Just hours after celebrating the Wenger Awards in Washington, DC, WomenHeart was on Capitol Hill advocating for policies to support women living with and at risk of heart disease. Members of the National Hospital Alliance, WomenHeart Champions and staff visited the offices of Representatives and Senators to share their expertise.
They asked Members of Congress to cosponsor the MOMMA’s Act, a bill that addresses the rising rates of maternal mortality and recognizes the link between heart disease and pregnancy. They shared their expertise in cardiac rehab and talked about the need to make those critical serves accessible to more women. And they spoke about legislation that supports women who rely on Medicaid for their health insurance to participate in clinical trials.
Highlights of days were many. Two champions from Michigan successfully encouraged Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) to become a cosponsor of the MOMMA’s Act. Representatives from the University of Kansas Health System and a Kansas City WomenHeart Champion sat down with freshman Representative Sharice Davids, who urged them to reach out whenever we need her support or want to make her aware of what’s needed for women with heart disease. And representatives from the Atlantic Health System in New Jersey met with the office of Rep. Chris Smith, co-chair of the Heart and Stroke Coalition, and shared ideas for how the coalition of lawmakers could focus on women with heart disease.
WomenHeart was proud to bring these diverse voices directly to lawmakers, and we will continue to push for these and more polices to improve the lives of women with heart disease.