2022 Go Red for Women by The Columbus Dispatch/Dispatch Magazines

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THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

SUNDAY, JANUARY 30, 2021

Go Red for Women IT’S TIME FOR WOMEN’S HEALTH TO TAKE CENTER STAGE National Wear Red Day

Friday, February 4, 2022

Go Red for Women Co-Chairs seek to help Central Ohio “Reclaim Their Rhythm” o Red for Women – the American Heart Association’s signature initiative to raise awareness that heart disease is women’s greatest health threat and to empower them to take action to reduce that risk – is hard at work in Central Ohio raising awareness and funds to save women’s lives. Since 2004, Go Red for Women has had a profound impact on women’s health and continues to be a champion for women. To remove barriers to good heart health and well-being, Go Red for Women: • Raises awareness among women • Empowers women to take charge of their health • Engages more women in research and STEM, and • Addresses inequities in access and quality of care. Leading the charge as CoChairs in Central Ohio this year are two powerful, passionate and impactful women, Ola Snow, chief human resources officer for Cardinal Health, and Congresswoman Joyce Beatty. Both women are dedicated to increasing women’s heart health awareness and serving as a catalyst for change to improve the lives all women. Women, especially Black and Hispanic women, are disproportionally impacted by heart disease and stroke and research shows heart attacks are on the rise in younger women.

Yet younger generations of women, Gen Z and Millennials, are less likely to be aware of their greatest health threat, including knowing the warning signs of heart attacks and strokes – the trend is prevalent in women ages 25-34 and Black and Hispanics of all ages. “The decline in awareness among women, especially in women in their 20s and 30s, and Black and Hispanic women of all ages, requires swift action to reverse and presents an urgent need for us all to double down our efforts,” says Nancy Tobbe, executive director for the Central Ohio American Heart Association. “We are honored to have both Ola’s and Joyce’s leadership and vision in developing this year’s Go Red for Women Luncheon with this critical need for health equity as the anchor of our local movement.” For 18 years, Go Red for Women has provided a platform for the Columbus community to come together and raise awareness around cardiovascular disease, the No. 1 killer of women. This year, the Columbus Go Red for Women Luncheon will feature inspiring survivor stories and will drive a conversation that encourages women to think holistically about their health and wellbeing, highlights how the unprecedented stress of the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted health and shines a

light on the inequities women face - especially women of color. Despite the devastating toll of COVID-19, cardiovascular disease is the No. 1 killer of women in the United States, claiming more lives each year than all forms of cancer combined. Moreover, since the onset of the pandemic, deaths from heart disease and stroke have risen significantly and more people are reporting lower physical and emotional wellness.

Women, especially Black and Hispanic women, are disproportionally impacted by heart disease and stroke and research shows heart attacks are on the rise in younger women. Yet younger generations of women, Gen Z and Millennials, are less likely to be aware of their greatest health threat.

eople are tired. With everything that’s happened in the last two years, even those people who normally focus on their health have lost their rhythm. CVD is still greatest

health threat, but COVID – and all the complexity of life because of it - remains top of mind. The pandemic has significantly impacted the risk for heart disease and stroke. • 1 in 5 people reported lower physical wellness • 1 in 3 reported lower emotional wellness • Over the past year, many of us have adopted unhealthy behaviors like skipping exercise, eating unhealthy foods, drinking more alcohol and using tobacco, which can all increase the risk for heart disease and stroke. • Even people who had mild cases of COVID-19 may have changes to their heart and brain health due to their runin with the virus. Now’s the time to Reclaim Your Rhythm and take back control of your physical health and mental well-being. The American Heart Association is helping people create healthy habits that work best for their life, to give them the best chance at life. “This February we are urging everyone in Central Ohio to create habits that work best for their life and to support each other in taking control of their health,” says Tobbe. Incorporating music in your daily routine can help create healthy habits. The American Heart Association offers five ways to reclaim your rhythm (see

