WomenHeart Expands Leadership as Three New Members Join Board of Directors

WASHINGTON, April 9, 2018 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- WomenHeart: The National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease today announced the induction of three new governing Board members—all passionate health advocates and leaders in their communities who will bring a wealth of knowledge to their service on the Board.

Gayathri Badrinath, Lyn Behnke, and Joseph Weldon all enthusiastically support WomenHeart's mission to advocate, educate, and support the nearly 48 million women living with or at risk for heart disease.

"We are thrilled to welcome these new Board members to WomenHeart's leadership team," says Mary McGowan, CEO of WomenHeart. "This talented team of newcomers brings a creative and fresh energy to help us elevate our role as the leading experts for women with heart disease."

Badrinath, Behnke, and Weldon join leaders in women's cardiovascular health nationwide to offer women the resources and support they need when they need it. As the nation's only organization dedicated solely to advancing women's heart health, WomenHeart works to raise awareness about the number one killer of women—heart disease.

The combined experience and unique skill set of these new Board members helps to ensure WomenHeart's success in providing support and educational resources to women heart disease survivors.

Gayathri Badrinath comes to the Board as a strategic marketing leader with Siemens Healthineers. In this capacity, she identifies ways that health care providers can leverage digital solutions and new business models to succeed in an era of rapid health care reform. Prior to this, Badrinath spent more than eight years at Abbott in global marketing and public affairs focused on the company's innovative cardiac medical devices. She earned her B.A. degree in natural science and public health from The Johns Hopkins University and her MBA from the University of California Berkeley Haas School of Business.

"Too often, women accept life as it is because we are too busy fighting battles daily for the benefit of ones we love," says Badrinath. "I want to be part of the vision of what life could be for all women. WomenHeart is a catalyst of that vision, keeping our heart and health in focus. The organization's approach of putting the needs of women at the center of its mission and working across the journey from prevention to recovery is truly differentiating. As a Board member, I hope to be a vocal advocate of our cause and empower women toward better health."

Dr. Lyn Behnke, an Assistant Professor in Nursing at the University of Michigan, joins the Board as a WomenHeart Champion, deeply ingrained in the organization's culture and familiar with its strategic goals. While working in nursing for more than 30 years, Dr. Behnke experienced heart disease from the opposite side of the bed in 2009—as a patient. Today she strives to increase knowledge of what heart disease looks like in women and improve treatment options for women. As a Certified Heart Failure Nurse through the American Association of Heart Failure Nurses, Dr. Behnke actively serves on the publications committee.

"WomenHeart is an organic organization with strong values about advocacy, education, and support for women with heart disease. Consequently, the group has played a large role in my ability to thrive even with heart disease. I want to be able to give back to the organization by serving in a responsible leadership position," says Dr. Behnke. "I hope to assist in the development of research that helps women not only prevent heart disease, but live well in spite of it. I believe that this organization has, within the women in the organization, the expertise to markedly improve all aspects of cardiovascular care for women and consequently their families, workplaces, and communities. My goal is to tap into that vast resource that is 'lived experience' by our WomenHeart sisters across the United States."

As the first male Board member, Joseph Weldon joins the WomenHeart Board of Directors. As Area Vice President with Gallagher, Weldon provides benefit & HR consulting services to hospitals, physician groups, and non-healthcare groups. His specialties include the future of health care, cost reduction strategies, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), wellness, onsite medical centers, employee engagement, and private and public exchange strategies. Weldon brings more than 25 years of benefits consulting and underwriting experience for companies such as Children's Hospital, Christ Hospital, Proctor & Gamble, and Kroger Corporation. He is a graduate of Miami University-Oxford and holds multiple professional designations including Certified Healthcare Reform Specialist, Certified Employee Benefit Specialist (CEBS), Certified Corporate Wellness Coach, and Certified Healthcare Consultant (CHC).

"I became especially interested in WomenHeart after learning how it impacts the lives of women at risk of heart disease," says Weldon. "I had the opportunity to attend many events and learn about WomenHeart during the past two years. After seeing the passion the organization, WomenHeart Champions, and members have, I realized the uniqueness and caring nature of this organization. My upbringing and personal background with vital people in my life who struggled with heart disease made me want to help this organization is any way that I could. I'm here to be supportive in any way that helps WomenHeart to grow and to spread the word to reach more people."

About WomenHeart: The National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease
WomenHeart: The National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease is the nation's first and only patient-centered organization serving the nearly 48 million women living with or at risk for heart disease– the leading cause of death in women. WomenHeart is solely devoted to advancing women's heart health through advocacy, community education, and the nation's only patient support network for women living with heart disease. WomenHeart is both a coalition and a community of thousands of members nationwide, including women heart patients and their families, physicians, and health advocates, all committed to helping women live longer, healthier lives. Visit www.womenheart.org for more information.

SOURCE WomenHeart: The National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease

Related Links

http://www.womenheart.org