Center for Women’s Cardiovascular Health
Sanger’s new Center for Women’s Cardiovascular Health, provides specialized, integrated, comprehensive care to address the unique cardiovascular needs of all women across the lifespan. We’re the first center in the greater Charlotte region to offer access to experts in spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD) and fibromuscular dysplasia (FMD).
Recent Highlights
Recognition from the Fibromuscular Dysplasia Society of America (FMDSA): Our Center’s leader received the FMDSA’s Founders Award, which recognizes individuals and institutions that have taken extraordinary measures to advance FMD awareness, research and/or treatment.
Hosted a national SCAD conference and patient symposium: Organized in partnership with the SCAD Alliance, this 2-day conference brought nationally recognized experts together at Sanger. They discussed how to best care for SCAD patients and developed new research ideas and collaborations. Faculty and patients traveled from 25 different states – and from as far away as Australia.
The Charlotte region’s first joint cardio-obstetrics clinic: We are one of the very few women’s cardiology programs to offer this type of clinic to pregnant women with cardiovascular disease, in partnership with Atrium Health Women’s Institute. Patients can receive multidisciplinary care, including obstetric imaging and evaluation by the maternal-fetal medicine and cardiology teams, on the same day and in the same space.
First Women’s Heart Conference: Our team hosted its first-ever Women’s Heart Conference for the community in February 2023. The goal was to raise awareness about women’s unique heart health needs. The day included educational talks and breakout sessions on topics including cardiovascular risk factors, CPR training, healthy cooking, blood pressure checks, mindfulness and meditation, and resilience strategies for women.
International SCAD (iSCAD) Registry: Sanger became North Carolina’s first site to enroll patients in the iSCAD registry. Our center’s leader is the study’s principal investigator. U.S. FMD Registry: We became the first site in North Carolina to enroll patients in the U.S. FMD Registry.
Imaging protocols for women: In collaboration with Sanger’s cardiovascular imaging experts, we developed imaging protocols tailored for the detection of cardiovascular disorders that disproportionately affect women, including coronary microvascular disease and uncommon arterial disorders such as FMD.
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27%
SCAD/FMD Patients
Who Travel > 1 Hour to Get to Clinic
Internal Data, YTD August 2023 Annualized -
10%
SCAD/FMD Patients
Who Travel From Out-of-State to Get to Clinic
Internal Data, YTD August 2023 Annualized
Women’s Cardiology Clinic
South Atlantic Cardiovascular Society Meeting. Women’s Heart Health Case: 29-year-old Woman with MI During Pregnancy. Amelia Island, July 2023
American Society of Echocardiography Scientific Sessions. Interpretation of Peripheral Arterial and Venous Doppler Waveforms. National Harbor, MD, June 2023
Cedars Sinai Cardiology Grand Rounds. Fibromuscular Dysplasia for the Cardiologist. June 2023
Vancouver SCAD Conference, Vancouver Canada. Rapid Fire Overview and Update of FMD. May 2023
Vancouver SCAD Conference, Vancouver Canada. Link between FMD and SCAD. May 2023
Vancouver SCAD Conference, Vancouver Canada. Screening for FMD and Vascular Disorders After SCAD. May 2023
Vascular in Vegas – Essentials of Vascular Ultrasound. Principles of Doppler Waveform Interpretation. April 2023
Vascular in Vegas – Essentials of Vascular Ultrasound. Carotid Duplex – Beyond Atherosclerosis. April 2023.
Vascular in Vegas – Essentials of Vascular Ultrasound. Duplex Examination of the Upper Extremity Arteries. April 2023.
Vascular in Vegas – Essentials of Vascular Ultrasound. Masters Case Challenge Presenter. April 2023
Vascular in Vegas – Essentials of Vascular Ultrasound. Renal Artery Duplex Examination. April 2023
Oklahoma Chapter of the American College of Cardiology. Spontaneous Coronary Artery Dissection. Society for Vascular Medicine Fellows Course, Large Vessel Vasculitis. Atlanta, GA, March 2023.
Society for Vascular Medicine Fellows Course. Thoracic aortic aneurysm and dissection etiology, surveillance, threshold for repair. Atlanta, GA, March 2023
American College of Cardiology Scientific Sessions 2023. Vascular Medicine: Year in Review. New Orleans, LA, March 2023
International Symposium on Endovascular Therapy. What do the Waveforms Tell Us in Upper Extremity Venous Exams?. Miami Beach, FL, January 2023
International Symposium on Endovascular Therapy. Panel: Live Exam: Renal Artery Stenosis. Miami Beach, FL, January 2023
International Symposium on Endovascular Therapy. Panel: Interesting Findings in Renal Artery Interpretation. Miami Beach, FL, January 2023
International Symposium on Endovascular Therapy. What’s New in the 2022 PAD Guidelines. Miami Beach, FL, January 2023.
US Registry of Fibromuscular Dysplasia (FMD)- University of Michigan
International Spontaneous Coronary Artery Dissection Registry (iSCAD)- Beth Israel at Harvard
Leadership
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Esther Kim, MD
Izard Family Distinguished Chair in Cardiovascular Medicine Medical Director, Center for Women’s Cardiovascular Health