March 29, 2024

From the heart

Local cardiology clinic brings vital services to Newton

An Iowa Heart Center office located in Newton may be a new development, but it is also one that has been more than 20 years in the making.

With 10 primary locations, including Newton, and 30-plus outreach facilities, Iowa Heart Center is the region’s largest cardiovascular care provider. As their extensive presence throughout the state of Iowa indicates, the group strongly emphasizes a philosophy of outreach.

“We recognize it isn’t always easy for patients to come to Des Moines to be seen,” said cardiologist Dr. Michael Fraizer. “By coming to where the need is, we make it more comfortable for the patient, as well as efficient for the providers. It’s a win-win for all involved.”

Dr. Fraizer has been seeing patients in the Skiff Specialty Clinic since 2004, but believes Iowa Heart Center has had a Newton presence since at least the 1990s. The move from the Specialty Clinic to a dedicated Iowa Heart office was small in geography — simply one floor down in the Ross Medical Arts Building, located on the northeast side of the hospital campus — but large in scope. Now instead of holding office hours two days a month, he and his colleague Dr. Philip Bear are seeing patients two full days per week.

“That’s a big uptick in service,” Dr. Fraizer said. “The increased availability was immediately noticeable to patients. We’ve gotten great feedback. They love the convenience, and they’re so thankful Iowa Heart is here. We’ve been told that repeatedly.”

Iowa Heart Center began in 1970 as a single-physician practice and now has grown to more than 60 cardiologists and surgeons. In 2009, the group integrated with Mercy Medical Center — Des Moines, creating one of the nation’s largest and most prestigious cardiovascular care practices. The affiliation between Mercy and Skiff Medical Center that followed in 2015 meant Iowa Heart and Skiff were now part of the same “family” and opened the door to an increased local cardiology presence, as well as other specialty services.

Iowa Heart Center’s Newton location sees a wide range of conditions, with some of the most common being coronary artery disease, congestive heart failure and heart rhythm problems. In addition to the availability of local evaluations, patients can also stay on site for echocardiograms, stress tests, cardiac monitoring and more.

“The nice thing is that, given the size of our practice, if more advanced care is needed, we can easily refer them to our colleagues in Des Moines,” Dr. Fraizer said. “Within our group, we have sub-specializations in a wide variety of areas. We’re able to take care of all facets of cardiac care.”

Currently, Drs. Fraizer and Bear alternate in their visits to Newton, with one physician seeing patients on Monday and Tuesday of the first week, and the other coming the Monday and Tuesday of the next. As demand increases, according to Dr. Fraizer, the addition of other weekdays is likely, with Skiff and Mercy envisioning an eventual five-day-per-week practice.

“Our plan right now would be to increase to three days a week, as the need grows,” Dr. Fraizer said. “I wouldn’t be surprised to see a third provider added to the schedule, as well as possibly a nurse practitioner. Our goal is to improve access to local care in this community. It’s something we’re excited to be a part of.”

The Iowa Heart Center Newton office is located at 300 N. 4th Ave. E, Suite 160, and is easily accessed from the northeast corner of the Skiff campus. Scheduling hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.

To make an appointment or referral, call 641-841-1400 or 844-774-3278.