Caring For Your Heart

When it comes to your heart, you deserve the best care possible. Choose Sanford Health for experienced heart providers and the advanced technology and treatments that keep your heart strong.

From routine appointments to emergencies and complex procedures, we cover the full spectrum of heart care.

Visit our experts in cardiology for:

Heart screenings: We offer heart tests that empower you to take control of your long-term health. These painless tests give you and your provider a better look at your risk for heart disease and help you plan for future heart care.

Heart treatments and surgery If you need treatment, we offer minimally invasive and open surgical options. We provide aortic stenosis treatment (TAVR), heart monitoring, heart valve treatment, vascular surgery and more.

Heart rehabilitation and support: Beyond life-saving screenings and treatments, we offer support and rehabilitation for your lifelong heart health. Learn about exercise, prevention, medication management and more.

Children's cardiology: Sanford Children’s pediatric cardiology team treats heart-related birth defects, disorders and disease – all in a child-friendly setting.


When to See a Cardiologist

Cardiologists are specialists who only work with you if you need special heart-related care or have had heart-related conditions in the past.

Your doctor may refer you to a cardiologist if you have symptoms of heart disease or have a family history of heart disease. We work together to diagnose and treat diseases of the heart, including:

  • Arrhythmia
  • Coronary artery disease
  • Heart attack
  • Heart failure
  • High blood pressure
  • High cholesterol

Podcast: Be smart about your heart


Early Heart Attack Care

Around half of all heart attacks cause symptoms early, before the actual attack. These symptoms can occur days or weeks before the heart attack. If recognized early enough, our specialists can treat your heart to prevent damage and a full attack.

Early signs and symptoms include:

  • Anxiety
  • Back or arm pain
  • Chest pressure, squeezing, aching or burning
  • Fatigue or weakness
  • Feeling full
  • Jaw pain
  • Nausea or vomiting
  • Shortness of breath

Ignoring these symptoms puts you at risk of serious heart damage. Go to the nearest Sanford Health emergency room to get treatment.


Heart Attack Risk Factors

The risk factors for heart disease can be split into two types: those you can control and those you can’t.

Risk factors you can control:

  • Diabetes
  • High blood pressure
  • High cholesterol
  • Lack of exercise
  • Obesity
  • Smoking

Risk factors you can’t control:

  • Family history of heart disease
  • Gender (men are more at risk)
  • Getting older

Patient-Centered Heart Team

We’re dedicated to creating the best care plan for you. The Sanford Heart team is made up of nationally recognized and experienced cardiologists, surgeons, geneticists and researchers. Our heart providers each play a unique role in caring for our patients.

Depending on your heart needs, you’ll partner with:

  • General Cardiologists. These cardiologists treat patients needing special heart care. They prevent and manage heart and blood vessel problems. 

  • Interventional Cardiologists. Interventional cardiologists use catheter-based treatments to manage heart disease.

  • Electrophysiologists. Electrophysiologists evaluate, diagnose and treat arrhythmias (abnormal heart rhythms) and implant pacemakers and cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs).

You are the most important part of the team. We will work closely with you to make sure you understand your options and make the right treatment decision for you.


Access to the Latest Treatments

Clinical trials: Sanford Health offers access to a variety of clinical trials. Participating in a clinical trial can provide you with access to new heart treatments while you help to improve care and find cures. See open clinical trials.

Cardiogenetics: Genetics plays a role in heart disease. With genetic testing, you can learn about heart health for your family’s sake and for your own peace of mind. You can also get customized heart care based on your genetic make-up. Your DNA can tell us about the right medications for you. Find out more.


Find a Heart Doctor

See us for prevention and diagnosis, treatment and cardiac rehab, device and medication support.

Find a Heart Doctor


Heart Hospitals and Clinics Near You

Sanford Heart Hospitals and clinics are in several locations across the Upper Midwest. Plus, Sanford Heart providers also travel to other clinic locations to provide convenient, expert heart care near you.

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Heart Menu

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Heart Events

Get involved with our heart classes and events.

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Patient Stories

Meet Sigrid Strebe

Sigrid Strebe had no risk factors for heart issues, so she didn’t believe her doctor when he said she was having a heart attack. But he was right.

Read Sigrid’s Story

Meet Claude Vershure

It took Claude Vershure about 20 minutes to get a heart screening. Now he’s recovering well after life-saving cardiac surgery.

Read Claude’s Story

Learn More

You Could Save a Life

Imagine the worst happens: someone near you is unresponsive and their heart has stopped. You could be their best chance of surviving it.

Complete these two steps:

  • Call 911
  • Push hard and fast on the center of their chest (hands-only CPR)

You don’t need any special training to perform hands-only CPR, but you can seek out a certification course.

Read More About CPR

Cardiac Electrophysiology Specialists

Clinical cardiac electrophysiologists are heart care specialists who diagnose, treat and manage heart rhythm problems. They see patients whose hearts beat too slow, too fast or irregularly.

Cardiac electrophysiologists provide:

  • Evaluation, diagnosis and treatment of heart rhythm disorders
  • Pacemaker and defibrillator evaluation, implantation and follow-up
  • Traditional and less-invasive (catheter-based) surgical treatments
  • Special tests of the heart’s electrical system, such as an electrophysiology study (EP study) or ablation

Ask your primary care physician for a referral to a cardiac electrophysiologist if you have heart rhythm concerns.

Heart Walks Promote Community Awareness

Each year, Sanford Health takes part in the American Heart Association Heart Walks. The goal of these heart walks is to support the AHA's mission of defeating heart disease in America, while also creating awareness of heart attacks and strokes throughout the community.

Read About Sanford Heart Walks

View Heart Walk Dates

Learn Signs of Heart Disease

Each day, nearly 2,300 Americans die of cardiovascular disease. Orvar Jonsson, M.D., with Sanford Cardiovascular Institute, discusses signs and symptoms of heart disease and heart failure. Dr. Jonsson is the Sioux Falls region's only board-certified heart failure cardiologist. You can learn more about the heart screenings and care at Sanford Health in this podcast edition of "A Better You," which aired on KSOO-AM.

Read About The Heart Smart Podcast

Know Your Heart History

You can eat healthy foods, exercise and not smoke - but even young, seemingly healthy people can have a stroke or heart disease. Why? Because many cardiac disorders are inherited. This means that if people in your family have a history of heart problems, there's a chance you could, too. We talked to four Sanford Health professionals about inherited cardiac disease, and what they want everyone to know about genetic heart risks.

Read About Inherited Heart Disease