Cardiology
Heart disease is the leading cause of death for adults in the U.S., so there’s nothing more important than your heart health. And St. Elizabeth Hospital is here to help keep your cardiovascular system healthy.
Our Services
When it comes to caring for your heart, St. Elizabeth Hospital is here for you. We can help you keep your heart healthy and detect heart disease before it affects your life. And as a nationally recognized Chest Pain Center, we have demonstrated our expertise in treating patients with heart attack.
Cardiac scoring
Scoring Your Risk of a Heart Attack
CT coronary calcium scoring is the single most accurate assessment of heart attack risk. This painless, non-invasive test is endorsed by the American Heart Association and is the only non-invasive method that can directly identify atherosclerotic plaque buildup in the coronary vessels. CT images show all calcified plaques in the coronary arteries. The total amount of disease (plaque) is calculated to determine the calcium score, which accurately predicts a patient's probability of a heart attack over the next few years. The calcium score allows referring physicians to aggressively treat their patients who are discovered to be at high risk.
How a Heart Scan Is Done
To determine the calcium score, non-invasive, electrodes (small sticky discs) will be attached to your chest and to an electrocardiograph (ECG) machine that records the electrical activity of your heart. This makes it possible to record CT scans when the heart is not actively contracting.
Schedule a Heart Scan
To proceed with cardiac scoring, you will need an order from your healthcare provider. While calcium scoring can be useful for patients thought to be at low, intermediate, and high risk for coronary artery disease, it is typically recommended for men over the age of 45 and postmenopausal women age 55 and older who also have one or more major risk factors for a heart attack, such as:
- Elevated LDL (bad) cholesterol or low HDL (good) cholesterol
- Premature family history of heart disease
- High blood pressure
- Cigarette smoking
- Diabetes
- Overweight/obese
Cost of a Heart Scan
Medicare and most insurance companies do not pay for CT coronary calcium scoring. Currently, the cash pay screening is priced at $300.
- 24-hour Holter monitoring
- Cardiac care
- Cardiac stress testing
- EEG
- EKG
- Pulmonary function testing
- Stress echocardiography
- Venous, carotid and lower arterial studies (Ultrasound)
Conditions We Treat
- Heart attack
- Heart disease
- High cholesterol
- Hypertension (high blood pressure)