graphic below). It’s not just about wearing red. It’s not just about sharing heart-health facts. It’s about all women standing together with Go Red for Women – because 1 in 3 women die from heart disease and losing even one woman is too many. As the trusted, passionate and relevant force to eradicate heart disease and stroke in women, Go Red for Women remains steadfast and committed to meeting the comprehensive health needs of women – at every stage life stage. This year’s Go Red for Women movement and its local achievements will be celebrated on Thursday, Feb. 17, 2022 at the Go Red for Women Luncheon, sponsored locally by the Big Lots Foundation and Cardinal Health. The Luncheon will be held at the Hyatt Regency in downtown Columbus from Noon to 1 p.m. “We are thrilled to have both Ola’s and Congresswoman Beatty’s leadership, conviction and passion to help drive the Go Red for Women movement in Central Ohio,” says Nancy Tobbe, executive director for the Central Ohio American Heart Association. “Together, we know that we will have a positive impact on the lives of women in our community and the families that depend on them.” For more information about Go Red for Women visit Columbusgored.heart.org.

GET BACK INTO THE GROOVE WITH THESE TIPS

HAVE HEALTHY

TAKE CENTER STAGE FOR WOMEN’S HEART HEALTH

MOVE TO THE GROOVE FOR MENTAL WELL-BEING

Wear red and give to help women create the healthy habits they need to have their best chance at life

One of the keys to better health and mental well-being is getting back into the rhythm of an active lifestyle.

Give now.

Start today.

STAY ON BEAT WITH YOUR BLOOD PRESSURE Self-measure and manage your blood pressure to prevent strokes and heart attacks.

Know your numbers.

LEARN HOW TO 2-STEP Hands-Only CPR is a two step process that may save someone after cardiac arrest.

Learn the steps.

DON’T MISS A BEAT. GIVE UP TOBACCO & VAPING. Cigarette smoking is the leading preventable cause of death in the United States.

Quit today. Heart.org

February is heart month. How’s yours doing? It’s time to take back your health. Now is the perfect time to make sure you know the warning signs of a heart attack. Fast action can save lives — maybe even your own. Pay attention to your body and call 911 if you experience discomfort in your chest or upper body (including your arms, back, neck, jaw or stomach), shortness of breath, nausea, lightheadedness or cold sweats. Because when it comes to your heart, every minute matters — and OhioHealth is here to help you take back your health. Learn more about heart attack prevention at OhioHealth.com/HeartAttack.

SAVING MOMS’ LIVES:

A policy roadmap to better health before, during and after pregnancy

ragically, mothers across the country are dying during and after childbirth, a trend that is disproportionately impacting women of color. Heart disease and stroke contribute to approximately 1 in 3 of these deaths and is the No. 1 cause of death for new moms, elevating the importance of early interventions that improve maternal health for all mothers. The American Heart Association recently issued public policy guidance to address the problem. The policy statement, Call to Action: Maternal Health and Saving Mothers, sets a new policy agenda to ensure healthy pregnancies, healthy births and healthy moms. With the support of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the Society for Maternal Fetal Medicine, the statement is a guide for policymakers and health care leaders to make healthy moms a priority. “The tragic irony is that m oms are typically in charge of the health for everyone in their family, yet they are dying due to lack of the right kind of care at the moment they need it the most,” said Laxmi S. Mehta, M.D., FAHA, the statement’s lead author and director of Preventative Cardiology and Women’s Cardiovascular Health at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. “Mothers deserve a fair chance to receive the best care to ensure a healthy pregnancy, delivery and life following childbirth. The U.S. is an outlier when it comes to implementing science-backed policies that improve health for moms.” Despite steep declines in global maternal mortality rates over the past two decades, U.S. maternal mortality rates have more than doubled to an estimated 700 deaths a year in the United States since data collection began in 1987. An estimated two out of three pregnancy deaths are preventable, emphasizing that the best models of care must be put in place to save lives. Pregnancy-related mortality rates for non-Hispanic Black and American Indian/Alaska Native women are nearly two to three times that of white women, and these disparities persist independent of socioeconomic variables. “Regardless of a woman’s employment, housing, race or social status, she deserves a health system that ensures a healthy pregnancy, delivery and beyond childbirth as a healthy mom,” said Garima Sharma, M.D., vice-chair of the policy statement writing group and director of the cardio-obstetrics program at Johns Hopkins Schoolof Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland. “With a c oncerted effort, the U.S. can save mothers’ lives by implementing simple changes in our patient and provider approach as well as system overhauls to meet the needs of women in their reproductive years.”

