Monteith Construction and Cape Fear Commercial aim to save lives by funding heart screening tests

You eat well and work out. You see a physician regularly. Your friends call you the picture of health. A heart attack is the last thing you're worried about. Unfortunately, underlying risk and genetic predisposition are often masked by external appearances. And the consequences can be life-threatening.

"Just because you're fit and you take care of yourself, you are not necessarily immune to this problem. And vice versa is true. You may have lived a very unhealthy lifestyle but have incredible genes and not have any calcium in your arteries. But we won't know if we don't test it," explained Dr. Timothy Winslow, cardiologist at Novant Health New Hanover Regional Medical Center.

Monteith Construction CEO Bryan Thomas had witnessed firsthand the devastating effect of hidden heart disease on his colleagues and community. So, when he learned a simple, painless, low-cost test – the cardiac CT calcium score – could provide the early warning needed to save lives, he not only sought out the test himself. He partnered with his colleague Brian Eckel, co-founder and CEO of Cape Fear Commercial, to make sure every member of the Monteith Construction and Cape Fear Commercial construction teams get tested as well.

Heart disease remains the number one cause of death in the United States, responsible for one in four deaths annually. One in five heart attacks occur without any recognition by the patient that they’re even having a heart attack. And for 10 percent, the first cardiac event is fatal. By providing an early, quantifiable measure of plaque build-up in arteries, the calcium score raises a red flag, enabling individuals and healthcare providers to take proactive steps to improve cardiovascular health and prevent heart attacks before they happen.

"The calcium score is quick, and it’s relatively cheap. Radiation exposure is low, and it gives us a quantifiable measure of your risk,” said Dr. Winslow. “The higher your calcium score, the more plaque you have. The more plaque you have, the higher your risk for having a heart attack.” 

Unfortunately, most insurance companies still do not cover the test, despite it being widely regarded as a powerful tool in the fight against heart disease. For some patients, the price tag – $100 or more – can be a deterrent or even a barrier altogether. But not at Monteith Construction and Cape Fear Commercial. Building on their people-first legacy, these companies vowed to cover all costs of the testing for employees. Even more impressive, for each employee tested, these organization will donate a calcium test for an underserved member of the local community through their partnership with Novant Health New Hanover Regional Medical Center Foundation. 

"The test itself takes less than the time it takes to check in. You're lying flat and rolled into the CT [scanner], and you’ll be asked to hold your breath while they take a picture. Then we use software to quantitate how much calcium you have in your arteries. There's no IV, and there's no contrast. The whole thing takes less than a few minutes," said Dr. Winslow.

Novant Health has provided calcium tests to approximately 30 Monteith Construction employees to date.

"Novant Health is excited to partner with Monteith Construction and Cape Fear Commercial to make this potentially life-saving test available not just to its employees – but to so many in our coastal communities who are underserved or lacking access. It takes healthy workers to build a healthy community. Hats off to Bryan Thomas and Brian Eckel for their commitment to putting heart health first," said Ernie Bovio, president of Novant Health New Hanover Regional Medical Center and the Novant Health Coastal Region.

To learn how Novant Health Employer Solutions can help your organization keep your team heart healthy, visit Employer Solutions.