronary heart disease (CHD) was the leading cause (41.2%) of deaths attributable to CVD in the United States, followed by stroke (17.3%), other CVD (16.8%), high blood pressure (12.9%), heart failure (9.2%) and diseases of the arteries (2.6%).

MD ASAP patients will be screened, evaluated and referred for work-up via Echo, stress-testing, CT calcium scoring and the like, as needed. 

“Because we are not a longitudinal clinic, my colleagues can rest assured we will return patients to their primary cardiologist,” said D. Russo. “We are providing screening and follow-up. We may see a patient once or twice and then route the patient back to the appropriate physician.” 

Physicians in private practice may refer patients with new onset cardiac symptoms or abnormal testing. Emergency medicine providers may refer patients who need to be seen soon after ED discharge. Urgent care providers can refer patients who require further cardiac evaluation. Patients may also self-refer.

Patients will ultimately be seen for long-term care by either their established cardiologist or a Holy Cross Medical Group cardiologist.

The clinic team may be reached at 954-542-2650. Book your next appointment.