World-Class Heart Care for Whole Health
Our cardiologists at AdventHealth Polk, formerly St. Luke’s Hospital, are committed to providing world-class cardiovascular care to rural Polk County.
Our board-certified, fellowship-trained cardiologists treat patients with cardiovascular disease, which includes disorders of the heart, arteries and veins. Our physicians work together in a highly integrated and collaborative group practice, emphasizing prevention through a healthy lifestyle, education, thoughtful evaluation and management of heart disease symptoms and problems.
Our heart and vascular experts provide wholehearted cardiac care for your whole health in body, mind and spirit.
We’re here to help you find the right cardiologist or a location that’s convenient for you.
Comprehensive Cardiac Care in Columbus
- Accurate Diagnoses for Personalized Care
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At AdventHealth Polk, we provide best-in-class tests to help make an accurate diagnosis and create a personalized treatment plan.
Calcium Score Test
Many people have no idea they are about to have a heart attack or a stroke until it happens. But what if there was a quick, painless and affordable test that could predict your likelihood of having a cardiac event? By measuring calcified plaque, our cardiologist can identify possible coronary artery disease before you have signs and symptoms.
A calcium score test is ideal for adults between 40 and 70 who are at increased risk for heart disease but don't have symptoms.
Our doctors will review the scan results to determine a treatment plan — medication or lifestyle changes — to reduce your risk of heart-related issues. Remember that the result of a heart scan isn't a single predictor of your overall heart disease.
Please discuss this test with your primary care provider to determine if it may be valuable to managing your health. The exam is offered for $99, as most insurance does not cover it.
HeartFlow® Analysis
Coronary artery disease is the number one cause of death in the United States and develops when the greater arteries of the heart narrow or become blocked. This narrowing induces blood flow restrictions, which lead to chest pain, heart attacks and death.
HeartFlow analysis is a noninvasive cardiac test that provides unprecedented visualization of the greater coronary arteries. It reveals the heart and its arteries in precise 3D detail, showing stenosis and the percentage of a blockage.
The HeartFlow analysis is 75% more likely to identify patients needing intervention and offers the highest diagnostic accuracy from a noninvasive test. Additionally, this test reduces the cost of care by 26% compared to the traditional diagnostic protocol.
Other cardiovascular screening and diagnostic tests we provide include the following:
- Stress tests via treadmills with and without medication
- Echocardiograms
- Stress echocardiograms
- Dobutamine stress echocardiograms with and without medication
- Transesophageal echocardiograms
- 12-lead electrocardiograms
- Two-to-seven-day heart monitoring
- Seven- to 14-day heart monitoring
- CT angio coronary artery with FFR
- Cardioversion
- Pacemaker clinic
- Loop recorders
- Our Cardiovascular Services
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We provide compassionate and personalized care. We’ll listen to you to ensure we fully understand your case before developing the comprehensive course of treatment that is right for you.
We provide a range of cardiovascular services, including:
- Diagnosing and treating heart attacks
- Managing congestive heart failure
- Stroke prevention
- Structural heart imaging
- Preventive cardiology
- Insertion of pacemakers, defibrillators and loop recorders
- Maintenance and servicing of cardiac implant devices
- Restoring normal heart rhythm
- Treating high blood pressure and high cholesterol
- Cardiac Device Clinic
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Surgically implanted cardiac devices, such as pacemakers and loop recorders, are critical in managing heart disease. At our world-class cardiac device clinic, we implant, monitor and maintain cardiac devices.
Our cardiologists will monitor your pacemaker, implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) or loop recorder to ensure the device works efficiently, provide detailed information regarding functionality and make any necessary adjustments.
We monitor devices both through office visits and remotely from your home.
Know the Signs of a Heart Attack
A heart attack doesn't always feel like severe chest pain. Symptoms vary, as do the severity of symptoms. For example, 25% of people have no symptoms, while others have sudden cardiac arrest. Moreover, women often have subtle warning signs when they have a heart attack. And symptoms usually vary based on gender, as women often have subtle warning signs, whereas men tend to experience chest pain before a heart attack.
