The cardiovascular care teams across our health system include some of the region's most talented and experienced cardiologists, cardiovascular surgeons, nurses, technicians and a wide range of support personnel.
Our care includes a wide range of services dedicated to the accurate and careful diagnosis and treatment of heart disease, including both invasive and non-invasive testing procedures.
Our goal is for you to have peace of mind to make the best decisions for your heart health in collaboration with your care team.
Learn more about the full range of testing and diagnosis services we offer cardiovascular patients.
Sometimes known as an ECG or EKG, this test uses small sensors (electrodes) attached to your chest and arms to record electrical signals as they travel through your heart. The test takes about five minutes and is painless.
Also called EP studies, these tests use thin catheters inserted into a blood vessel that leads to the heart. The catheter places specialized electrodes inside the heart to send signals that measure electrical activity.
EP studies can help your heart specialist see where an arrhythmia is coming from, if a pacemaker or implantable cardioverter defibrillator would benefit your condition and other heart health concerns.
This portable ECG device is carried in your pocket or worn on a belt or shoulder strap. It records your heart’s rhythm for 24 hours or longer, giving your doctor a prolonged look at your heart’s performance. During this time, the patient keeps a diary of their activities and any symptoms noticed.
Stress tests are performed to determine the amount of stress the heart can manage before developing an abnormal rhythm or evidence that the heart muscle is not receiving enough blood flow.
During a stress test, a patient exercises on a treadmill with progressive increases in speed and elevation at set time intervals. During the exercise, the electrical activity of the patient's heart, as well as heart rate, heart rhythm and blood pressure are monitored. In patients who cannot exercise, an alternate form of the stress test is performed through the administration of a drug which makes the heart react as if the patient were exercising.
With telemetry monitoring, patients are electronically monitored 24 hours a day. Trained technicians in a telemetry unit can view a patient’s heart rate and heart rhythm from the nurse’s station. Any changes in the patient's heart rate or rhythm are communicated to the registered nurses and can be addressed immediately. The telemetry unit provides a more intense level of care than a typical inpatient medical unit but a less intense level of care than an intensive care unit.
What to Expect
Since patients in a telemetry unit are continuously and remotely monitored, sensors are attached to the patient's body and connected to a small box placed in the patient's hospital gown pocket. At regular intervals, the team will take vital signs such as blood pressure, heart rate, respiratory rate and oxygen saturation. A blood pressure cuff will be placed around the patient's arm and inflated at regular intervals. This procedure may be uncomfortable but not painful.
Medical Care Team
In addition to your primary care physician or hospitalist, the telemetry department is staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week by professionals trained in caring for patients with heart problems including registered nurses, nursing assistants and monitor technicians.
These images help your doctor see the condition of your lungs and heart and may help diagnose any other potential conditions that may explain your signs and symptoms.
This small, wire-free, water-resistant adhesive patch can record and store heart data for up to 14 days. It is equipped with a trigger button you can activate when experiencing symptoms suggestive of arrhythmia, which creates a digital time stamp for your doctor to assess.
Want to understand more about your personal risk factors associated with heart health? Take our quick Heart Health Risk Assessment, which provides useful information based on your age, weight, lifestyle, family history and other factors that contribute to heart health. Click below based on your region:
When your heart is working at its best, it pumps oxygenated blood to the organs of your body. When it’s not functioning optimally, all sorts of problems can occur. That’s why it’s important to be sure you’re taking steps to protect your heart health.
If you’ve been told that you need to make an appointment with a cardiologist, you might have lots of questions about what will happen at the appointment and what to bring.
We have primary care providers available in your area who can start the conversation with you to get your heart health in check.