Let’s Talk About What Matters: A Whole-Hearted Approach to Care
Image courtesy of Samaritan.
BY PHILLIP W. HEATH, MS, President and CEO, Samaritan
February brings hearts into the spotlight, not just on Valentine’s Day but also through American Heart Month – a time to pay special attention to the risk factors of cardiovascular disease and acknowledge the ways we can take care of our hearts.
This unique combination – a time to both focus on the heart emotionally and medically – is a reminder that the heart is a complex, multi-faceted organ, capable of complex emotions and deserving of special care. I see evidence of the heart’s strength every day – not only in the patients with various heart issues that our Samaritan team serves, but in the relationships those patients have with everyone in their lives. The love shared between patients and caregivers, between family and friends, and even the relationships they form with healthcare providers, are rich and nuanced. Each heart is entirely unique.
I’d like to recognize those who are doing extraordinary heart work – maybe you’re supporting a loved one with a heart condition, managing your own health, or missing someone. Whether you are caregiving, living with a serious illness, or grieving a loss, you – and your heart – deserve compassionate care and even some extra support.
Consistent Care for the Heart
Heart disease kills more people in the United States than any other cause, according to the American Heart Association’s 2025 Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics Update. Advances in medicine have helped patients with heart disease live longer – but, unfortunately, cardiovascular diseases claim more lives than all forms of cancer and accidental deaths combined.
With so many people across the nation navigating the complexities of heart disease, it’s become clear to me that clarity, compassion, and continuity must be part of the healthcare journey. Thus, programs like Samaritan’s Care Pathways help guide patients and their loved ones through serious heart disease by coordinating expert care throughout the patient’s journey. We ensure patients and families have a “roadmap,” so they know what to expect in the progression of care.
Our Advanced Cardiac Care program meets the complex needs of patients with heart disease, heart failure, and cardiomyopathy. We develop a specialized care plan to focus on the individual patient and their heart’s complex issues – not just treatment, but their emotional, physical, social, and spiritual needs. I’m proud to say that this approach has earned national recognition – last year Samaritan became the first New Jersey-based hospice to be awarded Palliative/Hospice Heart Failure certification from the American Heart Association. This simply reinforces that the heart – that most vital of organs – deserves specialized and consistent care.
Giving the Heart the Support It Needs
As heart disease advances, a patient’s needs become more complex, and the continuity of care becomes even more critical. The later stages can bring difficult decisions, deeper fatigue, and heightened grief for both patients and their caregivers. At this time, comfort, stability, and support become the priority. Even as healthcare providers tend to a patient’s heart, they must emphasize communication, continuing discussions about a patient’s goals of care.
For the caregivers facing intense feelings of sadness as they watch a loved one’s health decline, support is key. Caregivers are already emotionally exhausted from juggling their loved one’s welfare, medications, and appointments. Families often shoulder these responsibilities while balancing work, home, and their own well?being. They’re stretched thin. At this overwhelming time, it’s more important than ever to lean on support groups for companionship, empathy, and advice on how to cope. Care Pathways is designed to help caregivers navigate this difficult stage as well. Through years of advocating for the wellbeing of patients and their loved ones, I’ve learned loss and healing often exist side by side. The heart responds to what we carry, both physically and emotionally.
This February, and always, the hearts of patients and caregivers deserve to be cared for, supported, understood, and surrounded by compassion. I invite you to download our complimentary Advanced Cardiac Care Program Patient and Caregiver Handbook from our website – www.samaritannj.org – as a helpful resource.
Finally, I encourage you to heed the American Heart Association’s timely reminder: If you or someone else experiences sudden chest discomfort, trouble breathing, dizziness, or pain that spreads to the arms, back, neck, or jaw, call 9-1-1 immediately.
This month, let’s take care of our hearts – physically and emotionally.
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