Nine additional area physicians complete HeartCaring certification

HeartCaring to train physicians, health care providers and patients to recognize unique causes and symptoms of cardiovascular disease in women

Nine area physicians have received their HeartCaring certifications through St. Elizabeth Regional Health. Twenty-six physicians and medical staff were certified in May.

HeartCaring is a national certification program that helps health care providers improve heart health through physician education and community outreach focused on gender-sensitive cardiovascular care. HeartCaring is administered by the Spirit of Women Hospital/Health System Network with support from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI).

The NHLBI and Spirit of Women created HeartCaring in response to a growing body of research that demonstrates an under-diagnosis of cardiovascular disease in women, as well as a lack of understanding about gender variations in symptoms of cardiovascular diseases and conditions such as peripheral artery disease (PAD) and stroke.

The HeartCaring program includes physician education about symptoms, diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular disease, PAD, and stroke in women, as well as in-office tools that help women patients make positive, healthy choices to prevent cardiovascular disease. In addition, as part of its participation in the HeartCaring initiative, St. Elizabeth Regional Health and the St. Elizabeth Heart Center will conduct community outreach to encourage healthy lifestyle choices. Physicians who participate in the HeartCaring program are certified for one year with additional gender-sensitive training required for renewal each year. More than 500 physician practices are HeartCaring certified nationally and actively using the program, and in 2007, HeartCaring Hospital/Health Systems distributed more than 700,000 materials nationwide.

Physicians and practices that have completed the HeartCaring certification process include:

• Lafayette Emergency Care physicians (staffing the St. Elizabeth Central and Home Hospital Emergency departments):
• Chris Brandenburg, M.D.
• Neal Brown, M.D.
• Troy Dinkel, M.D.
• Marc Estes, M.D.
• Charles Motley, M.D.
• Lindi Randall-Hayes, M.D.
• Ted Seall, M.D.
• Hector Torres, M.D.

• Sigma Medical Group: Debbie R. Wright, M.D., Cardiovascular Disease, 1012 N. 14th St., Lafayette

HeartCaring is offered by Spirit of Women, which is a signature program offered exclusively by the Kathryn Weil Center for Education and St. Elizabeth Regional Health. As a Spirit of Women provider, St. Elizabeth Regional Health and the Kathryn Weil Center for Education are part of a network of hospitals and health care providers across the nation that ascribe to the highest standards of excellence in women’s health, education and community outreach.

For more information about HeartCaring, please visit www.ste.org/heart.