Cardiovascular Community Care

When you’re looking for heart care, you want a place where you feel safe, respected and comfortable. Our experts in the Community Cardiovascular Care program provide compassionate and culturally sensitive care for your health needs.

The Community Cardiovascular Care program was founded at Advocate Lutheran General Hospital by cardiologist Dr. Shoeb Sitafalwalla and is the first of its kind in the Midwest. We’re proud to share that it has since expanded to three hospitals in Illinois.

Our program is committed to serving all communities, with a focus on the cardiovascular health needs of South Asians. South Asians are four times more likely to develop heart disease than other ethnic groups which presents a major public health crisis.

Through a comprehensive approach that includes community outreach, advanced clinical services, lifestyle management through dietitian consultations, and educational initiatives for students, we work to provide precision care among future healthcare providers.

Specialized care

Our services include:

• Comprehensive diagnosis and treatment of heart disease: As a leader in cardiovascular care, our cardiologists offer culturally specific experience and expertise you can count on with the most advanced technologies and treatments close to home. Our cardiologists speak various languages, understand ethnic nuances and are culturally competent to help members of the community.
• Advanced lipid analysis: This simple blood test not only looks at how much cholesterol you have, but the quality of the particles and their likelihood of causing heart disease.
• Community outreach and education: Our outreach coordinators provide free education, screenings and health fair arrangements. We’re committed to assisting with community presentations when needed while working with faith-based organizations, restaurants, and retail and grocery stores.
• Nutrition consult: We provide in-person, 1:1 sessions with our registered dietitian to help with diet and lifestyle management.
• Training future medical professionals: We provide volunteer opportunities and opportunities to shadow one of our cardiologists or dietitians to any high school student or healthcare college student. Participants will be provided with community hours for schoolwork.
• South Asian nurse navigator: Our compassionate and knowledgeable nurse navigators help guide you and your family throughout your health journey, answering your questions, coordinating your appointments and tests and offering support.
• Close to home: Our work covers a wide area of Illinois with our cardiologists practicing at Advocate Lutheran General Hospital, Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital, Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital and Advocate Sherman Hospital.
• Heart-healthy recipes and nutrition tips: These recipes and educational videos can help you keep on the road to wellness while still enjoying the foods you love.

About risk factors

Although South Asians represent roughly 20% of the global population, they account for 60% of heart disease cases worldwide. If you’re South Asian, you may be at increased risk for cardiovascular disease. This can be due to a variety of factors, ranging from genetics to lifestyle.

Common risk factors include:

• Use of tobacco products including cigarettes, bidis or tambaku paan
• A large waist of more than 36 inches for men or 32 inches for women
• High blood pressure
• High blood sugar or diabetes
• High cholesterol
• A family history of heart disease