Published on April 27, 2026

FirstHealth Enhances Cardiac Imaging Through New Partnership with Cleerly

Bringing AI-Powered Cardiac Imaging to Pinehurst

FirstHealth of the Carolinas is enhancing its cardiac imaging program with a partnership with Cleerly, a leader in artificial intelligence-driven cardiovascular imaging.

This collaboration gives patients better access to customized imaging and reinforces FirstHealth’s commitment to delivering world-class heart care close to home.

The new collaboration will be led by cardiologist Sivakumar Ardhanari, M.D., the medical director of FirstHealth’s cardiac imaging program. Using FDA-cleared, AI-based algorithms applied to coronary CT angiography (CCTA) scans, Cleerly provides a comprehensive assessment of coronary artery plaque, which is the root cause of most heart attacks.

Why Does Early Detection of Coronary Artery Disease Matter?

Heart disease remains the leading cause of death in the United States, and many heart attacks occur in people who experienced no prior symptoms and were considered low risk by traditional testing.

By integrating Cleerly’s advanced analytics into routine cardiac imaging, FirstHealth physicians and providers can identify disease earlier and tailor care to each patient’s unique cardiovascular profile

How Cleerly Technology Improves Heart Disease Detection

“Traditional risk assessments don’t always tell the full story,” said Dr. Ardhanari. “By incorporating Cleerly’s advanced coronary analysis into our cardiac imaging program, we’re able to see heart disease at a much earlier stage and with greater precision. This allows us to better personalize prevention and treatment strategies, helping patients take action before a cardiac event occurs.”

The Cleerly coronary analysis transforms standard CCTA images into detailed, quantitative reports that give physicians deeper insight into a patient’s current burden of coronary artery disease.

According to Ardhanari, these insights can be used to guide shared decision-making, monitor disease progression over time and optimize preventive and therapeutic interventions.

Learn More About Cardiac Imaging at FirstHealth

For more information about cardiac imaging services at FirstHealth, visit FirstHealth.org/Heart.