# Educational innovation in cardiovascular care: Developing a curriculum for women's cardiovascular health

## TL;DR

This paper describes a new curriculum for training healthcare providers to better address cardiovascular health in women.

## Contribution

The paper introduces a multidisciplinary curriculum focused on women-specific cardiovascular health for medical training.

## Key findings

- The curriculum includes topics like cardio-obstetrics and coronary microvascular disease.
- It combines didactic lectures with clinical and community-based learning.
- The approach aims to improve individualized care for women's cardiovascular needs.

## Abstract

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death among women in the United States, with significant knowledge gaps in sex-specific care among providers. To address this, we developed and implemented a structured, multidisciplinary women's cardiovascular health (CVH) curriculum within the cardiovascular fellowship program at the University of Virginia. The curriculum focused on women-specific cardiovascular health, including cardio-obstetrics, spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD) and coronary microvascular disease (CMD), and encompassed didactic lectures and unique experiential learning through clinical work, research, and community outreach. This multidisciplinary approach enhances individualized care and prepares trainees to recognize and treat the unique cardiovascular needs of women. Continued development of such curricula is crucial for reducing morbidity and mortality disparities in CVD.