On Demand: From Vision to Reality: Building a World-Class Women’s Health Program-Presentation Slides

Presentation Slides

Pdf Summary

The 2026 MedAxiom document outlines the establishment and development of world-class women's cardiovascular health programs, emphasizing the critical need for specialized care addressing cardiovascular disease (CVD) in women.<br /><br />Key initiatives include the Providence Women’s Heart Program in Oregon and the Lehigh Valley Health Network (LVHN) Women’s Heart and Vascular Program. Providence's program, led by Dr. Lori Tam and a multidisciplinary team, focuses on creating structured referral pathways, comprehensive clinical care, community education, continuing medical education (CME) for providers, clinical research, and quality improvement. It addresses gender-specific cardiovascular risks such as pregnancy, menopause, spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD), and myocardial infarction with non-obstructive coronary arteries (MINOCA/ANOCA). The program integrates partnerships with OB/Gyn and maternal fetal medicine specialists to manage pregnancy-related cardiac conditions and preventive care.<br /><br />The LVHN program, managed by Drs. Deborah Sundlof and Nidhi Mehta, features a large multidisciplinary team of cardiologists, vascular surgeons, and clinicians covering five regions. It emphasizes dedicated scheduling, referral pathways, and virtual multidisciplinary meetings. LVHN has pioneered cardio-obstetrics since 2010, serving over 900 patients with a combined approach between cardiology and high-risk maternal fetal medicine for women with heart disease during pregnancy. Additional services include a heart health after preeclampsia program, menopause program, SCAD care, and cardio-oncology services. Community and provider outreach activities support education and awareness, involving events like cooking demos, panel discussions, and collaborations with organizations such as the American Heart Association.<br /><br />Both programs stress the importance of integrating women's heart health into broader cardiology services without compromising productivity, leveraging philanthropy, data analytics, and marketing to grow impact and market share. The document also highlights lifestyle interventions as a significant opportunity for prevention and the role of multidisciplinary care models in achieving centers of excellence for women’s cardiovascular health.

Keywords

women's cardiovascular health

cardiovascular disease in women

Providence Women’s Heart Program

Lehigh Valley Health Network Women's Heart Program

gender-specific cardiovascular risks

cardio-obstetrics

multidisciplinary care

pregnancy-related cardiac conditions

community education and outreach

centers of excellence in women's heart health