Common symptoms of heart attack in both men and women include the following:
- Chest discomfort, pressure or pain
- Difficulty breathing independent of activity
- Lightheadedness
- New feelings of fatigue
- Rapid or irregular heartbeat
- Sudden arm (most often in the left arm), jaw, neck and back pain
If you believe you or a loved one are having a heart attack, call 911 immediately to be taken to your nearest emergency room.
Heart and Vascular Conditions We Treat
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Arrhythmia
Arrhythmia is a condition in which the heart beats irregularly, either too fast (tachycardia) or too slow (bradycardia), or skips beats or has extra beats. Arrhythmias can often be treated with medication and blood thinners to correct the rhythm.
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Atherosclerosis
Atherosclerosis occurs when plaque deposits inside the arteries and can block blood from flowing freely. Our cardiologists may prescribe statins to help reduce the amount of cholesterol in your blood. Lifestyle changes such as quitting smoking, a healthier diet and exercise may also help improve your condition.
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Atrial Fibrillation (AFib)
Atrial fibrillation (AFib) is an irregular heartbeat in which the heart's top two chambers, called atria, receive interrupted electrical signals. With less regular and forceful beats, blood can pool inside the heart and clot, leading to stroke. Medications can help stabilize your heart tempo and prevent clots.
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Cardiomyopathy
Cardiomyopathy occurs when the heart muscle weakens and becomes less flexible. Weakened heart muscles can lead to poor blood flow, often congesting the arms, legs, ankles and feet. Our providers may prescribe blood thinners, beta-blockers and calcium channel blockers to prevent this type of blood congestion.
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Coronary Artery Disease
Coronary artery disease occurs when the arteries inside the heart become blocked, restricting blood flow, which can lead to heart attack. Treatment may include medication to manage blood pressure and reduce plaque buildup or surgery if medication and lifestyle changes don’t produce the desired results.
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Chest Pain
Chest pain can be a symptom of an underlying heart condition called angina. Acute sudden onset of chest pain can be a symptom of a heart attack. However, medication can treat chronic or stable chest pain. If you have chest pain, seek immediate care to diagnose the source of your pain.
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High Cholesterol
Cholesterol is a waxy substance essential for protecting nerves. When it is too high, it can build up inside blood vessels and cause heart disease, increasing the risk of heart attack and stroke.
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High Blood Pressure
If your blood pressure is too high, your heart works harder to push blood through your body. It also indicates that your blood vessels may have blockages that increase the pressure. We may use a mix of hypertension medications to control high blood pressure.
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Patent Foramen Ovale
This malformation occurs when a hole in a fetus’s heart doesn't close after the baby is born. Most of the time, there are no symptoms, and it’s harmless. But for some people, it may cause blood clots to form in the legs, which can travel to the brain and cause a stroke.
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Peripheral Vascular Disease
Peripheral vascular disease (PVD) occurs when the arteries in your arms and legs become blocked with plaque, making it harder for blood to flow, and pressure begins to build. To lower plaque buildup inside blood vessels, we may use blood pressure medications combined with plaque-reducing drugs.
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Valve Disorders
Heart valves open and close, allowing blood to flow from one chamber of the heart to another. With defective or diseased valves, blood can pool in the heart. Medications can control symptoms and prevent cardiac events. Other procedures may be required to rectify the issue for patients with unresolved valve disorder with medication alone.
Free Scans for the Hearts of Our Community
AdventHealth Polk offers free heart scans to those who qualify through a grant from the Carolina Foothills Foundation. Qualified patients must live in Polk or Rutherford counties and have no history of heart attack, heart stent or coronary bypass surgery. Your primary care provider can send the hospital an order for the exam and inform the hospital scheduler that you qualify for the free exam.
Heart Care You Can Count On
When you or a loved one has a heart issue, you want a doctor with the knowledge, experience and skill to give you the finest possible heart care. Our cardiovascular experts at AdventHealth Polk will be here for you at every step in your heart-healthy journey.
Treatment, Support and Wholehearted Care
Our heartbeats are the measure of our lives, and when you’re facing a cardiac condition, you want care you can rely on. Our multidisciplinary approach to care spans specialties and locations to give you the support you need to thrive. You can count on us to listen to you, respect your time, compare notes and make care decisions that meet your unique needs and goals. No matter what’s on your chart or your mind, we’re here for you every step of the way.