– posts here focus on general topics about women and heart disease
by Carolyn Thomas ♥ @HeartSisters
After my heart attack, I appreciated kind-hearted friends and family who said: “Just call me if there’s anything at all that I can do for you!”
But I knew in my heart of hearts that I was not going to call them to ask:
“Can you come over and change the kitty litter?”
That was just never going to happen. Continue reading “Ten helpful things to say to a sick friend”
by Carolyn Thomas ♥ @HeartSisters
Last month, I spent a weepy week feeling very nostalgic – in an oddly happy way. Because last month was the 8th annual WomenHeart Science & Leadership Symposium at the world-famous Mayo Clinic — a joint effort hosted by Mayo Women’s Heart Clinic and WomenHeart: The National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease. And I was feeling so nostalgic because exactly one year earlier, five months after my own heart attack, I had flown to Rochester, Minnesota to attend the 7th annual Symposium – the first Canadian ever invited to attend.
Each year, 50-60 women, all heart disease survivors, spend five days at this life-changing Symposium learning about heart disease, receiving support from other women and medical professionals, and developing skills to become advocates for women’s health back in their home communities. The only goal is to raise awareness of heart disease in women – our #1 killer.
In the video below, Symposium leaders Dr. Sharonne Hayes, Lisa Tate and Carol Allred share their thoughts about this unique cardiology training event for women.
This year, over 60 women – all heart disease survivors – gained invaluable insight into their disease, becoming, as cardiologist Dr. Sharonne Hayes describes: “women who go from being victim patients to gunning for bear!” Most importantly, Symposium graduates are “changed for life”, as Dr. Hayes says, inspired to return to their own communities to share what they’ve learned. Continue reading “Mayo Clinic and WomenHeart pull off another great success!”
The Massachusetts Healthcare Whistleblower Act is a state law designed to protect health care providers from retaliation when they report problems in their medical facilities – retaliation like getting fired. Under the act’s protection, a Boston cardiologist last week filed a lawsuit against his former employer, Lahey Clinic Medical Center, claiming that he was fired for questioning ties between his hospital and the medical device company, Medtronic.
Dr. David Gossman, until September 9th of this year, was assistant director of the cardiac catheterization lab at Lahey, a non-profit teaching hospital affiliated with Tufts University School of Medicine.
His lawsuit claims that two senior cardiologists at the clinic pressured other doctors at the hospital to increase use of products manufactured by Medtronic, which makes the industry’s broadest line of heart valves, stents and angioplasty products, implantable cardiac defibrillators, pain pumps, and many other medical devices. It alleges that one of the cardiologists earns “substantial yearly income” serving on the Medtronic speakers’ bureau and that his wife has had a “lengthy employment” with Medtronic and holds stock in the company.
For more about this case, read: “I Was Fired For Fighting Hospital’s Ties With Medtronic” at my sister site, The Ethical Nag.
Heart Sisters 