New technology helps hearts in Estes Valley keep on beating
Oct. 14, 2025: This year’s Estes Park Health Foundation fall campaign may be in full swing, but the results of the 2024 campaign have been giving beating hearts a new reason to get their cardiac care right here in Estes Valley.
After the successful Waves of Hope: Cardiac Ultrasound Initiative campaign in 2024, a new cardiac ultrasound machine arrived earlier this year at Estes Park Health thanks to the funds raised.
“Typically, we just had a stethoscope, and you could barely hear the valves. You could hear some of the blood moving through the valves, but you could not get a great idea of what was actually going on inside of the heart,” said Dr. Chad Stoltz, a cardiologist with UCHealth who sees patients at Estes Park Health. “To see the structure of the heart you need ultrasound. Not only can you see the structure of the heart, you can actually see the flow going in and out of the valves and into the ventricles.”
Cardiac ultrasound, also known as echocardiography or echocardiogram, is a non-invasive diagnostic test that creates a visual image of the heart to help cardiologists understand the functionality of the heart muscle and valves. With this unique view of the heart, the physician can measure the size and shape of the heart, see how the two sides of the heart are working together, evaluate the speed the blood moves through and from the heart, and understand the functionality of the valves between the heart chambers.
With this information, the physician can diagnose and evaluate the progression of heart disease, valve disease, irregular heartbeats and other heart conditions. And with this latest technology available at Estes Park Health, heart patients can stay close to home to get the expert care they need.
This new machine, which replaces the previous machine that aged out at ten years, has several benefits that allow the cardiac team at EPH’s specialty clinic to see more detail within the heart.
“The three-dimensional modeling of the heart is one of the main perks of the new machine,” said Tonya Fitzpatrick, cardiovascular sonographer with UCHealth who performs the cardiac ultrasound tests at Estes Park Health. “The old machine didn’t have that. I wasn’t able to enhance the picture of the heart because it wasn’t as advanced.”
Another improved feature, noted Fitzpatrick, includes image boost, which delineates the inside walls of the heart for precise measurements and very clear valve structure. Fitzpatrick added that the automatic measurement is another perk she is excited to use to provide streamlined accuracy of the measurements of the heart for patients.
“We use ultrasound to create 2D and 3D images of the heart,” said Fitzpatrick. “I use a transducer – like a camera – to find a good image of the heart to take pictures, measurements and color doppler of the heart.”
This risk-free test takes about an hour and is completed at the cardiology clinic at Estes Park Health.
“Every year we do a fall campaign. We work together with the hospital to determine what needs they have and what the fundraiser will be,” said Theresa Byrnard, Interim Executive Director of the Estes Park Health Foundation. “In 2024, it was cardiac ultrasound because the unit at the hospital had reached the end of its life. The goal was to raise $220,000 and we raised that.”
“This new machine has all of the same features as before, but the software has gotten much, much better in visualizing the heart,” said Stoltz. “It allows us to assess the function of the heart much more precisely. There is no guesswork now with this device.”
With the new technology in the hands of the cardiac team at Estes Park Health, Estes Valley residents can continue to get the expert care they need and deserve in this beautiful mountain valley.
For more information about the cardiology clinic at Estes Park Health and to make an appointment, call 970-577-4478.