With maternal mortality rates rising over the past three decades in the U.S., every facet of maternal health must be improved. The policy statement published today provides compelling evidence for proven strategies to reduce overall deaths and address racial disparities in maternal health. It states that maternal health equity is achievable through a three-pronged approach focused on patients, providers and systems of care:

Addressing Disparities and Inequities Provider Education: Mitigate bias and unequal treatment in care by integrating cultural and structural competency training into medical education for all health care providers. Better Reporting: Improve quality reporting of maternal outcomes, as well as surveillance systems to better monitor key maternal and infant health indicators.

Funding Care & Research: Address systemic inequities by expanding Medicaid in states that have yet to take that step, funding rural hospitals and researching intersections of determinants of health with sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race and ethnicity. Prevention Education: Support public awareness and education campaigns for smoking cessation, physical activity and heart healthy prevention from prenatal to postpartum.

Updating Technology & Systems Invest in Under-Resourced Communities: Modernize the public health infrastructure through investments in community health workforce, health care facilities and digital perinatal services that serve under-resourced communities such as Text4Baby to support mothers and their newborns. Close Gaps in Rural Health: Enhance coordination of care across the cardio-obstetric team and improve access to telemedicine and remote patient monitoring through at-home technology.

Maternal Health Matters Modernizing Maternal Health Care Delivery

Preconception Counseling: Improve awareness of preconception counseling to increase adoption of healthy behaviors before, during and after pregnancy, and awareness of potential medical complications. Payment Model Innovation: Transform provider payment in a way that prioritizes quality improvement and the provision of historically underutilized, high-value services and deprioritizes unnecessary services. Postpartum Coverage Expansion: Expand postpartum care for Medicaid participants to the first year after delivery. Here in Columbus, and across the state of Ohio, Medicaid participants can expect their current 60- day postpartum care benefit to expand to one year to begin April 2022. Individuals with pregnancy-related Medicaid coverage typically lose their benefits 60 days after the end of pregnancy, yet a growing body of evidence shows some of the most dangerous pregnancy-related complications – preeclampsia, blood clots, and heart problems such as cardiomyopathy – may not surface until weeks or months after delivery. The postpartum period is a time of vulnerability for all new mothers, and Ohio has stepped up as a leader in one of the critical ways we can immediately impact new moms who need it most, when they need it most.

Maternal Health Matters

Heart disease and stroke are the leading causes of death in new mothers in the U.S. To ensure equitable health for all, we must address maternal health at all life stages.

The Need to Address Maternal Health Equity Over the last 20 years, severe pregnancy health problems have increased nearly 200% leading to more health issues in the near future and down the road for women.

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BEST

HEART HOSPTAL IN COLUMBUS

At the Ohio State Heart and Vascular Center at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, our experts are leading the way with the development of lifesaving devices, medications and procedures that are improving lives, extending time with loved ones and offering hope against heart disease. And we do it all in an environment enhanced by rigorous safety protocols to keep you and your loved ones safe.

It’s what you should expect from Columbus’ only heart hospital ranked “best” by U.S. News & World Report. Call 614-293-ROSS or visit wexnermedical.osu.edu/osuheart.

