Live Webinar – Don’t Forget Your Heart! Highlighting the Importance of Cardiovascular Assessment Prior to and During Pregnancy

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in women and a cause of maternal morbidity and mortality. It is important to identity pre-existing cardiac conditions or risk factors prior to conception. Cardiovascular complications of pregnancy (including the hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, gestational diabetes, and peripartum cardiomyopathy) impact pregnancy, the post partum period, and markers for increased cardiac disease later in life. This program will review risk factors, signs and symptoms to be aware of, as well as the conditions that would prompt evaluation by a cardiologist.

Speaker – Dr. Alexandra Ward, FACC. Dr. Ward is the medical director for the Women’s Heart Center at RWJ Barnabas Health- Jersey City Medical Center. Dr. Ward graduated from New Jersey Medical School, she then did her residency at the University of Maryland Medical Center, where she was Chief of medical residents. She completed her Cardiology fellowship at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital. As the Medical Director of the Women’s Heart Program, Dr. Ward is dedicated to working with women to help them understand their risk factors, learn the often-missed signs of cardiovascular concerns and diagnose existing conditions. When issues are identified, she works with each individual woman to develop treatments and lifestyle plans to help them manage – and improve their cardiovascular health. She believes in the importance of listening to her patients and sharing decision-making, as well as actively engaging patients in all aspects of their care.

Target Audience: Nurses, physicians, and other health professionals

Learning Outcome: At the conclusion of the program, participants will self-report increased knowledge of cardiac care before and after pregnancy.

Successful Completion: To receive contact hours for participating in the continuing education program, the registrant must join the webinar, attend the entire presentation, and complete and submit an electronic evaluation. A certificate of completion will be distributed within two weeks of submission of the evaluation.

Disclosures: The planners do not have any conflicts of interest to report for this activity. The speaker discloses that she was a consultant with Zio, but the relationship ended prior to this presentation.

Commercial Support: There is no commercial support for this activity.

Continuing Nursing Education Contact Hours: This program is approved for 0.5 contact hours.

The Partnership for Maternal and Child Health of Northern New Jersey is approved as a provider of nursing continuing professional development by New Jersey State Nurses Association, an accredited approver by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation. P194-3/23-26

Approval status does not imply endorsement by the Partnership for Maternal and Child Health of Northern New Jersey, NJSNA or by ANCC of any commercial products discussed/displayed in conjunction with the educational activity.

Questions? Contact Professional Education at [email protected]