What is a cardiac walk-in clinic and how does it work?

A cardiac walk-in clinic provides same-day evaluation for patients experiencing non-emergency cardiac symptoms such as chest pain, shortness of breath, palpitations, or dizziness. Patients can be assessed quickly by cardiovascular specialists, who perform initial diagnostics and determine whether further treatment or emergency care is needed.

When should a patient visit a cardiac walk-in clinic instead of the emergency room?

Patients should visit a cardiac walk-in clinic when they are experiencing non-acute symptoms that have developed over time, such as ongoing chest discomfort or shortness of breath. If symptoms suggest an immediate emergency—such as a heart attack or aortic dissection—patients are directed to the ER for urgent care.

How do cardiac walk-in clinics improve access to cardiovascular care?

Cardiac walk-in clinics improve patient access by offering same-day appointments and faster evaluation, reducing unnecessary emergency room visits and long wait times. This allows patients to receive timely answers and appropriate care while lowering costs for both patients and the healthcare system.

How did collaboration between CVL practices help launch this care model?

Collaboration between CVL practices allowed Cardiovascular Institute of the South (CIS) to learn directly from Capital Cardiology Associates (CCA), which had already built a successful walk-in clinic model. By observing operations, workflows, and best practices, CIS was able to reduce its learning curve and launch its own clinic quickly and effectively.

How do cardiac walk-in clinics benefit cardiology practices?

Cardiac walk-in clinics create a new access point for patients, improve care coordination, and support growth by increasing patient volume and referrals. They also enhance relationships with hospitals and primary care providers by improving access and streamlining patient pathways.

All Posts

Blog

Collaboration Brings Innovative Cardiac Walk-in Clinic to Louisiana

Published on January 2, 2025

When premier practices join Cardiovascular Logistics (CVL), they gain the ability to collaborate with other leading cardiologists who share their passion for implementing innovative solutions that improve patient care. Time and again, our partner practices leverage this opportunity to their patients’ advantage. The launch of a new cardiac care walk-in clinic in Louisiana is a shining example of our commitment to innovation.

Solving the Cardiac Care Access Dilemma

For many patients, distinguishing whether they are experiencing a cardiac emergency is no small task. A variety of symptoms that suggest a heart attack or other cardiac event drive patients to the emergency room (ER) unnecessarily, where they often wait for hours to be evaluated. Aside from the inconvenience, they’re using a more expensive site of care than they might need, which increases their out-of-pocket costs and overall health system expenses.

Eager to solve this dilemma, Cardiovascular Institute of the South (CIS) began exploring the idea of establishing a same-day cardiac care clinic in the Thibodaux, Louisiana area. Our inaugural practice, CIS is known for implementing industry-first innovations; for example, it was the first in Louisiana to use a minimally invasive, low-risk tricuspid valve repair technique.

“We often get calls from patients who want to be seen the same day, so providing quick access was always part of our philosophy,” said Ben Schuler, Executive VP of Cardiovascular Services at CIS. But the practice didn’t have an established same-day care model, nor had it done any outreach about this service option. CIS leaders decided it was time to formalize the approach and market it as a differentiator.

Leveraging Another CVL Practice’s Success

Concurrent with CIS exploring this concept, Capital Cardiology Associates (CCA) joined the CVL platform, bringing an equally strong reputation for innovation. Since CCA was already operating a successful Cardiac Walk-in Clinic, collaborating and sharing knowledge with CIS was a natural next step.

“We flew up to New York and spent a full day meeting with the CCA management team, doctors, and staff,” Schuler said. CIS also observed how CCA was operating the clinic to better understand the keys to success. Since its inception in 2014, the CCA Walk-in Clinic has served over 13,000 patients, reducing hospitalizations by about 4 percent and decreasing visit times. Whereas the wait time alone can average nearly 3 ½ hours in New York—sometimes reaching 6 hours in the Capital Region—CCA clinic visits average 2 to 4 hours from start to finish.

“Meeting with CCA enabled us to validate our idea and feel confident we could make it work,” Schuler said. “We knew if we invested the time to get a same-day care clinic up and running, we would see the rewards.” By reducing the learning curve, CIS was able to launch its Xpress Care Clinic about six weeks later.

