Sierra Nevada Cardiology Associates (SNCA) is grateful for and certainly dependent upon the referring physicians and healthcare providers in our service area that entrust their patients to our care. In order to develop and foster a close and effective working relationship with our referring providers, SNCA is committed to providing prompt scheduling, thorough follow-up, and courteous service to your patients.
We want to make it easy for you to refer to or schedule a patient with us as we know how busy your practice can be. We have scheduling forms and maps with directions that we can provide to you online (click on Patient Information and “New Patient Package”), via fax, or in person. You can fax the information over to the SNCA office of your choice or call. Either way we hope to save you some time and make it convenient for you and your staff. We can schedule the patient appointment with you or with your patient, again whatever is best for you.
To schedule a patient in one of our Reno offices, or in our out-of-town clinic, please contact our Reno office at (775) 688-8000; toll free at (800) 628-6915, or by fax at (775) 688-8046. To schedule a patient who resides in the Gardnerville/Minden or South Lake Tahoe areas, please contact us at the numbers above.
Our physicians are always happy to speak to you directly regarding a patient’s condition or answer a question you may have regarding a patient. To speak directly with one of our physicians in our Reno office, please call (775) 688-8000, or toll free at (800) 628-6915, identify yourself as a healthcare provider and ask that you may speak to one of our physicians.
To assist you in the referral process, SNCA has developed the following “Diagnostic Testing Request Forms” for cardiac services:
Please download, print and complete the appropriate form and fax it to us with the requested information to the fax number on the form. If you have any problems in scheduling a patient for testing, or need to speak with someone in our office, please contact Karen Geyer in our Reno Office (775) 688-8000.
Click on Services to see a list of cardiac and vascular Services provided by SNCA.
Further Information for Physicians Echocardiography Diagnostic Services Nuclear Cardiology Diagnostic Services
Sierra Nevada Cardiology Associates (SNCA) has received national accreditation for both our echocardiography and nuclear imaging departments. SNCA was the first private cardiology practice in Nevada to have been awarded certification for both diagnostic testing laboratories.
The Inter-societal Commission for the Accreditation of Echocardiography Laboratories (ICAEL) and the Inter-societal Commission for the Accreditation of Nuclear Laboratories (ICANL) are independent, non-profit organizations who have developed accreditation programs that evaluate the quality and other critical elements of echocardiography and nuclear cardiology laboratories respectively. Although participation in the accreditation process is strictly voluntary, the accreditation status granted to SNCA signifies that the laboratories have been reviewed and recognized for their commitment to quality patient care and testing for the diagnosis of heart disease.
For more information on ICAEL and ICANL, please visit their websites at:
Our ICAEL accredited labs employ only Registered Diagnostic Cardiac Sonographers who provide quality echocardiography services at our two main office locations, as well as most of our out-of-town clinics. In addition, two of our echo technicians are also Registered Vascular Sonographers who provide excellent vascular diagnostic imaging for patients.
For your convenience and information, we have provided the following link which will offer you guidelines and other resources regarding echocardiography imaging services:
American College of Cardiology Appropriateness Criteria for Transthoracic and Transesophageal Echocardiography www.acc.org/qualityandscience/clinical/pdfs/tte.tee.pdf
Nuclear Cardiology Diagnostic Services
Our ICANL accredited labs employ only Registered Nuclear Medicine Technologists and offer superb imaging services utilizing our two Phillips Cardio MD Gamma Cameras.
For your convenience and information, we have provided the following link which offers guidelines/criteria for myocardial perfusion imaging (nuclear studies):
American College of Cardiology Appropriateness Criteria for Myocardial Perfusion Imaging http://content.onlinejacc.org/cgi/content/full/j.jacc.2009.02.013
Electrophysiology/Heart Rhythm Management
Electrophysiology is the division of cardiology that deals with the electrical impulses, or rhythms of your heart. SNCA offers comprehensive range of services and treatment options for the diagnosis and treatment of patients with heart rhythm problems, often referred to as arrhythmias. SNCA has two board-certified electrophysiologists, Drs. Ram Challapalli and Chad Bidart, who have specialized training and experience in the diagnosis and treatment of heart rhythm disorders.
Form more information on electrophysiology and arrhythmias, please click on the link below:
In addition to diagnosing and treating cardiovascular disease, Sierra Nevada Cardiology Associates (SNCA) works closely with one another and other specialists (vascular surgeons) in a coordinated and comprehensive approach to the diagnosis and treatment of patients with peripheral arterial disease (PAD). Working together, SNCA can provide the most appropriate treatment plan for your patients with PAD.
According to the American Heart Association, approximately 10 million people in the United Sates are affected by PAD, but only one in four are appropriately diagnosed and receive some form of treatment. To assist you in screening and possibly diagnosing your patients for PAD, please feel free to utilize our PAD form below:
Tests that you may order for your patients to diagnose PAD and that we provide include:
PADnet test. This test can provide early detection of blockages in leg arteries. It measures blood pressure in the arms and legs, which should be the same. If the leg blood pressure is lower, PAD is present.
Ultrasound. Special imaging techniques, including Doppler Ultrasound enables us to estimate blood flow through blood vessels and detect blocked or narrowed arteries.
Angiography. This is an invasive test, and one that we can provide for your patients in our own outpatient cath lab, which can offer both diagnosis and treatment of PAD at the same time. This test is usually ordered by SNCA physician only after a patient has been referred to us for a comprehensive work-up.
Pulmonary Hypertension (PH)
Pulmonary hypertension is abnormally high blood pressure in the arteries in the lungs and the right side of the heart. As the pressure builds in the right ventricle, the heart must work harder to pump the blood throught he lungs which results in the weakening of the heart muscle and ultimately heart failure. PH is an illness that over time will get worse and potentially fatal. Although there is no reversing of PH, there are treatments available that can certainly lessen the symptoms and provide a quality of life.
Dr. Joseph Stevenson, SNCA cardiologist, has received extensive training in PH and is currently the only pulmonary hypertension specialist in Nevada. If you have questions for Dr. Stevenson regarding PH, please contact him at (775) 688-8000.
For further information on pulmonary hypertension, please click on the following links:
