Texas Heart Institute Establishes New
Center for Women's Heart and Vascular Health
Houston, Texas (October 7, 2010) – The Texas Heart Institute (THI) at St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital (SLEH) today joined with Houston Mayor Annise Parker and a host of other dignitaries to announce the establishment of a new Center for Women's Heart and Vascular Health.
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Houston Mayor Annise Parker speaks to the public gathering.
Dr. Stephanie Coulter (far right) joins in the announcement.
View a of the event. |
The nonprofit Center will focus on women-oriented research, improved treatment, prevention, and education of the public, doctors and other medical professionals.
More than 41 million women in America are living with some form of cardiovascular disease according to the American Heart Association, over 600,000 of them in Texas. Heart disease is the leading cause of death in women. In fact, each year cardiovascular disease claims the lives of more women than men. A woman is 5 times more likely to die of cardiovascular disease than from breast cancer, according to the AHA. Women are less likely than men to receive the appropriate treatment after a heart attack and are more likely than men to die in the first year after a heart attack.
Despite these facts, surveys have shown that primary care physicians are generally unaware of gender disparities in diagnosing and treating this disease. Additionally, women have historically been under-represented in medical research. More recently, data has shown that women represent only about a quarter of participants in heart-related research studies.
"Our goal is to have a significant impact on the human suffering and the escalating costs associated with heart disease in women and we feel like we're already making a difference with research and programs under way," said Dr. Stephanie Coulter, a cardiologist who has been named as director of the new Center.
"The Texas Heart Institute has a long legacy of lifesaving discovery and this is an undeniable medical need on which we want to bring our best and brightest minds to bear, including on research already under way that will help identify risks for women in Houston and Harris County and possible strategies to address them," added Dr. James T. Willerson, THI President and Medical Director, who is also a cardiologist and research scientist. "Our wives, mothers, daughters, sisters all deserve no less."
During the announcement, Dr. Denton A. Cooley, noted heart surgeon and founder of the Texas Heart Institute helped present to the mayor 41 rose bushes, symbolizing the over 41 million American women with heart disease and the Center's commitment to eliminate the disease. The roses will be planted in front of City Hall.
"Houston is proud to be home of the remarkable Texas Medical Center and the ground-breaking Texas Heart Institute. Now the Institute's Center for Women's Heart and Vascular Health will be one more shining example of what makes it the greatest medical center in the world," said Mayor Parker. "The fact that so many women stand to benefit from it is especially significant. The roses will serve as a reminder of that."
The announcement of the new nonprofit Center coincided with the announcement that a gift of $30,000 had been awarded to the Center with the help of Edna Meyer-Nelson, who is chair of the Women's Center Advisory Council. The gift was made by the Los Angeles-based Sheila Gold Foundation and the 99¢ Only Stores Family.
Joining in the announcement at Houston's City Hall were: First Lady of Houston, Kathy Hubbard; City Council Member Sue Lovell; Former First Lady of Houston and THI board member, Elyse Lanier; other THI board members Jodie Jiles and Barbara Hurwitz. There were also representatives from a diverse array of community groups and research collaborators including: the American Heart Association; TexGen; Neighborhood Centers, Inc; St. Luke's Episcopal Health Charities; Project Row Houses; Third Ward Community Cloth Cooperative; Executive Women's Partnership; and Texas Executive Women.
More information about the THI Center for Women's Heart and Vascular Health can be found at www.texasheart.org/women.
For media inquiries please contact:
Texas Heart Institute
Frank Michel ♦ 832-355-9510
Email: fmichel@heart.thi.tmc.edu
For THI and St. Luke's media profiles, see Public Affairs.
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