Dr. Evan C. Unger was one of the guest speakers at the forum.
Ann F. Eisenstein, a lifelong supporter of Vanderbilt, died Monday at the age of 82.
Eisenstein, a heart patient at Vanderbilt for more than 40 years, was an advocate for women and heart disease. She also volunteered for more than 50 years in the community for various national and local organizations.
The Ann F. Eisenstein Women’s Cardiovascular Symposium was established at Vanderbilt in 1999 to educate women about the misperceptions surrounding heart disease as well as providing them with the latest treatment and prevention options. This year’s symposium, sponsored by the Vanderbilt’s Women Heart Institute, will be held May 16 at Loew’s Vanderbilt Plaza Hotel.
The program, funded by a gift to the Institute from Eisenstein, offers free screenings and a heart-healthy breakfast followed by featured speaker Dr. Rose Marie Robertson, medical director of the Institute, professor and chair of the Department of Medicine and the national president of the American Heart Association. Robertson will be joined by a panel of the area’s leading cardiologists and specialists.
"As the national president of the American Heart Association, I am reminded daily of the damage heart disease inflicts on so many people in America," Robertson said. "We have only recently begun to address the misconception that heart disease is only for men. Over the past year, I have urged women to take an active role in helping educate other women and their families of the potential risks they face."
Robertson said educational programming like the Eisenstein symposium is a key component in teaching women to take control of their health and provide much needed information about how to talk to health care providers about cardiovascular issues.