Sister to Sister in Boston
A letter from Irene Pollin, Founder and Chairperson, Sister to Sister Foundation... Dear Ladies, I am so pleased that you have come to our website in search of information and support, and hope that you will find it a rich and useful resource on your journey to a heart-healthy lifestyle. Sister to Sister, established in 2000, has a great deal to be proud of and celebrate as the decade comes to a close. We were the first organization to address the public health crisis that heart disease is the # 1 killer of women, and we have provided more than 80,000 free heart health screenings and counseling interventions while educating more than 200,000 women at our heart health fairs nationwide. Now, ten years later, we feel it is the right time to move in a direction that will allow us to reach greater numbers of women, more efficiently and effectively. To that end, we will be shifting our immediate focus away from local heart health fairs to a signature online wellness program that we have been developing for much of the past year. This program will greatly enhance the tools and community aspects of the website, so please check back here for updates. In addition, we will focus on our exciting partnership with Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, relocating our national operations to Boston in early 2010. The Abe and Irene Pollin Cardiovascular Program will focus on a Women's Heart Health Research Program, education and awareness, and advocacy to bring about policy change. Heart Health Month is such an exciting time of year, as awareness that heart disease is the number one killer of women continues to grow. Every woman has the chance to dramatically reduce her risk of heart disease, which is largely preventable by adopting healthy lifestyle changes. Here's to healthy hearts for women everywhere! Irene Pollin, MSW, PhD (Hon) |
Sister to Sister has been part of your community since 2004. We work year-round to bring heart health resources to the women of Boston.
We had another successful Women's Heart Health Fair at the Prudential Center on May 9, 2009. Over 1,900 women turned out to get heart smart with lifestyle presentations, cutting-edge information on medical issues, and complimentary heart-health screenings.
Local Medical Partners and Sponsors
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Local Media Partners
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Boston 2009 Community Council
Sister to Sister's Community Council is a made up of a group of select women from the corporate, government and non-profit worlds who come together to help plan the National Women's Healthy Heart Campaign. These female executives are local leaders who pass on our heart-health message to the women they influence in their communities. They are aware of how critical it is to promote awareness of heart disease among women, and understand the need to turn knowledge into action.
Our Community Council members assist the Campaign with program planning, outreach, promotion and sponsorship sales. We truly appreciate their efforts in helping to save the lives of women in the Boston area.
 | JoAnne M. Foody, MD, is the Chairperson of the Boston Sister to Sister Community Council. Dr. Foody is Associate Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and Director of the Cardiovascular Wellness Center at Brigham and Women's/Faulkner Hospitals in Boston. Dr. Foody has active national and international roles in cardiac disease prevention and rehabilitation with a particular focus on women and heart disease. Her research has focused on identifying and fostering greater use of clinical strategies that prevent adverse cardiovascular events in people with and without coronary artery disease. Dr. Foody is a Fellow of the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association. |
Caitlin Johnson received a Bachelor of Science in Health Policy with a related concentration in Business Studies from Providence College in 2008. As a research assistant for Dr. Joanne Foody at Brigham and Women's/Faulkner Hospitals in Boston, Caitlin coordinates ongoing studies focused on the treatment and prevention of cardiovascular disease. | |
Dr. Marian Mehegan is the Regional Coordinator for the US Department of Health and Human Services Office on Women's Health in Region I. Her areas of interest include working with volunteer interns committed to public service, engaging young minds in science and working on issues to address the health professions workforce shortage and the need to increase diversity in the health professions. | |
 | Kate Sargent is in her third year of graduate studies at Lesley University, working towards her Master's degree in Counseling Psychology. She is also a clinical psych intern in the cardiac division of Brigham & Women's Hospital. At The Brigham, Kate is counseling cardiac patients and helping them learn effective cognitive and behavioral methods of coping with the many emotional challenges surrounding their illness. Additionally, she is working on a research project designed to foster long-term wellness in cardiac patients. |
 | Eileen Stuart-Shor, NP, PhD, FAHA, FAAN is an Assistant Professor in the College of Nursing and Health Sciences at the University of Massachusetts, and a Nurse Practitioner and Research Fellow in the Division of Cardiology, Harvard Medical School at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. Dr. Stuart-Shor was the founder and director of the Innovative Cardiovascular Programs in the Division of Behavioral Medicine at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center; a Senior Scientist in the Mind/Body Medical Institute; and an Associate in Medicine, Harvard Medical School. She is the author of many scientific publications and two books, including The Wellness Book. Dr. Stuart-Shor has a long interest in an integrating mind/body/and spirit in health and healing, with special emphasis on vulnerable populations. |
Executive Women's Event
At our Executive Women’s events, held in cities nationwide, Sister to Sister helps women in leadership roles recognize that heart disease is a life-or-death issue for women that they can help resolve.
The Boston Executive Women’s Breakfast was held on Wednesday, November 18, 2009 in The WCVB-TV studio in Needham, MA.
Emmy Award winning actress Tracey Conway was the keynote speaker. Tracey resides in Seattle, WA and visited Boston solely for this engagement. She told her story of being an actress who was 38. While on the set of her tv show, she suffered a heart episode and would have died had it not been for a medically trained guest in the audience. She stressed the importance of learning CPR, taking care of oneself and paying attention to the signs and symptoms of heart attacks. She provided a wonderful combination of science and entertainment to the guests.