Proper diagnosis of SCAD is crucial, as the treatment of heart attack from SCAD is very different from heart attack due to blockages from cholesterol plaque. While patients who experience a heart attack from cholesterol plaque blockage are best treated with angioplasty and stent, most stable patients who experience a heart attack from SCAD will do best with medical therapy and time to allow their arteries to heal.

Another major focus of the new clinic will be caring for women who have complicated pregnancies with such conditions as hypertension and gestational diabetes that put them at risk of future heart attacks and stroke. The center will benefit from collaboration with Dr. Kelecia Brown, an OB-GYN specializing in high-risk maternal and fetal medicine at Atrium Health Women’s Institute, Dr. Jorge Alegria, a congenital cardiologist at Atrium Health Levine Children’s HEARTest Yard Congenital Heart Center, Dr. Ashleigh Meiers, an adult cardiologist at Sanger Heart and Vascular Institute with a special interest in the field of cardio-obstetrics and Dr. Michael Shapiro, a nationally recognized preventive cardiologist at Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist This team of experts will be able to provide comprehensive cardiovascular care for women across the disease spectrum, from those who may be at risk of heart disease to women with known heart disease from common and rare causes. A multidisciplinary approach will be taken for pregnant patients with known heart disease to develop individual care plans to support safe delivery and continued care for the mother post-delivery.


“Atrium Health has a culture that fosters teamwork and innovation,” said Dr. Suzanna Fox, Atrium Health’s deputy chief physician executive and women’s care service line leader. “Through the personalized and collaborative approach between our providers within women’s care and the Center for Women’s Cardiovascular Health, we can ensure an advanced level of care for mothers-to-be in our communities.”

According to Kim, these patients need to be followed in the “fourth” trimester, after giving birth. Kim adds that Black women have an especially higher incidence of heart problems following complicated pregnancies.

Women nationwide are diagnosed with heart disease and treated at a later stage than men. With the new center’s focus on the needs of female patients, the goal is to eliminate that discrepancy and provide timely care.

“We developed the new Center for Women’s Cardiovascular Health to ensure that women in our region are receiving the best care for cardiovascular disorders, both in terms of prevention and treatment,” said Dr. Geoffrey Rose, president of Atrium Health Sanger Heart & Vascular Institute. “We are thrilled that Dr. Kim has joined us and we are excited about what the new center will mean for our patients.”

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