Women's Heart Center

The Women's Heart Center at Banner Heart Hospital provides education, information and preventative screenings to assist women in making healthy decisions in their lives, and helps to reduce deaths caused by heart disease.

The Center is the first of its kind in Arizona’s East Valley, and one of less than 50 nationwide. Banner Heart plans to open a full-service center soon.

Heart disease is the leading cause of death of women in the U.S.

The risk and incidence of heart disease starts to increase in women at age 40, yet many women are not aware of the symptoms of heart disease. Many think of it as a "men's" disease. Women are accustomed to being caregivers. They tend to dismiss their own symptoms and take longer to seek medical attention.

"Women don't develop heart disease as early as men, but their risk is just as great," said Iva Smolens, MD, a board-certified cardiothoracic surgeon and the medical director of the Women's Heart Center. Dr. Smolens is a surgeon, mother and surviving daughter of a parent who died of heart disease very young.

We’re here to help your heart.

At Banner Heart Hospital, our purpose is to increase awareness of the risk and symptoms of heart disease and provide appropriate and timely treatment for women through:

• Education: Free community presentations, and online and printed resources
• Assessment: Free tools that help patients determine their risk for heart disease
• Consultation: Help for high-risk patients in finding the right physician. Women at risk will be referred to cardiologists who can help them identify the true extent of their heart disease and help delay or prevent their first heart attack, which could be fatal.

For more information, call the Women’s Heart Center at (480) 321-4YOU (4968).