What heart and stroke patients need to know about COVID-19 in 2022

wo years into the pandemic, researchers have learned a lot about how COVID-19 affects people with heart disease and stroke survivors. But like the coronavirus itself, what everyone needs to know keeps evolving. “You can’t assume that what was true three months ago is true now,” said Dr. James de Lemos, a cardiologist at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas. Thanks to the omicron variant, “it’s a fundamentally different pandemic than it was at Thanksgiving.” Early data suggests omicron causes less severe illness but spreads more easily than its predecessors. So heart and stroke patients need to protect themselves, starting with understanding that COVID-19 still is a threat to their health. “Early on, we recognized that the risk was higher for those with pre-existing cardiovascular disease,” said Dr. Biykem Bozkurt, a cardiologist at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, people with conditions such as heart failure, coronary artery disease and possibly high blood pressure may be more likely to get severely ill from COVID-19. So can people who have diabetes, are overweight or are recovering from a stroke. SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, also has been linked to increased risk of several cardiovascular conditions. According to a September 2021 report from the CDC, people with COVID-19 are nearly 16 times more likely to have heart inflammation, or myocarditis, than uninfected people. The report found about 150 cases per 100,000 people with COVID-19 versus about nine cases per 100,000 people without the virus. In addition, an August 2021 study in the New England Journal of Medicine showed people with the coronavirus may have a significantly higher, albeit rare, risk of intracranial hemorrhage, or brain bleeding; heart attack; and having an arrhythmia, or abnormal heartbeat. Researchers don’t have full data on omicron’s effects yet, Bozkurt said, but it’s still affecting people who are vulnerable. “And that’s why the hospitals right now are full.”

The risks of any one person having a severe problem from the new variant are relatively small, de Lemos said. “But the flipside is, given how many people are getting infected right now, the cumulative number of people with COVID-19 complications is still very large.” De Lemos, who helped create the American Heart Association’s COVID-19 Cardiovascular Disease Registry, said omicron “is obviously wildly more infectious and able to evade the vaccine to some extent, although it does appear that the vaccine seems to prevent severe infections and hospitalizations.” And overall, “we don’t know a ton about specifically why certain patients with heart disease do less well,” he said, although understanding has evolved over time. In the beginning, de Lemos said, doctors feared the virus directly infected the heart muscle. “That doesn’t really appear to be the case,” he said. Instead, it appears that in severe cases, the virus is inflaming the lining of blood vessels of the heart and increasing the likelihood of clotting in the smallest vessels, he said. COVID-19 also can overwhelm the

heart by making it work harder to pump oxygenated blood through the body as the lungs are overwhelmed. But as they’ve learned more about the coronavirus, doctors have gotten better at fighting it. For example, de Lemos said, they now work proactively to treat bloodclotting disorders in hospitalized patients. And although researchers are working to understand lingering effects known as “long COVID,” it appears long-term implications for the heart look favorable. “The vast majority of people who have mild COVID infections really appear to have nothing to worry about with their hearts,” he said. “That’s good news, I think, and doesn’t get emphasized enough.” People with existing heart conditions or a history of stroke still need to protect themselves, and have many ways of doing so. “Number one: Get vaccinated,” said Bozkurt, who has studied COVID-19 vaccine side effects. “And please, do get a booster.” Reports of rare cases of vaccine-related myocarditis, particularly in younger males, should not dissuade anybody with an existing condition. Most people with pre-existing cardiovascular

disease are not young adult males, she noted. And regardless of age, the benefits from vaccines outweigh the risks. Given how the vaccines don’t seem to be as protective against the spread of omicron, de Lemos said if you’re a heart disease or stroke patient, hunker down for the next several weeks until this wave passes, “and then you’ll be able to reemerge.” Patients should avoid indoor crowds, he said, and use a KN95 mask or, when possible, an N95 mask instead of cloth masks when being in a crowd is necessary. Bozkurt said heart and stroke patients should keep in contact with their health care team and continue taking medications as prescribed. Anybody with symptoms that could be heartrelated should seek care immediately. “Do not delay,” she said. Both doctors said it was important to get information from reliable sources. Some false remedies promoted on social media can actually damage the heart, Bozkurt said. De Lemos acknowledged that even from reliable sources, advice can shift. “I would say that the information is written in pencil, not in pen, because things are changing so fast.” It can be frustrating for him, even as a scientist, when experts disagree or alter their recommendations, but “that’s the way science goes.” And even as COVID-19 “remains a bizarrely arbitrary virus in terms of who gets sick and who doesn’t,” he’s optimistic. “Think about all the progress we’ve made in a year or two, and the remarkable effect of the vaccines, the fact that we have drugs” that should help keep people out of hospitals. Heart and stroke patients need to be extra careful right now, but “as frustrating as it is, we will not be in this situation forever. We really won’t.” Editor’s note: Because of the rapidly evolving events surrounding the coronavirus, the facts and advice presented in this story may have changed since publication. Visit Heart.org for the latest coverage, and check with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and local health officials for the most recent guidance.

