Queen Elizabeth Hospital's new heart testing keeps patients on the Island

Islanders are benefiting from new heart testing services now being offered at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Charlottetown which allow them to get the diagnoses they need at home.

Health Minister Robert Henderson said recruitment of a new cardiologist to the province has allowed the hospital to offer some new heart-specific diagnostic tests that weren't available before on Prince Edward Island.

Cardiologist Dr. Alex MacLean began working at the QEH internal medicine department last fall and is trained to provide the new diagnostic services.

Health officials say prior to this, approximately 300 Islanders travelled to hospitals in Moncton, N.B., Saint John, N.B., or Halifax every year for the testing.

In a release, Ambulatory Care Centre manager Debbie Downe said the hospital was very lucky to have MacLean.

"As a result of Dr. MacLean's expertise, we are able to offer important cardiac diagnostic tests here on P.E.I.," she said.

"That can lead to more timely diagnoses and treatment interventions to improve the quality of life for Islanders with heart conditions or risk factors for heart conditions."

The tests will be offered through the Ambulatory Care Centre.

One of the tests uses high-frequency sound waves to obtain detailed images of the heart and arteries, allowing a cardiologist to determine if there are problems with the heart's structure and function.

The other two tests use ultrasound imaging to show how well the heart muscle is working before and after physical activity.