Information for Patients

Conditions - Cardiovascular Associates, P.C.

This section is designed to give you the ability to research and learn about various conditions of the cardiovascular system. We hope you find this helpful.

Cardiology and Vascular

We hope you find the information below beneficial to you as it provides educational material on each test. It should give a better understanding of how each assist the physicians in choosing diagnosis and treatment options.

Cardiology and Vascular

Treatments - Cardiovascular Associates, P.C.

Welcome to the Treatments area of our Patient Education section. This section is designed for your benefit giving you the ability to educate yourself on the tests that are available at Cardiovascular Associates, P.C. at your leisure.

Cardiology and Vascular

Welcome to the Risk Factor Management area of our Patient Education section. This section is designed for your benefit giving you the ability to educate yourself on the tests that are available at Cardiovascular Associates, P.C. at your leisure.

Useful Links - Cardiovascular Associates, P.C.

The Internet can be a valuable resource for news and information on health and medicine, but it can also provide misinformation. Our medical experts have approved this list of websites, based on a careful evaluation of the information the sites provide and the organizations providing it. Click on the links below to connect.

As a convenience to our patients, some of the common office forms are available on this page. Each form is provided in PDF format. You may download these forms to your computer and complete them in the convenience of your home and have them ready upon arrival saving you time.

New federal guidelines, known as HIPAA, require us to give our patients written notice about how we're using their medical information.Our patients are given a copy of our Notice of Privacy Practices and asked to sign a form acknowledging the receipt of this notice. These new guidelines are designed to protect the patient's medical information.

Patient Form Package

Adobe Acrobat File

These files are designed for you to open and print. They are in "PDF" format, which requires Adobe Acrobat Reader to open. Click on the link (at left) to download Adobe Acrobat Reader. Adobe does not charge for this download.

Adobe Acrobat Reader needed to view forms.

When you arrive, we ask that you update any information on file with us. We encourage patients to bring an updated copy of their medical history and a list of all medications they are currently taking. Please include any written diagnostic testing instructions or physician orders if available. You may also have your primary care physician mail or fax your medical history to us prior to your appointment. If your problem is urgent, please notify us when you call. We will arrange for you to see a physician immediately. After seeing the CVA physician, please stop at the front desk to make an appointment for your next visit. If you cannot keep your appointment, we would appreciate you cancelling at least 24 hours in advance.

Many times patients may need the expertise of more than one of our physicians, since each is a specialist in a particular aspect of cardiology. Please be assured that your entire medical history is contained in a single chart available to all physicians in the group. Therefore, each physician has access to all treatments, tests and medications that have been previously prescribed for you.

Note: We believe it is important to your overall health to familiarize yourself with the names and dosages of the medications that you are currently taking. Because our physicians need to be as informed as possible before they recommend a course of treatment, please bring a list of your medicines with you each time you come. Before obtaining any new medication, please inform us of any drug allergies you may have.

Please note that CVA also conducts random, confidential surveys to determine your satisfaction with our care. If you are contacted or asked to participate in one of these surveys, we would appreciate your cooperation. Your input will allow us to continually improve the care we provide.

The Physician Quality and Transparency Program is a response by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama along with industry, political and market forces to improve patient safety and quality of care in Alabama's insured population. The goal of the Physician Quality and BC/BS Transparency Program is to establish a statewide agenda to advance quality and improve clinical outcomes through the use of Physician Quality Indicators, Patient Satisfaction and Hospital Performance data.

Enhancing accountability and efficiency in the healthcare marketplace will ultimately lead to better patient outcomes, more informed health care decision making by consumers, and cost savings through medical best practices.

Our physicians at CardioVascular Associates rank the highest on the scale in the Quality of Care category as our patients receive recommended services more frequently than patients of other doctors.

These doctor Quality of Care ratings are based on quality measures that are consistent with nationally recognized standards of care, including measures in the NCQA's Healthcare Effectiveness Data Information Set (HEDIS), to calculate doctors' ratings.

For more information on this Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama initiative, please call 1-800-292-8868 or log on www.bcbsal.org.

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a potentially dangerous condition in which the blood pressure in the lungs rises to levels much higher than normal. When the pressure reaches a certain point, the heart can't keep up, and less blood circulates through the lungs to pick up oxygen, causing the patient to become tired, dizzy, and short of breath. Since these symptoms can result from a number of conditions, it is possible that PH is under-diagnosed and under-treated. There are many potential causes of pulmonary hypertension and making the correct diagnosis is essential to correct treatment.

Because PH patients require special care, Cardiovascular Associates P.C. has opened specialized clinics at Brookwood and Trinity offering comprehensive PH care by a physician with over ten years experience in a high volume PH center. We offer fast access for PH patients, along with rapid communication back to the referring physician.

According to Dr. Barry Rayburn, director of the PH clinic, "Pulmonary hypertension was a devastating and usually untreatable condition as recently as twenty years ago. Modern therapy has allowed a marked improvement in patient's survival and quality of life."

To schedule an appointment for a pulmonary hypertension patient call the Brookwood clinic at (205) 877-9290 or the Trinity clinic at (205) 599-3500.

Main Campus