A Welcome Addition to the Community

The CIS Xpress Care Clinic is the first of its kind in Thibodaux, offering adult patients the convenience of same-day risk assessment for non-emergency cardiac symptoms like shortness of breath, chest pain, palpitations, dizziness, and leg pain that occurs when walking, when those symptoms are chronic (occurring over a couple of weeks). If the triage process determines that the patient has more acute onset or classic heart attack or aortic dissection systems, they’re immediately directed to the ER.

From its opening in early May through late November, with only a soft launch, the clinic handled nearly 500 visits for new and existing patients. CIS plans to actively market the clinic to primary care physicians and hospitals aggressively starting in early 2025, getting the word out via billboards and media relations. The timing intentionally coincides with two new cardiologists joining the market, helping CIS differentiate in the face of new entrants.

Schuler believes physicians and health systems will see this facility as a win-win, rather than unwanted competition.

“When healthcare access improves, the pie gets bigger,” he said. With the population aging, the incidence of cardiovascular disease is increasing, and fewer cardiologists are coming out of fellowship programs. Adding a same-day cardiac care clinic means more patients can access the services they need in a timely way. It also facilitates faster surgery scheduling when necessary, improving throughput for specialists.

To ease any concerns, CIS is upfront that if a patient from a different practice uses the walk-in clinic for same-day care, the staff will refer the patient back to their current cardiologist and existing care plan. “CCA told us this could happen, so we were well prepared for it,” he noted.

Patients love the walk-in concept because it allows them to get faster answers about symptoms that can be frightening.

“There is incredible anxiety around anything cardiac related, especially for patients who have risk factors or a history of symptoms or events,” Schuler said. By providing walk-in access to a specialist, CIS can conduct first-line diagnostics and quickly determine whether the patient needs immediate intervention. The practice educates patients on the types of symptoms that justify an ER visit, for better outcomes and a more positive experience, and is reaching out to paramedics to help them distinguish appropriate cases for the clinic vs the ER.

Encouraged by its early success, CIS plans to open another Xpress Care Clinic, this time in the Baton Rouge market. It’s a more competitive area than Thibodaux, with multiple well-entrenched cardiology and vascular surgeon groups, so CIS plans to tap CCA for insights on how to build consistent referrals. And with more CVL practices interested in opening walk-in care clinics, the platform plans to add a new Practice Enhancement Council (PEC) focused on this care model, where staff members across the platform can discuss best practices and learnings.

The opportunity to collaborate and share knowledge with other top-tier cardiologists and participate in driving new cardiology innovations is among the many factors that draw leading practices to join the CVL platform. If you’re passionate about advancing cardiovascular medicine and providing the best available cardiovascular care, joining the CVL platform may be the right decision for your cardiology practice.

Contact CVL to explore how a partnership can enhance your service offerings and equip you to provide more comprehensive patient care.

FAQs

What is a cardiac walk-in clinic and how does it work?
A cardiac walk-in clinic provides same-day evaluation for patients experiencing non-emergency cardiac symptoms such as chest pain, shortness of breath, palpitations, or dizziness. Patients can be assessed quickly by cardiovascular specialists, who perform initial diagnostics and determine whether further treatment or emergency care is needed.
When should a patient visit a cardiac walk-in clinic instead of the emergency room?
Patients should visit a cardiac walk-in clinic when they are experiencing non-acute symptoms that have developed over time, such as ongoing chest discomfort or shortness of breath. If symptoms suggest an immediate emergency—such as a heart attack or aortic dissection—patients are directed to the ER for urgent care.
How do cardiac walk-in clinics improve access to cardiovascular care?
Cardiac walk-in clinics improve patient access by offering same-day appointments and faster evaluation, reducing unnecessary emergency room visits and long wait times. This allows patients to receive timely answers and appropriate care while lowering costs for both patients and the healthcare system.
How did collaboration between CVL practices help launch this care model?
Collaboration between CVL practices allowed Cardiovascular Institute of the South (CIS) to learn directly from Capital Cardiology Associates (CCA), which had already built a successful walk-in clinic model. By observing operations, workflows, and best practices, CIS was able to reduce its learning curve and launch its own clinic quickly and effectively.
How do cardiac walk-in clinics benefit cardiology practices?
Cardiac walk-in clinics create a new access point for patients, improve care coordination, and support growth by increasing patient volume and referrals. They also enhance relationships with hospitals and primary care providers by improving access and streamlining patient pathways.

Marcus Montet

Senior Director of Clinical Operations, Cardiovascular Institute of the South

View Bio