The Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions (SCAI) was awarded the 10th Annual Wenger Award for excellence in health care for the Society's dedication to raising awareness about disparities in heart health care. Awarded annually by WomenHeart: The National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease, the Wenger award seeks to honor individuals and organizations for their commitment to improving the lives of women with heart disease. SCAI is the first medical society to ever receive the Wenger award, and was recognized last night at the Organization of American States in Washington, D.C.
SCAI has become increasingly involved in addressing disparities in women's heart health with the recent establishment of Women in Innovations (WIN), an effort chaired by SCAI members to raise awareness of heart disease in women and increase the number of women who participate in clinical trials related to heart disease. In early February 2010, WIN partnered with WomenHeart for WINHeart - Score a WIN for Women, a successful heart health month campaign to raise awareness surrounding gender-based disparities in the diagnosis, treatment and survival of women with heart disease.
"Closing the gap in heart health disparities, whether that gap be gender, race, or economic-based, is a significant challenge in our society today," says SCAI President Larry S. Dean, MD, FSCAI, FACC, FAHA, director, University of Washington Medicine Regional Heart Center, Seattle. "We are thrilled WomenHeart recognized SCAI's contribution to making a difference in the diagnosis and treatment of women with heart disease. This is a great honor and a testament to our physicians who are working every day to close this disparity gap."
In early March 2010, SCAI sought to bring the issue of heart health disparities to a public policy level through its "Know What Counts Event" held in Washington, D.C. The event brought together WomenHeart, The Mended Hearts and the Association of Black Cardiologists to discuss gender and racial disparities in heart health and featured a keynote address from U.S. Senator Ben Cardin. This event and the WINHeart campaign contributed greatly to WomenHeart's selection of SCAI as a 2010 Wenger Award recipient.
Other 2010 Wenger Award recipients include: Nanette Kass Wenger, MD, MACC, for Distinguished Leadership; Kathleen Uhl, M.D. for Public Service; and sanofi-aventis U.S for Corporate Leadership.