Women's Health in the ED
with Drs. Beth Abramson, Erin Lurie, and Anna Nowacki
Each speaker focuses on a diverse array of subjects with regards to women’s health, including acute coronary syndrome, perinatal substance use and addiction, and The Toronto Women in Emergency Medicine (TWEM) group at the University of Toronto.
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Dr. Abramson's talk focused on the cardiovascular curriculum and medical education related to acute coronary syndrome (ACS). She discussed the Canadian Women's Heart Health Alliance and the importance of educating healthcare providers about women's cardiovascular health. Dr. Abramson introduced an online course covering various topics related to women's heart health, including ACS. She highlighted the differences in ACS presentation between women and men, and discussed enrolling more women in clinical trials.
Dr. Lurie discussed a program at St. Michael's Hospital focused on providing low-barrier care and support to pregnant women with substance use disorders. The program is led by Dr. Lurie and his team, offering counseling, medications, and support based on individual needs and goals.
Finally, Dr. Nowacki summarized the work of the Toronto Women in Emergency Medicine (TWEM) group, which organizes events and discussions to support women physicians in emergency medicine, promoting a sense of community and mentorship. The group hosts various talks and fundraising events, and their initiatives are open to all genders, including non-physician healthcare professionals.
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About Dr. Beth Abramson
Dr. Beth L. Abramson is the Paul Albrechtsen Professor in Cardiac Prevention and Women's Health Associate Professor of Medicine, University of Toronto Division of Cardiology, St. Michael's Hospital. Her interest is knowledge translation, including writing guidelines to educate physicians on preventive cardiology and women’s health issues. Dr. Abramson co-chairs the American College of Cardiology’s hypertension working group and the American Society of Preventive Cardiology’s women’s working group. She was invited to become a member on the ACC’s Prevention Council in 2021. She is a founding member and inaugural Chair (2018-2020) of the Canadian Women's Heart Health Alliance Education Working group, which has created an electronic course and toolkit on Women and Heart Disease for MDs. She enjoys educating the public on heart health and is a national spokesperson for the Heart and Stroke Foundation. Her book, Heart Health for Canadians, published in 2013, aims to help people prevent and understand heart disease. In 2015 she was awarded the prestigious Harold N. Segal award of Merit, in recognition of her many contributions to preventing heart disease amongst Canadians. She currently directs a fellowship in Preventive Cardiology at the University of Toronto. She has recently established an academic Cardiometabolic Clinic at St. Michael’s Hospital to close care gaps.
About Dr. Anna Nowacki
Anna Nowacki (MD, FRCPC) is an Assistant Professor at the University of Toronto’s Department of Medicine and practices emergency medicine at the University Health Network. She is the former Chair of the Women in Emergency Medicine Committee with the Canadian Association of Emergency Physicians and is currently part of the CAEP WEM Executive as well as, the Executive committee of TWEM (Toronto Women in EM). Outside of work, she is an avid runner, cyclist and enjoys picking up a paintbrush in her spare time. But most importantly she is a mother of three awesome kids and along with her partner, who also happens to be an emerg doc, she enjoys venturing on crazy escapades with her family.