THANK YOU to the

2022 GO RED FOR WOMEN LUNCHEON SPONSORS

©2021 American Heart Association, Inc., a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit. All rights reserved. Go Red for Women is a registered trademark of AHA. The Red Dress Design is a trademark of U.S. DHHS. Unauthorized use prohibited.

Getting back to friends. Set your heart on it. Like millions of Americans, you could be at higher risk for COVID-19 complications because of diabetes, high blood pressure and heart conditions. Learning about the COVID-19 vaccine can be the ﬁrst step towards getting back to your life. VISIT: Heart.org/vaccine

Diagnosed with heart failure during her second pregnancy, Jessica Diede wants to raise awareness about maternal heart disease

Jessica Diede and her husband, Greg, were thrilled to be second-time parents. At 20 weeks pregnant, Jessica started getting winded, her heartbeat racing for what seemed like no good reason. Lying on her side was the only thing that made her feel better. Her OBGYN suspected anxiety and suggested medication to treat her symptoms. But she had dealt with anxiety before, and this wasn’t it. “Why would anxiety go away by turning or with different maneuvers?” asked Jessica, 30. Determined to get to the bottom of it, she asked for a referral to a cardiologist, who did an echocardiogram to put her mind at ease. Instead, it revealed that Jessica had cardiomyopathy. Her heart was failing. “He said I could die during childbirth,” she said. “When you get news like that, everything pauses and gets quiet around you.” When her OB-GYN heard the news, he referred her to a specialist. She would also have to give birth at a different hospital than the one she had picked out — one better equipped for cases like hers. “I pictured a natural birth in my house with no epidural, but I accepted that I wasn’t in control,” she said. “I wanted to survive.” Jessica’s first pregnancy was no walk in the park either. Diagnosed with a type of high blood pressure that can cause stroke or even death, she went on to develop gestational diabetes and peripartum cardiomyopathy, spending the final two months of her pregnancy in the hospital. “The preeclampsia may have weakened my heart,” she said. “They don’t know for sure.” Jessica faced gestational diabetes again during her second pregnancy, adding to the risk. As the weeks passed, she felt worse and worse. Sometimes, lying on her side was the only way she could breathe easily. She felt like she was being juggled between all the different specialists.

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“It’s scary when the doctors don’t know what to do for you,” she said. When Jessica was 34 weeks pregnant, her breathing labored and her oxygen levels dropping, doctors induced labor, explaining that a cesarean section would be too hard on her heart. For the same reason, they couldn’t give her too much pain medicine. “I was scared to push,” she said. “It was a big mess.” Born six weeks early, Remington spent the first few weeks in the neonatal intensive care unit. After giving birth, Jessica’s ejection fraction steadily increased, but her heart still beat too rapidly on occasion and for seemingly no good reason. After seeing three cardiologists, she was finally diagnosed with an atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia, or AVNRT1. She underwent a procedure called an ablation, which destroyed the part of the heart that was causing the problem. When Remington was a year old, Jessica finally started cardiac rehab. Today, she can walk up a flight of stairs “and not feel anxious about it,” she said. And since she can walk without getting winded as easily, she no longer hunts for the closest spot in the grocery store parking lot. But she still feels her heart flapping in her chest now and then. And when she lays on her side or lifts weights, her heart skips — something it had never done before — and doctors aren’t sure why. But while annoying at times, the symptoms don’t stop her from pumping iron and doing a bit of cardio, “so my heart stays strong,” she said. Grateful to have two healthy children, Jessica hopes to educate those in the health care industry and expecting mothers about the risks of maternal heart disease. While she had symptoms of the condition, such as swollen legs and shortness of breath: “Nobody believed me because I was younger and had no family history,” she said. “Keep pushing to get answers,” she added. “You might be right like I was.”

