Centered in Birmingham, Alabama, CardioVascular Associates (CVA) has grown to 31 cardiologists who provide care at 9 different locations. With physicians who specialize in an array of diagnosis and treatment options, CVA has created a network of talent, skill and technology where patients aren't just cared for - they are cared about.

We do this by using the latest technology to detect and diagnose heart disease. Unique diagnostic services include use of PET/CT for cardiac stress testing, and outpatient cardiac catheterization in the private setting of our own outpatient cath lab. Advanced nuclear and ultrasound imaging of the heart are also commonly used.

Our cardiologists are at the forefront of new treatment options, using the latest technology to combat vascular disease and researching the treatments of the future. Angioplasty and stents are frequently used to re-open blocked vessels in the heart. However, the same process that causes heart disease can cause poor circulation to other parts of the body, such as the legs, arms and kidneys. Our physicians therefore treat the entire vascular system, even the carotid vessels that supply the brain. CVA also offers non-surgical treatment for conditions that normally require major surgery, such as abdominal aortic aneurysms and heart defects where there is an opening between the two chambers of the heart.

Recognizing that heart disease is the number one killer of both men and women, we are the only practice in Birmingham with a dedicated Women's CardioVascular Center, which is located at Brookwood Medical Center.

Of course, the best way to reduce the impact of heart disease is to prevent it from advancing. That's why we emphasize education and prevention, with a strong belief in the old adage, "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." But in the end, it's our people, the physicians and staff, who make the difference.

CVA's full-time offices are located at Brookwood Medical Center (including our Women's CardioVascular Center) and Trinity Medical Center in Birmingham; Shelby Baptist Medical Center in Alabaster, Alabama; Coosa Valley Medical Center in Sylacauga, Alabama; and Citizens Baptist Medical Center in Talladega, Alabama. Our cardiologists also see patients at several outreach locations. They are ACIPCO Medical Group in Birmingham, St. Vincent's Blount in Oneonta, St. Vincent's St. Clair in Pell City, Alabama, Clanton, and Calera.