Heart to Heart

Native Hearts Cardiovascular Clinic

Indian Health Care Resource Center’s new clinical program, Native Hearts Cardiovascular Clinic, takes a balanced, patient-centered approach to heart health. This collaborative program seeks to treat and prevent heart disease through an interdisciplinary team of providers by working with patients who have been diagnosed with heart-related illness, those at risk for developing a heart-related illness, or those who have a family medical history of heart disease.

Heading up the program is Clinical Pharmacy Specialist (CPS) Dr. Russell Kern. CPS are highly trained to serve as a mid-level provider for patients. They play a critical role in improving patient outcomes by ensuring appropriate medication therapy, preventing drug-related problems, and promoting evidence-based practices.

Kern came to IHCRC from the Claremore Indian Hospital where he served for 13 years.  He started with his clinical pharmacy residency after graduating from pharmacy school. During his tenure he primarily worked with heart failure patients, and in 2021 he became their Cardiology Clinical Coordinator.

We’re not just managing cardiovascular issues.

We’re dedicated to helping prevent them.

Heart disease and risk factors for heart disease are 2-3 times more prevalent for American Indian and Alaska Native people.¹ That’s why IHCRC applied to be part of the Indian Health Services (IHS) Native Hearts Clinical Strategic Initiative, a comprehensive strategy designed to support promoting guideline-based diagnosis and management of coronary heart disease, heart failure, hypertension, and atrial fibrillation.

A key component of the program is collaborative care. Evidence and research show that taking an interdisciplinary approach to care improves patient outcomes and quality of life overall. As a matter of fact, the guidelines for organizations such as American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology recommend a collaborative team of providers managing patients’ care which includes several specialties, including pharmacy.

This program is for people who have been diagnosed with heart disease, factors leading to heart disease, or have a family history of the illness.

Native Hearts Cardiovascular Clinic is targeted toward the prevention and management of illnesses such as:

·         Coronary Heart Disease

·         Heart Failure

·         Hypertension

·         Atrial Fibrillation

·         Nicotine Dependence 

·         Diabetes

·         Pre-diabetes

Current IHCRC patients who have been diagnosed with a heart related illness or a risk factor for heart related illness can speak with their primary care provider about eligibility.

¹ American Heart Association. (2025, May 7.)  Culture, health awareness are key to reducing heart disease among Native American people | American Heart Association. Retrieved 2026, April 27.