When the Providence
Hospitals’ South Carolina Heart Center
cardiac specialist Dr. Norma Khoury was in Washington, DC last spring at
a conference, she was impressed by the national group WomenHeart: The
National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease. Connecting with some of
the group’s leadership, she saw the potential for this group to dovetail with
the already successful Red Dress campaign and other awareness activities in
Columbia because it filled a real gap in the Midlands – the emotional recovery
element of tackling heart disease.
Cardiac rehabilitation is common among
heart disease survivors, but after years of connecting with her patients, Dr.
Khoury was increasingly worried that there was no outlet for the emotional
healing that is required to live with the looming spector of heart disease.
Advocacy and education are also key elements that needed a more year-round
approach for women to truly understand how heart disease could affect them, so
Dr. Khoury approached Providence Hospitals leadership about buying into
WomenHeart.
“This opportunity was too good to pass
up – whether you are scheduled for heart surgery, have afib or some other heart
condition, WomenHeart Columbia is a group to learn with, to grow with and is
set for heart disease survivors to shape into an emotional recovery hub for all
of South Carolina’s women.”
WomenHeart Columbia’s champion,
Christine Gallagher, has worked hard with WomenHeart at the national level to
launch the support network’s first Columbia meeting. Though the group is partnering with
Providence Hospitals, patients who seek heart care at any practice or any
hospital are welcome.
Please urge your female heart patients
to check out this new group and try to attend one of their meetings. More
information is available at their facebook page: www.facebook.com/WomenHeartSC.
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