New national coalition pushes for wider cardiac PET adoption

Dave Fornell | September 10, 2026 | Cardiovascular Business | Cardiac PET

A patient undergoing set up prior to a cardiac PET-CT scan at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago. Photo by Dave Fornell

The Cardiac PET Alliance, a physician-led organization dedicated to advancing cardiac positron emission tomography (PET) imaging, has officially launched. While acknowledged by many as being better than the current standard single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), a significant number of patients still have limited access to the technology that most cardiac imaging experts say is a game-changer.

The group, representing more than 1,200 cardiologists across 101 cardiovascular group practices operating out of 24 states, sees PET as critical in detecting and diagnosing heart disease. The group says it wants to expand and protect patient access to cardiac PET and educating policymakers, physicians and patients about the nuclear imaging technology.

The Cardiac PET Alliance includes a majority of cardiac PET providers in the United States and supports practices performing more than 400,000 cardiac PET studies each year.

The American College of Cardiology (ACC), American Heart Association (AHA), American Society of Nuclear Cardiology (ASNC), Association of Black Cardiologists (ABC), and the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) all now recognize cardiac PET as the preferred nuclear stress test for the detection and evaluation of coronary artery disease. Many cardiac imaging experts also recognize cardiac PET as the superior to traditional nuclear workhorse technology of single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) imaging. PET offers clearer images and the added measure of myocardial flow reserve (MFR), which can offer additional clinical information, including diagnosis of microvascular disease in patients who otherwise do not have a clear coronary artery blockage.

"Every day, cardiologists and radiologists rely on cardiac PET to provide the most accurate diagnostic information possible while helping patients avoid unnecessary invasive procedures," explained Rick W. Snyder, MD, president of the Cardiac PET Alliance and chief physician executive at US Heart and Vascular, in a statement. "Our mission is simple: protect patient access to this proven technology so physicians can continue delivering the highest standard of cardiovascular care."

The announcement of the group's formation comes ahead of the alliance's upcoming meetings with key members of Congress this fall in Washington, D.C. Alliance leaders said they will discuss the importance of preserving access to cardiac PET imaging, particularly for underserved and vulnerable populations. Access to PET imaging has been met insurance coverage issues and its high upfront costs when hospitals purchase the new technology, which has limited it penetration into rural and under-served regions.

"Cardiac PET represents one of the most important advances in cardiovascular imaging," added Tim Attebery, executive director of the Cardiac PET Alliance. He is the former CEO for the ACC and MedAxiom, and currently serves as CEO of Cardiovascular Associates of America. "Our Alliance was created to ensure that every patient who can benefit from this technology continues to have easy access regardless of where they live or who they are. By bringing together physician leaders from across the country, we are creating a unified voice to educate policymakers and protect access to this essential diagnostic tool as we continue to do everything possible to reduce mortality and morbidity of cardiovascular disease in the U.S."

A key message the group wants to stress is that research has shown that patients managed with cardiac PET undergo more than 50% fewer invasive coronary procedures, resulting in about 30% lower total costs of care. That is all without increasing cardiac death or heart attack rates.

The Alliance also emphasizes the important role cardiac PET plays in addressing healthcare disparities. Women with coronary microvascular disease are frequently misdiagnosed because many conventional non-invasive imaging tests cannot detect small vessel disease. Black patients also experience higher rates of coronary microvascular disease and cardiovascular mortality.

The group said rural communities often have limited access to advanced cardiac imaging, but mobile cardiac PET services can help bring the technology to patients who might otherwise travel for hours or forgo the testing altogether.

Member healthcare groups involved in this initial launch include:

The Cardiac PET Alliance said it wants to advance education, research and advocacy surrounding cardiac PET imaging. The group created websites for additional scientific evidence and physician resources at www.CardiacPETAlliance.com, and patient information at www.CardiacPETSavesLives.com.

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Dave Fornell

Dave Fornell has covered healthcare for more than 17 years, with a focus in cardiology and radiology. Fornell is a 5-time winner of a Jesse H. Neal Award, the most prestigious editorial honors in the field of specialized journalism. The wins included best technical content, best use of social media and best COVID-19 coverage. Fornell was also a three-time Neal finalist for best range of work by a single author. He produces more than 100 editorial videos each year, most of them interviews with key opinion leaders in medicine. He also writes technical articles, covers key trends, conducts video hospital site visits, and is very involved with social media. E-mail: [email protected]