Family Heart Center Now Open and Serving Patients

May 24, 2024

DDC Clinic is pleased to announce that our new Family Heart Center is now open, providing regularly scheduled echocardiogram days twice a month.

Echocardiograms, which use ultrasound to check the heart muscle and valves, are used to diagnose a variety of conditions such as cardiomyopathy, valve disease, blood clots and more. Since the Family Heart Center’s opening on March 25, nearly 30 patients have received echocardiogram testing.

Dedicated to diagnosing and treating genetic heart conditions in children and adults, the new center provides affordable testing and onsite treatment for diseases such as cardiomyopathy and Long QT syndrome.

“Heart disease is a leading cause of death in our country, and many cardiogenetic diseases go undetected in the Amish community. Our new Family Heart Center brings much-needed cardiology services to these families,” said Dr. Heng Wang, DDC Clinic Medical Director. “We’re saving lives through early intervention and by providing critical testing to diagnose these diseases.”

Located in DDC Clinic’s lower level, the Family Heart Center is outfitted with diagnostic medical equipment needed to test for heart disease. An entire family can be seen at the same appointment, and multiple members of a family can be tested on the same day.

Family Heart Center patients receive the same high level of compassionate, comprehensive care for which DDC Clinic is known. Those diagnosed with cardiogenetic disorders receive a personalized care plan to meet their unique medical needs. Additional specialized cardiac care is provided by visiting pediatric cardiologists from nearby medical centers, with adult cardiologists starting soon.

In addition to patient care, the Family Heart Center focuses on scientific research and education. DDC Clinic doctors and laboratory staff work with pharmaceutical companies and academic research partners in the study of heart disease and the development of new treatments.

“Our scientific research is tremendously important. What we discover from our research efforts will be integrated into our patient care and shared with physicians and scientists around the world,” said Dr. Wang.

To mark the opening of the Family Heart Center, DDC Clinic will host a special three-day Cardiogenetics Summit and grand opening on October 10-11, followed by a community open house on October 12.