Developing a Women's Heart Center With a Specialization in Coronary Microvascular and Vasomotor Dysfunction: If You Build It, They Will Come

Abstract

Background: Women's Heart Centers (WHC) are comprehensive, multidisciplinary care centers designed to close the existing gap in women's cardiovascular care. The WHC at The Christ Hospital Heart and Vascular Institute (TCH-WHC) in Cincinnati, Ohio was established in October of 2020, and is a specialized coronary microvascular and vasomotor dysfunction (CMVD) program.

Methods: The TCH-WHC focuses its efforts across five pillars: patient care, research, education, community outreach and advocacy, and grants and philanthropy. These areas, centered around providing specalized CMVD care and treatment have allowed for substantial growth.

Results: From October 2020-December 2023, TCH-WHC saw a total of 3219 patients, 42% of which were apart of the CMVD program. Since establishment, patient volume has consistently increased year over year.

Conclusion: The CMVD program at TCH-WHC is one of the fastest growing in the U. S. and is nationally recognized for specialized clinical care, diagnostics, and research. The goal of this review is to provide an overview of the TCH-WHC structure that allows for the establishment and growth of a CMVD program and to outline core activities supporting the TCH-WHC approach.

Keywords: ANOCA; INOCA; MINOCA; Women's Heart Center; coronary microvascular and vasomotor dysfunction; sex differences.

FIGURE 1 ∣

Overview of TCH-WHC Pillars, including the vision and mission.

FIGURE 2 ∣

A simplified organization chart for the TCH-WHC Team, does not reflect collaboration with outside departments or nonfull time staff members.

FIGURE 3 ∣

Total patients seen at the TCH-WHC by year from December of 2020 through December of 2023.