Jessica Diede with her two children

Circle forﬁght Women’s Health Circleof ofRed: Red Champions society in the to win against heart disease Circle of of Red Red members members use use their their influence, influence, generosity Circle generosity and andambassadorship ambassadorshiptotohelp helpincrease awareness of heart disease stroke, and to inspire women towomen take charge of charge their health. increase awareness of heartand disease and stroke, and to inspire to take of Many members have lost dearhave friends and loved ones and – they know what’s at stake. front-line their health. Many members lost dear friends loved ones – they knowAswhat’s advocates the cause, Circle of Red members onlyofhelp lives, but meaning and at stake. Asfor front-line advocates for the cause,not Circle Redsave members notgive only help save fulfillment to their own lives those they touch. lives, but give meaning andand fulfillment to their own lives and those they touch.

Tara Abraham Accel, Inc.

Andy Alderman Cardinal Health

Tara Abraham Accel, Inc.

George Barrett

Glen Ahrens Glen and Shakila Ahrens Family Foundation

Congresswoman Joyce Beatty

Brenda Baird American Heart Association

Jane Endres

Gina Heffner Centric Consulting

Michele Holcomb Cardinal Health

Mike Kaufmann Cardinal Health

Devray Kirkland Cardinal Health

Nancy McEwan

Remo Moomiaie-Qajar, MD

Kelly Reo The Ohio State University

Cara Forester Cardinal Health

Donna James

Lorraine Lutton Mount Carmel Health System

Lori Martin

Remo Moomiaie-Qajar, MD

Elizabeth O’Connor Seely The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center

Amy Rhine-Pallas LabCorp

Amy Shore Michelle Stroh Johnson Investment Nationwide Insurance Counsel

Teri Slick Deb Thresher

Lori Gillett Corna Kokosing

Pamela Hutchinson

Kristine Orion, MD The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center

Lisa Rogers CoverMyMeds Laura Schoettmer

Lori Martin

Sara Wilcox

Amrita Karve, MD Mount Carmel Health System

Linda Kaufmann

Jessica Mayer Cardinal Health

Elizabeth O’Connor Seely The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center

Bob Philips

K.C. McAllister mix talent

Debra Penzone PENZONE Salons + Spas

Kelly Reo The Ohio State University

Dave Schoettmer Avaap Amy Shore Nationwide Insurance

Francie Henry Fifth Third Bank

Ric Martin Bluestone Wealth Partners

Teri Slick

Ola Snow Deanna Stewart Kara Trott Melinda Urani Nancy Tobbe Avaap American Heart Messer Construction Co. Cardinal Health Quantum HealthMount Carmel Association Heath System

Carole Watkins

Jane Endres

Mike Kaufmann Cardinal Health

Ric Martin Bluestone Wealth Partners

Jennifer Nickell-Thomas

Tracy Davidson Optum Behavioral Health

Laura Gravelin, MD Mount Carmel Health System

Eric Joyner Cardinal Health

Devray Kirkland Cardinal Health

Kerrii Anderson

Jessie Cannon Cardinal Health

Tracy Davidson Optum Behavioral Health

Kim Hodgkinson Mount Carmel Heath System

Unhee Kim Mount Carmel Heath System

Dave Schoettmer Avaap

Kara Trott Quantum Health

Lisa George Berkenpas

James Barker Cardinal Health

Nationwide Insurance

Katie Cannon

Terri Hill

Pamela Hutchinson

Lisa Bachmann Brenda Baird American Heart American Heart Association Board Chair Allocco Association Cathy

