Coutinho: The Future (of Women’s Heart Health) is Now
A White Paper published in the American Heart Association’s Journal, Circulation, is proposing a number of novel strategies for the improved future of heart health centres serving women.
Dr. Thais Coutinho, Chief of the Division of Cardiac Prevention and Rehabilitation at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute (UOHI), and Chair of the Canadian Women’s Heart Health Centre (CWHHC), says most of the strategies deemed essential in the paper are already in place at the Heart Institute.
In the following video, Dr. Thais Coutinho talks about the White Paper published in Circulation and shares her opinion.
The UOHI’s CWHHC was first developed in 2013 with the goal of providing a 360-degree program to improve the heart health of women in Canada. Today, it is a multi-level, women- and healthcare provider-focused centre providing women with innovative programs and services, education and research.
In their paper, titled Heart Centers for Women: Historical Perspective on Formation and Future Strategies to Reduce Cardiovascular Disease, published September 11, 2018, authors Lundberg et al outline several strategic moves for health centres for women in relation to four key pillars: clinical care, education and health literacy, community partnership and commitment to research.
The Beat developed the infographic below to compare the strategic moves outlined by Lundberg et al to elements already established and implemented by Dr. Coutinho and her team at the CWHHC in Ottawa.
