Lake Champlain Cardiology Associates
52 Tom Miller Rd., Plattsburgh, NY 12901  (518) 563-2404
www.lccahearts.com

LCCA 1st Accredited Nuclear Lab

Lake Champlain Cardiology Associates, LLP recently received another honor. Our nuclear cardiology laboratory was accredited by the ICANL, the first in the region to accomplish this important achievement.
 
Nuclear tests are an important part of diagnostic testing, usually done in conjunction with stress testing. These tests are an important and relatively simple way to determine if a person may have narrowings in the arteries of their heart.

There are thousands of laboratories across the country performing nuclear stress tests in hospitals and doctor’s offices – less than 5% have been accredited by the ICANL (Intersocietal Commission for the Accreditation of Nuclear Laboratories), a national association that includes radiologists, cardiologists and other experts that reviews qualifications and performance quality. Only those laboratories meeting their rigorous requirements are granted the ICANL seal of approval.
We have been performing nuclear stress tests at LCCA since 2001. Virginia Livingston-Toohey, our nuclear technologist, has been in charge of the lab from the beginning. She insures that exams are performed to the highest quality standards so that our patients get the best care possible. Equally important, Virginia insures that the nuclear materials are handled safely – we are proud that after 10 years and almost 10,000 tests we have never had a safety issue due to the use of radio-isotopes for the tests.
We are also fortunate to have highly skilled cardiologists to interpret these tests. Drs. Chris Palma, Nidal Makhoul, and Seema Lodha have received special training in nuclear cardiology. We are also grateful to Associates in Radiology of Plattsburgh, who have helped us out when we were shorthanded.
 
Several years LCCA was the first lab to receive accreditation in echocardiography; now we are the first to receive accreditation in nuclear cardiology. These credentials embody our commitment to provide the best cardiology care to our fellow residents of the North Country.