Transcription:
Diagnostic Testing for the Heart

Helen Dandurand (Host): Riverside Healthcare, puts health and wellness information well within reach.

Welcome back to the Well Within Reach podcast. I'm your host, Helen Dandurand. And today, I'm going to be joined by Jonathan Wheatley to learn more about diagnostic testing for the heart. Jonathan is the lead registered cardiac sonographer and team lead of cardiac diagnostics here at Riverside.

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Host And we're back with Jonathan Wheatley. Thank you for joining me today.

Jonathan Wheatley: Thank you for having me.

Host We're glad to have you. So, tell us a little bit about you and what you do.

Jonathan Wheatley: Yeah. So, I started at Riverside about six years ago fresh out of school and started with echocardiography. I transitioned into the team lead about two years ago and then took on team lead about a year. So with that being said, I work very closely with the cardiologist and techs to provide the best quality exams possible.

Host Cool. So, you mentioned echocardiography. Can you tell us about what that term means?

Jonathan Wheatley: Yeah. So, it's the use of sand waves to interrogate the heart. We can check the four heart valves and the four heart chambers to check for leaks and for like calcium. Just like the pipes in your home, over time they can leak, they can build up calcium. So, we use that testing to check for all those types of things. We also take a look at your ejection fraction number, which is a very important heart number to know. That's how much your heart is contracting and relaxing.

Host Interesting. Super cool. So, that's all like has to do with the different diagnostic tests. And I know there are different ones that you do. So, what kinds of tests does Riverside offer?

Jonathan Wheatley: Yeah. So, we offer a lot of exams to provide information to the cardiologists, echocardiograms, stress, echo exercise, and dobutamine for patients who can and can't walk on the treadmill; transesophageal echocardiograms, which get the most detailed images and Holter/event monitors.

Host Awesome. So, what kind of places does Riverside offer this testing at?

Jonathan Wheatley: So besides the hospital in Kankakee, we offer echocardiograms, stress testing, event/Holter monitors at Bourbonnais, Watseka, and Frankfurt, and hopefully with some new locations coming soon.

Host Great. So, why is it important for people to be able to get these tests in their communities and not have to have them travel for them?

Jonathan Wheatley: Absolutely. So in this day and age, time has become a premium for most people. Cardiac diagnostics wanted to prioritize us by stretching our outreach for the convenience of our patients. With all of our outreach locations, it has cut down travel time for a patient, and it has also added a weekend day that has been great to help for our pediatric patient volume due to patient's parents typically working during the week.

Host That's great. I mean, adding a weekend day, it can just be so hard once the work day is over to get to places. So, really the accessibility there is awesome.

Jonathan Wheatley: Absolutely. We have a very great environment in our department and we've had echo techs that have been with us for a very long time. So, we have specific TR people that just come in on the weekends willing to do whatever the doctor needs just to get those patients in.

Host Well, we are going to take a quick break to talk about heart care at Riverside.

The Riverside Heart Team is a skilled group of experts specializing in treatments that heal hearts throughout the region. Working together, the Riverside Heart team is committed to preventing heart disease by bringing the latest, most effective treatments to Kankakee and the surrounding communities. For more information about the Riverside Heart and Vascular Institute, visit riversidehealthcare.org/heart. At Riverside, your heart's in the right place.

All right. So jumping back in, I guess technology plays a big role in this testing that we're able to do. What technology makes Riverside stand out or different?

Jonathan Wheatley: So, we actually have state-of-the-art equipment. We stay on top of all of our upgrades and updates for our system. Riverside has been great providing not only with the best echo equipments available for our hospital, but we also have the same machines at all of our outreach locations. So, no matter where you go to get your test done, it's all done at the same high quality.

Host That's great. So aside from the technology that makes the difference, what are some other benefits of getting these tests done at Riverside?

Jonathan Wheatley: Besides us being close, we are the only accredited echo lab in Kankakee area, meaning we stay on top of all the American Society of Echo updates and protocols to provide the best test possible.

Host So, where should someone who may need these tests done or think they might need these tests done start?

Jonathan Wheatley: So, I feel like everybody puts their own health on the back burner, so we want to make sure that you see your doctor for heart checks and don't ignore your own health. Typically, a primary care office and a physician is the best place to start.

Host Thank you so much for joining us today. I feel like we gained a lot of information on the different testing Riverside has for heart, what makes it special and all of those things. So, we're glad to have you.

Jonathan Wheatley: Thank you for having me.

Host Yes. And thank you listeners for tuning into the Well Within Reach podcast brought to you by Riverside Healthcare. For more information, visit riversidehealthcare.org/heart.