
Heart tests
Our heart specialists use advanced diagnostic technology, working together to provide an accurate heart diagnosis so you can get the treatment you need.

Cardiology - Tilley Drive
62 Tilley Drive
Suite 101
South Burlington, VT 05403-4407
If you suspect that you or a loved one may have a heart condition, the first step is to undergo a thorough, comprehensive diagnosis. The cardiology specialists at the University of Vermont (UVM) Medical Center collaborate, using advanced technology to get you an accurate diagnosis. Then, we can tailor an effective treatment plan to meet your needs.
Heart Tests at UVM Medical Center: Why Choose Us?
Your heart works hard, supplying blood and oxygen to the other organs of your body. When you experience symptoms—a racing heartbeat, shortness of breath, unexplained fatigue—you want to ensure that your heart is getting the best care possible.
At UVM Medical Center, our heart specialists have years of experience diagnosing a wide range of heart conditions. We offer care that is:
- Expert: As an academic teaching hospital, our physicians are held to the highest standards of clinical care. We are leaders in the field of cardiac research, involved in investigative research and clinical trials.
- Collaborative: We practice authentic collaboration, drawing on the expertise of specialists from many different fields (cardiothoracic surgery, cardiology, vascular surgery, radiology and stroke care) to provide an accurate, careful diagnosis.
- Advanced: We have access to the latest diagnostic technology, including a sophisticated camera for nuclear positron emission tomography (PET) testing. Learn more about nuclear cardiology and advanced cardiac imaging.
Heart Tests: Patient-Centered Imaging
At UVM Medical Center, personalized medicine begins at the beginning, with your diagnosis. We make sure that you get the right diagnostic testing that meets your needs. This ensures that you do not undergo unnecessary testing as well as minimizing your radiation exposure.
Our approach to “which test is best” includes:
- Community education: Our cardiologist give talks to community physicians about the process of choosing the correct diagnostic test for each patient.
- Nursing experts: When a physician orders advanced tests for a patient (stress testing or heart catheterization), one of our nurses reviews the request before we schedule it. These nurses, with special expertise in cardiac testing, check the patient's chart and history to ensure that this is the best diagnostic test for that patient. If we think there might be a better test, we will call the referring physician and discuss possible options.
- Radiation exposure: Some cardiac diagnostic tests, including computed tomography (CT) scans and nuclear cardiac imaging, use radiation. We try to minimize your exposure to radiation whenever possible. For example, our advanced CT scanners shorten scan times. We also use a “stress-first” imaging approach to shorten your stress test. These methods can often reduce your exposure to a quarter of the regular amount.
Heart Diagnostic Services We Provide
Learn more about the extensive cardiac image services we provide:
- Electrocardiogram: This tests your heart's electrical system:
- Electrocardiogram (EKG or ECG)
- Ambulatory electrocardiogram (also known as Holter monitor)
- Stress testing:
- Exercise electrocardiogram (also known as a stress test)
- Cardiac perfusion scan (also known as a nuclear stress test)
- Imaging: Learn more about our advanced cardiac imaging services, including:
- Cardiac computed tomography (CT) scan
- Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan
- Metabolic positron emission tomography (PET) scan
- Echocardiogram, including stress, transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiogram. We are a high volume center for echocardiograms, reading and analyzing studies from our hospital and from affiliate hospitals as well. Learn more about echocardiogram.
- Invasive cardiac testing:
Contact Us
Finda a UVM Medical Center Cardiologist or call us at 802-847-4600.