AAS degree | 1-yr. program | CAAHEP accredited | Palm Harbor, FL
Advanced Cardio Technologists assist physicians in diagnosing and treating cardiac (heart) and peripheral vascular (blood vessel) ailments. CFI trains you in the echocardiography and vascular technology techniques that use ultrasound instrumentation, such as Doppler ultrasound. The cardiovascular training techniques taught to the student are called non-invasive since they do not require the insertion of any equipment or instruments into the patient’s body.
Program Description
The CFI Cardiovascular Technologist (Echo Tech) student is taught to use ultrasound instruments to create an image of the patient’s body. The image is transmitted to a screen and recorded on videotape or as a photograph for the physician to use in determining a diagnosis. The cardiovascular technologist is trained to check the image on the screen as they scan to look for differences between healthy and diseased areas. The cardiovascular tech is the one who decides which images to include in the report to the physician.
The Advanced Noninvasive Cardiovascular Technologists training program in Tampa, Florida is designed to prepare the student to work as an Echo Tech. After completing the on-campus portion of the cardiovascular training at Central Florida Institute, the student must complete the clinical rotation provided in hospitals and cardiac diagnostic centers.
Graduates of this Tampa, FL Echocardiography Sonography training program are highly qualified in:
ECHO students are required to complete *63 credit hours (approximately 54 Weeks-Day; 68 Weeks-Evening -1635 Clock Hours). Graduates of the ECHO program receive an Associates of Applied Science (AAS) degree and CPR certification from the American Heart Association.. Full-time students can complete the program in one year.
*The listing of credits is not meant to imply that credits can be transferred into college or other private career school programs. Transfer credits are at the sole discretion of the receiving school.
Certification & CAAHEP Accreditation
The Echocardiography Sonography program at Central Florida Institute in Palm Harbor is accredited by the Commission Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs upon the recommendation of the Joint Review Committee on Education in Cardiovascular Technology (JRC-CVT).
There is a high demand for Echo Techs to perform ultrasound imaging of the heart, right here in Tampa, Florida. Healthcare employers are particularly interested in Advanced Cardiovascular Technologists with certification. Echocardiography Sonography graduates may obtain the following national credentials by passing the corresponding certification examination:
- (RCS) - Registered Cardiac Sonographer through Cardiovascular Credentialing International (CCI)
- (RDCS) - Registered Diagnostic Cardiac Sonographer through the American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography ( ARDMS).
*This program prepares students for certification testing, although there is no guarantee of passing the certification test and passing the test is not a graduation requirement.
Employment & Earnings
The Department of Labor lists the mean annual wages of cardiovascular technologists and technicians in 2010 were $54,550 in offices of physicians and $49,740 in general medical and surgical hospitals. They also point out that healthcare employers are particularly interested in certified Cardiovascular Technologists, so job prospects should be best for Cardiovascular Technologists with formal training such as that offered at Central Florida Institute.
According to the United States Department of Labor, Florida has the highest published employment level for Cardiovascular Technologists and Technicians in the country! The United States Department of Labor indicates that employment of cardiovascular technologists and technicians is expected to increase 24 percent through the year 2018, much faster than the average for all occupations.
Graduates of the Invasive Cardio Tech program are employable in facilities such as:
Prerequisites
The non-invasive echo sonography program requires applicants to have successful completion of:
CFI Graduate Stories
"I had a wonderful experience at CFI. The students became my extended family and the instructors were wonderful! I can't wait to go back and complete my career goals with the ICT program!" -Sarah L., NCT Graduate
"Central Florida Institute has changed my life. I have always had a passion to be in the medical field, but just wasn't sure how to get there until I walked in doors of CFI. It was so clear this was the school for me! The classes are small and they offer the one-on-one hands on training that I need." -Holly A., CFI graduate
"Thank you for letting this old man graduate and start a new career!" -Gerard S., NCT Graduate
Additional Program Information
The Advanced Cardiovascular Technologist (Echo Tech) training program at the Tampa CFI campus also includes an introduction to noninvasive vascular training. Vascular studies reveal disorders that a patient may have with the circulatory system. The student is taught to perform procedures using ultrasound instrumentation to record vascular information, such as blood pressure, blood flow, oxygen saturation, limb volume changes, and cerebral, peripheral, and abdominal circulation.
