From the Heart: A Doctor’s Mission to Provide Heart Health at Sage

By Dr. Laolu Fayanju

This February I became the Chief Medical Officer at Sage Health, an innovative provider integrating Primary Care, Cardiology, and Wellness to achieve exceptional health outcomes for seniors. Stepping into this role during American Heart Month had special meaning for me.

My mother’s heart

Just a few months ago, my mother was hospitalized after experiencing chest pain that was later revealed to be cardiac related.  While she was fortunate to receive quick and excellent care, the experience was a sudden and poignant reminder of how many seniors are not as fortunate to have access to great care that saves lives.

It’s crucial to not only identify warning signs but also reduce risk factors that may put you in danger. 

My mother’s experience is why I do this work and why I believe what we do at Sage is so important. It has deepened my commitment to ensuring every patient—especially our seniors —have access to preventive, high-quality heart care.

Sage Health’s unique approach to heart health

Sage Health is a change-agent for heart care accessibility. We focus on caring for older adults, many of whom live with hypertension, diabetes, coronary artery disease, and heart failure—chronic conditions that stress the heart and increase the risk of heart attacks.  Sage Health patients receive heart care and treatment that is embedded into Primary Care and integrated with care for underlying conditions; this holistic whole-system approach and single point of accountability simplifies care for patients and improves outcomes.

Sage Health embeds Cardiology into Primary Care

1. Our Primary Care patients receive proactive heart care to detect problems earlier, improve longevity, and avoid visits to facilities that run up patient bills.
2. Every Sage Health center is equipped for heart care:
   • EKG and non-invasive Cardiac Ultrasound (Echocardiogram). These help our Primary Care Doctors and Cardiologists detect concerns even before patients have symptoms.
   • Wearable heart monitors can be fitted to high-risk patients to assess rhythms over 1-2 days at home.
   • IV Lasix or other medications can be administered to patients presenting with symptoms of heart failure.
3. Our Cardiologists work closely with our Primary Care Doctors on diagnosis, treatment & prevention:
   • We tailor a care plan and initiate outpatient treatment and prevention in-center;
   • We prescribe & manage heart medication, offer in-house dietary counseling and fitness classes, and educate patients on heart attack symptoms (chest pain, shortness of breath, nausea, and dizziness);
   • We coordinate interventional care with trusted surgical partners in the rare instance that is necessary, but our goal with early detection is to avoid the hospital altogether.
4. We understand stress-induced heart conditions like Takotsubo cardiomyopathy, which can present similarly but require different management; in-house Wellness and Mental Health is available to treat root causes.
5. Sage Health regularly screens patient blood pressure, cholesterol, and diabetes markers—silent risk factors that contribute to heart disease.

From my heart to yours

I’m incredibly grateful that my mother has recovered and this episode helped her and we, her family, to refocus on health and wellness. But I know that many families don’t get that second chance. That’s why I see this moment—both for my mother and for all of our parents —as an opportunity to drive change.

Heart disease is preventable, and together, we can save lives. At Sage Health, every day is an opportunity to heal hearts and heal what’s broken in healthcare today by raising awareness, providing exceptional care, and taking action every day.

If you’re new to Sage Health, learn more about our services and locations or establish your care with us.