ADVANCED CARDIOVASCULAR TECHNOLOGIST
ECHO TECH

APPLIED SCIENCE ASSOCIATES DEGREE
Accredited by CAAHEP

The Advanced Noninvasive Cardiovascular Technologists program is  designed to prepare the student to work as an Echo Tech. After completing the on-campus portion of the training at Central Florida Institute, the student must complete the clinical rotation provided in hospitals and cardiac diagnostic centers.  There is a high demand for Echo Techs to perform ultrasound imaging of the heart.

Advanced Cardiovascular Technologists assist physicians in diagnosing and treating cardiac (heart) and peripheral vascular (blood vessel) ailments. CFI trains you in the echocardiography and vascular technology techniques that use ultra-

sound instrumentation, such as Doppler ultrasound. The techniques taught to the student are called noninvasive since they do not require the insertion of any equipment or instruments into the patient’s body.

The Cardiovascular Technologist student is taught to use ultrasound instruments to create an image of the patient’s body. Images of the heart are called echocardiograms. The image is transmitted to a screen and is recorded on videotape or as a photograph for the physician to use in determining a diagnosis. It is very important for the cardiovascular technologist to obtain the clearest images possible for the physician. The technologist is taught to check the image on the screen as they scan to look for differences between healthy and diseased areas. The cardiovascular tech is the one who decides which images to include in the report to the physician.

The Advanced Cardiovascular Technologist program at CFI also includes an introduction to noninvasive vascular training. Vascular studies reveal disorders that a patient may have with the circulatory system. The student is taught to perform procedures using ultrasound instrumentation to record vascular information, such as blood pressure, blood flow, oxygen saturation, limb volume changes, and cerebral, peripheral, and abdominal circulation.

According to the United States Department of Labor, employment of cardiovascular technologists is expected to grow faster than the average for all occupations through the year 2012. The fast growth for employment as a Cardiovascular Technician is directly related to the fact that as the population ages, older people have a higher incidence of heart problems.

Graduates of this program are highly qualified in:

• Echocardiograms (Echos)
• Stress echos
• Transesophageal echos
• Dobutamine stress echo
• Contrast/nuclear stress echo
• Holter monitors
• Pediatric echo

Career opportunities for graduates of the Advanced Noninvasive program:

• Hospitals

• Outpatient Clinics

• Physicians' offices

• Cardiac Diagnostic Centers

• Cardiac Rehab

The Department of Labor points out that healthcare employers prefer trained personnel, therefore, the job prospects should be best for Advanced Cardiovascular Technologists with formal training such as that offered at Central Florida Institute. Healthcare employers are particularly interested in Advanced Cardiovascular Technologists with certification.

Advanced Cardiovascular Technologist Graduates may obtain the following national credentials by passing the corresponding certification examination:

(RCS) - Registered Cardiac Sonographer through Cardiovascular Credentialing International (CCI)

(RDCS) - Registered Diagnostic Cardiac Sonographer through the American Registry for
Diagnostic Medical Sonography ( ARDMS)

The Advanced Cardiovascular Technologist  specialty is offered at the Palm Harbor, Florida campuses - Call Today! 888-831-8303