Heart care for seniors and their families
Many FCCI Palatka patients are older adults, often with a son, daughter or spouse helping out. Here is how to make visits easier, from Medicare to ride planning.
Medicare and supplements
FCCI accepts Medicare, AARP Medicare Complete, Railroad Medicare, Devoted Health, Wellcare, Tricare for Life and many other plans that seniors use. Call 386.325.2836 to confirm your plan before your first visit.
FCCI has been caring for older adults in Northeast Florida since 2002, and many of its Palatka patients are on Medicare.
If a senior family member is admitted to HCA Florida Putnam Hospital, ask for FCCI. Its physicians cover the hospital 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Medicare patients can be seen at 205 Zeagler Drive, Suite 101 in Palatka. Call 386.325.2836 on a weekday with your Medicare and supplement cards handy, and the front desk will check coverage.
Tips for a smooth visit
- Bring every medicine bottle, or an up-to-date list with doses
- Write down questions before you come
- Bring a family member if you can; two sets of ears help
- For cath lab days, plan for a driver and most of the day
- Ask for printed test instructions and keep them on the fridge
If getting to the office is hard, ask whether a TeleVisit can work for your follow-up. You get a text link; no app or sign-in needed.
Many tests seniors need, from stress tests to cath procedures, can be done in Palatka, where FCCI has run an accredited outpatient lab since 2016.
If a visit turns into a hospital admission at HCA Florida Putnam Hospital, FCCI physicians are there day and night, so the plan you made in the office carries over.
For family caregivers
You can help by keeping a simple log of symptoms like shortness of breath, swelling or dizziness, and when they happen. Bring it to visits. If your loved one is in the hospital at HCA Florida Putnam Hospital, you can ask for an FCCI physician.
Caregivers, know the signs that mean 911, not a phone call to the office: chest pain, struggling to breathe, fainting, or stroke signs like a drooping face, weak arm or trouble talking. Do not drive your loved one in yourself.
Helping manage someone else's appointments? Call 386.325.2836 Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., or request a visit online. Leave medical details out of the form and cover them by phone.
For everyday questions about a parent's care, the Palatka office at 205 Zeagler Drive is a local call at 386.325.2836, weekdays 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Talk with a specialist.
New patients are welcome. Call 386.325.2836, Mon to Fri, 8am to 5pm, or request a visit online.
Can a family member come to the appointment?
Yes, bringing someone is encouraged. Call 386.325.2836 if you have questions about visitor guidelines.
Does FCCI offer telehealth?
Yes. FCCI offers TeleVisits using a text link, with no app to download. Ask when you call 386.325.2836.
Does FCCI accept Tricare for Life?
Yes, Tricare for Life is on FCCI's accepted list.
Keep exploring.
Heart care in PalatkaYour Palatka cardiologist, right down the road
First Coast Cardiovascular Institute (FCCI) runs a full cardiology office and outpatient cath lab at 205 Zeagler Drive in Palatka, so Putnam County families can get heart and vascular care without the long drive to Jacksonville.
Read more
Outpatient catheterization labA cath lab right here in Palatka
FCCI opened its second freestanding outpatient cath lab in Palatka in 2016. Many heart and leg artery procedures can be done there without a hospital stay, in a comfortable setting close to home.
Read more
TestingHeart and vascular tests, explained
FCCI's Palatka office is one of its five nuclear cardiology lab locations. Here is what common heart and vascular tests involve, in plain English, and how to get ready.
Read more