Monique Corcoran, Director of Operations for the Heart and Vascular Institute of Nuvance Health, is chairing the 2022 Hudson Valley Go Red for Women Celebration. The Celebration is set for Friday, Nov. 18, from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Culinary Institute of America.
Monique Corcoran, Director of Operations for the Heart and Vascular Institute of Nuvance Health, sees chairing the Go Red for Women Celebration as a natural continuation of her position to support Nuvance’s clinicians as they treat and prevent cardiovascular disease.
“Educating the public and raising awareness is a key part of our work,” Corcoran said. “Our doctors all work with American Heart Association guidelines, and the Go Red for Women campaign helps us carry the message of prevention to an even wider audience.”
Corcoran is chair of the Go Red for Women campaign in the Hudson Valley, the capstone event of which is the Go Red for Women Celebration on Friday, Nov. 18, from 11:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Culinary Institute of America, 1946 Campus Drive, Hyde Park.
“We’re seeing that cardiovascular disease is becoming more and more prevalent, and that COVID really accelerated it,” Corcoran said. “The predictions that tell us how many people will develop cardiovascular disease are staggering. Some people are predisposed to cardiovascular disease, but much of it is preventable. There is a lot that people can do, and the Go Red for Women Celebration will provide a lot of information that people can put into action.”
Corcoran has been at the Heart Center for three years. She oversees 11 locations, 38 cardiologists, 20 nurse practitioners and physicians assistants, who serve close to 10,000 patients per month. Corcoran also oversees the administrative operations of the facilities.
Before coming to the Heart Center, Corcoran lived in Vermont, where she had been the Director of Operations for the Departments of Orthopedics and Anesthesiology at the University of Vermont Health Network in northern New York and Vermont.
She is a native of Connecticut, and has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Hartford in organizational communication. She is also a fellow in the American College of Medical Practice Executives Medical Group Management Association. She and her husband Drew live in Rhinebeck. They have two grown children, one in Albany and one in New York City, and recently rescued two French Brittany Spaniels.
Corcoran is excited about the “Reclaim Your Rhythm” theme of Go Red for Women this year, and looks forward to building it into the program.
“Music is powerful and is really accessible to people,” she said. “Most people have a smart phone. Music therapy is effective, music is motivation to exercise, and we can use it as a relaxation response to slow down our heart rate and elevate our mood.”
While everyone at the Go Red for Women Celebration will learn how they can prevent heart disease, Corcoran stressed the challenges that working mothers face, and how Go Red can help them prevent heart disease.
“It’s important that all women know that heart disease is the leading killer of women, and that we can take steps to prevent it,” Corcoran said. “But working moms are the group that are the most susceptible to developing heart disease. They are working full time and raising their families, and working moms put themselves last, always. We need to really look at how we can support working mothers, not just during the first few months of a baby’s life, but forever.”
The American Heart Association is committing more research dollars and resources towards maternal health.
“We’re fortunate to have Monique leading the Go Red for Women campaign this year,” said Alex DiCicco, academic quality analyst at Johnson & Wales University, and chair of the Hudson Valley Board of Directors of the American Heart Association. “Her vision for sharing the message of prevention, and leveraging music to help do that, will make a big difference in our community. I think this year’s Go Red for Women Celebration will be one of our most impactful yet.”