2024 STEM event to benefit young girls to take place in April
Francine LoRusso, left and Dr. Joyce Oen Hsiao at the 2023 New Haven Go Red event.
The American Heart Association, the world’s leading nonprofit organization devoted to world of healthier lives for all, is pleased to announce co-chairs for the 2024 New Haven Go Red for Women event.
Francine LoRusso, senior vice president Operations and executive director for Yale New Haven Health Heart and Vascular Services, Transplantation Center, Medicine Services and Radiology Services; and cardiologist Joyce-Oen Hsiao, MD, associate professor of Clinical Medicine, Yale School of Medicine; director, Cardiac Rehabilitation Services, Yale New Haven Health Heart and Vascular Center, will co-chair the Wednesday, Feb. 7, 2024 event at New Haven Omni New Haven Hotel at Yale. The event will provide guests with the opportunity to learn about their heart health from local experts.
Go Red for Women is a worldwide initiative of the American Heart Association designed to increase women’s heart health awareness and serve as a catalyst for change to improve the lives of women locally, nationally and globally.
“As a nurse and a leader at the Heart and Vascular Center, I see the impact that cardiovascular disease has on women’s heart health,” said LoRusso, also an American Heart Association Connecticut Board of Directors member. “The Go Red for Women movement empowers and inspires women to take charge of their heart health and learn their risks so they can make thoughtful lifestyle choices. Being co-chair provides me with the opportunity to share educational messaging to encourage women to take better care of themselves and their hearts.”
Cardiovascular disease is the No. 1 killer of women in the United States, claiming more lives each year than all forms of cancer combined. Cardiovascular disease continues to be a woman’s greatest health threat, taking the life of one in every three women.
“There is such a need for women to realize their risks for heart disease,” said Dr. Oen-Hsiao. “Many women are not aware of their risks or what measures to take to reduce the risks of cardiovascular disease. Being a cardiologist and co-chair of the Go Red for Women event, I can help shape the messages of self-care and prevention to improve the health of Connecticut women.”
Staff members from Yale New Haven Health Systems
“We are thrilled to have these amazing women with years of experience, conviction and passion help to drive the Go Red for Women event in greater New Haven,” said American Heart Association Executive Director Adria Giordano. “Together, we know that we will have a positive impact on the lives of women in our community and the families that depend on them.
New Haven STEM Goes Red
Returning once again is the New Haven STEM Goes Red event. This year the STEM event will be held at Southern Connecticut State University (SCSU) on March 2, 2024 and will be chaired by Sandy Bulmer, PhD, dean, College of Health and Human Services, SCSU and Lisa Freed, MD, director of the Women’s Heart and Vascular Program, part of the Heart and Vascular Center at Yale New Haven Hospital.
STEM is an acronym for science, technology, engineering and mathematics. STEM Goes Red brings young women together to learn about the opportunities in these critical fields. The focus of the New Haven STEM event is to change the impact of heart disease by inspiring young women and successful female leaders to create a platform for positive change as it relates to innovation, technology, health and wellness in women.
It is projected that there will be 3.5 million STEM jobs in the U.S. by 2025, and 2 million of those jobs will go unfilled. The STEM employment gap is further compounded by persistent diversity challenges, as women and minorities comprise 70% of college students, but of 100 female students working toward a bachelor’s degree, only 3 will work in a STEM job 10 years after graduation.
For more information about the New Haven Go Red for Women event go to Greater New Haven Go Red for Women | Homepage (event.gives). For information on sponsorship for the New Haven event or STEM Goes Red, contact Development Director, Chelsea Reis, [email protected].
For information on women’s heart health visit www.goredforwomen.org.