Heart care in Alexandria, Louisiana
A healthy heart is key to your well-being, so we aim to keep it functioning as well as possible.
Rapides Regional Medical Center is proud to be one of the region’s leaders in advanced heart care. Our experienced team of cardiologists and cardiovascular surgeons is devoted to providing personalized support at the highest possible level.
How healthy is your heart?
Taking a moment to learn about your heart health is a great way to start taking better care of yourself. Our online assessment tool will help you understand your risks and give you information you can take to your doctor.
Taking a moment to learn about your heart health is a great way to start taking better care of yourself. Our online assessment tool will help you understand your risks and give you information you can take to your doctor.
Related Specialties
Learn more about our related specialties.
Conditions treated by our heart doctors
Our skilled heart specialists treat a variety of conditions, including:
- Acute coronary syndrome
- Atrial fibrillation (AFib)
- Chronic total occlusion (CTO)
- Heart attack
- Heart disease
- Heart failure
- Heart rhythm issues
- Stroke
Our cardiology program
To help you manage your cardiovascular health, we provide the latest diagnostic tests, procedures and physical rehabilitation services.
Heart and vascular services
Our facilities include a hybrid operating room (OR) and surgical intensive care unit (ICU), ensuring we can provide adequate care at all stages of treatment. Here, we offer a full range of cardiovascular services, including:
- Cardiac imaging and testing
- Adult stress test
- Echocardiogram
- Electrocardiogram (EKG)
- Holter monitoring
- Intravascular ultrasound (IVUS)
- Nuclear cardiology
- Pediatric echocardiogram
- Pediatric stress test
- Cardiac catheterization laboratory
- Cardiopulmonary rehabilitation
- Cardiovascular surgery
- Ablation
- Atherectomy
- Balloon angioplasty
- Coronary stenting
- Left atrial appendage (LAA) closure procedure
- Left ventricular assist device insertion
- Peripheral vascular studies and intervention
- Traditional heart surgery
- Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) surgery
- Electrophysiology
- Stroke rehabilitation
Our facility also offers an implantable heart failure monitoring system, as well as one of the world’s smallest pacemakers.
Chest pain center
Our hospital is home to the area’s only chest pain center certified by The Joint Commission, enabling us to provide a higher standard of care for those with chest pain. One of our primary objectives is teaching people how to recognize and react to early heart attack symptoms. Doing so can help reduce the time it takes to receive treatment, potentially increasing accuracy and effectiveness.
As recognized by The Joint Commission's review team, we continue to demonstrate our expertise and commitment to quality care by:
- Assessing, diagnosing and treating people as quickly as possible
- Having a functional facility design that promotes optimal care
- Helping ensure our professionals are competent and well trained
- Integrating our emergency department with the local emergency medical system
- Maintaining our organizational structure
- Seeking to improve our processes and procedures
- Supporting community outreach programs about heart attacks
- Treating individuals for low-risk acute coronary syndrome
In addition to our chest pain center certification, we are certified by the American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation (AACVPR) for meeting current guidelines. Our facility is also an accredited by The Joint Commission as a Primary Stroke Center. Further, the Intersocietal Accreditation Commission (IAC) has recognized us for achieving improved outcomes through quality and safe practices.
Coronary calcium scan
Over 60 million American women have heart disease without even knowing it, and we want you to know if you do. For this purpose, we have instituted Rapides Heart Check, a painless, noninvasive coronary calcium scan that determines whether you have built-up calcium in your coronary arteries, which is an early sign of heart disease. With Rapides Heart Check, you can determine your risk of heart disease in only 15 minutes, which we hope can help you see your heart in a new way.
Cost
The cost of this test is $100, and it's not currently covered by insurance. This dollar amount includes all technical, medical and professional interpretation charges, as well as a personalized report of your risk for heart disease mailed to you and your physician. Payment may be made by cash, check, credit or debit card at the time of registration.
How to schedule
Your doctor must recommend you for the test, so ask them today if you are a candidate. If you don't have a physician, please call (318) 769-4440 for a referral. Tests are conducted Monday through Friday.
Location
Coronary calcium scans are offered on our hospital's campus at the Rapides Outpatient Center, located on the first floor of the Rapides Heart Center.
For your convenience, you can find a heart specialist from our list of specialized medical professionals, and learn about where they are located, the conditions they treat and the procedures they perform.
Rapides Heart Check frequently asked questions (FAQs)
You can read our FAQs to learn more about how Rapides Heart Check can help detect your heart disease risk level before you display any symptoms.
Questions about coronary calcium scans
What are the benefits of this test?
You can find out if you're at risk for heart disease while you still have time to improve your heart health and lower your risk of heart attack.
Do I need to prepare for this test?
We ask that you do not smoke, consume caffeine or exercise for four hours before your test.
What if my test results are abnormal?
Based on your test results, you will need to follow up with your physician for possible further evaluation. If you don't have a physician, you are encouraged to call us at (318) 769-4440 to find one.
What is the accuracy of the test?
Coronary calcium is an indicator of heart disease, regardless of other risk factors. The greater the amount of calcium present, the greater the likelihood of heart disease. A high calcium score may be consistent with a moderate-to-high risk of a heart attack in the next two to five years. If you have a score of zero, the risk will be very low.
What should I expect during the test?
You will be asked to lie on a special scanning table for a few minutes while a computerized tomography (CT) scanner captures images of your heart. You may be asked to change into a gown for this test, and will need to remove any metal above the waist, including undergarments and jewelry. No needles, sedation or intravenous (IV) medications are used during this test. If your heart rate is above 75 beats per minute, you will be given a medication to temporarily lower your heart rate while your images are acquired.
Who can benefit from this screening?
Those who are obese, pregnant or already know they have heart disease should not take the Rapides Heart Check test. It is recommended for:
- Men age 35 and older who smoke or have a family history of heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, peripheral vascular disease or diabetes
- Men age 45 and older without risk factors
- People with diabetes who are over the age of 30
- Women age 45 and older who smoke or have a family history of heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, peripheral vascular disease or diabetes
- Women age 55 and older without risk factors
Where can I get more information?
If you have further questions, please speak to a physician.
Acute coronary syndrome
Learn about acute coronary syndrome, which we treat hundreds of times per year at our hospital.
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