Shakila Ali Glen and Shakila Ahrens Family Foundation

Jeffrey Bennett Cardinal Health

Jenny Barnes Quantum Health

Lisa Rogers CoverMyMeds

Anne Zavarella KPMG

Cathy Allocco Nationwide Insurance

Anne Zavarella KPMG

Amy Rhine-Pallas LabCorp

Laura Schoettmer Chrishonda Smith Mount Carmel Health System

Michelle StrohWatkins Carole Johnson Investment Counsel

Jenny Barnes Quantum Health

Lisa Bachmann American Heart Association Board Chair

Marc DeLorenzo Cardinal Health

Laura Gravelin, MD Mount Carmel Health System

Terri Hill

Linda Kaufmann

Unhee Kim Mount Carmel Health System

K.C. McAllister mix talent

Nancy McEwan

Robert Philips

Brian Rice Cardinal Health

Karen Sengelmann Fifth Third Bank Ola Snow Cardinal Health

Deb Thresher Sara Wilcox

Heart Program Specializes In The Unique Needs Of Women According to the American Heart Association, cardiovascular disease is responsible for 1 in 3 female deaths each year. Regrettably, only about half of women are aware of that fact and the grave risk heart disease poses. “Cardiovascular disease takes the lives of more women than all cancers combined,” said Mount Carmel electrophysiologist Dr. Laura Gravelin. “Unfortunately, women are often unaware of their own risks and of the gender-specific differences in the presentation of heart disease. That’s why, across the population, women are underdiagnosed with heart disease and are less likely to be offered guidelinerecommended therapy compared with men.” The Mount Carmel Women’s Heart Program is working to change that. The program is reimagining women’s cardiovascular care by highlighting and proactively managing the things that are unique and specific to women. Among the non-traditional risk factors that can be unique to women are

autoimmune disease, breast cancer treatment, and pregnancy complications. “Women can also present differently than men when it comes to heart attacks,” Mount Carmel cardiologist Dr. Amrita Karve added. “By focusing on the whole person, especially on prevention of heart disease, our program is striving to reduce that gender gap in diagnosis and treatment.” The program seeks to inform and educate women about the seriousness of heart disease, drawing special attention to specific cardiovascular needs, like timely diagnosis and guideline-directed treatment. It also offers preventive care that goes well beyond basic risk factors. “We work with our patients to understand and account for all the risks that may contribute to heart disease during their lifetime – from obstetric and gynecologic history, cancer history, and hormone replacement therapy to everyday issues like stress and sleep,” said Dr. Gravelin. “We want to empower them in every way possible to take control of their heart health.”

They provide that in-depth care in a warm, inviting, female-friendly environment within the Mount Carmel Heart & Vascular Center that’s unlike anything else in the community.

“It’s a place where women can feel safe, comfortable, and heard when talking about their heart, their health, and anything else — without judgement — with an exceptional team of compassionate providers,” said Dr. Karve. By creating that welcoming, accepting environment, the program’s providers are working to open the lines of communication, improve the patient experience, and permanently change the historically unisex approach to heart care. And given the growing gravity of heart disease in women, it couldn’t have come soon enough.

You love with your whole heart. And that’s exactly what we care for. When it comes to matters of the heart, women are all in. When it comes to caring for the heart, so are we. That’s why we created the Mount Carmel Women’s Heart Program — to empower you to be your best, healthiest self and fully commit to the people and activities you love. It’s an innovative, comprehensive program just for women that’s focused on your whole heart and the unique risks women face. Our compassionate providers share that care in a warm, inviting environment that prioritizes your wellbeing. You’ll feel safe, comfortable, and heard, and our team will be with you every step of the way. To learn more call 614-627-2000 or visit mountcarmelhealth.com.

The Women’s Heart Program is made possible through the generous support of the Mount Carmel Foundation.