Danbury Hospital Cardiac Expert To Speak At Library

Cheryl W. Anderson, EdD, APRN, cardiology nurse practitioner at the Praxair Regional Heart and Vascular Center at Danbury Hospital, will speak about “Risk Reduction for a Healthy Heart” at C.H. Booth Library at 7 pm on Tuesday, March 28.

The talk is free, but space is limited, so interested parties should call the library at 426-4533 to reserve.  Light refreshments will be served.

The talk is among several dozen heart-related events planned in conjunction with Danbury Hospital’s traveling art exhibit, “HeARTbeat of Our Community.” As a backdrop to Ms Anderson’s talk, two of the three-foot high, three-dimensional painted hearts from that exhibit of nearly 50 hearts will be on view at the library from March 27 through April 9.

Prior to joining the Praxair Regional Heart and Vascular Center in 2004, Ms Anderson directed the cardiac program at Priority Care, Inc., in Stratford. Her experience in cardiology also includes positions at Bridgeport Hospital, as manager of the cardiac rehabilitation/wellness program, manager of echocardiography, clinical nurse specialist in cardiac rehabilitation and diabetes, and instructor of nursing education and resources.

Ms Anderson’s nursing career includes working at Mercy Hospital in Rockville Center, N.Y., where she was head nurse and assistant head nurse in the medical-surgical unit, and a staff education instructor. She also worked as a staff nurse in the medical units of Catholic Medical Center in New Hampshire, and Beth Israel Hospital, Boston.

Ms Anderson earned a doctor of education in health education from Teachers College, Columbia University; a master’s degree in nursing from Adelphi University, and a bachelor’s degree in nursing from St Anselm College, New Hampshire. She is adjunct clinical faculty in the Schools of Nursing at Yale University and Fairfield University, and in 2002, she received the Connecticut Society for Cardiac Rehabilitation Achievement Award.

Her certifications include Certified Diabetes Educator (CDE), Clinical Specialist (CS), Certified Cardiac Rehabilitation Nurse (RNC), and Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS).

The exhibit and related Healthy Heart Education programs mark the first anniversary of the Praxair Regional Heart and Vascular Center at Danbury Hospital, and are a thank you to the community for its support during the hospital’s campaign to bring advanced cardiac care to the region. Danbury Hospital launched heart bypass surgery, valve repair and valve replacement in January 2005 with angioplasty services beginning in October 2005.  Last year, more than 150 surgeries and 100 angioplasties were performed at the hospital.

The two hearts from the “HeARTbeat” exhibit on loan to C.H. Booth Library are “Heart of New England” by David K. Merrill of Southbury and “A Little Heart Goes a Long Way” by Katie Stevenson of Danbury. The public will have an opportunity to meet the artists at the event on March 28.

The majority of the hearts will remain on view at Danbury Fair Mall through May 16. Thursday, May 18, at 5:30 pm, at The Ridgefield Playhouse, the hearts will be auctioned to benefit the Development Fund for the Praxair Regional Heart and Vascular Center at Danbury Hospital.

For auction ticket information, call 739-7806. For more information about the HeARTbeat of Our Community art exhibit, or to obtain a full calendar of events, visit CowParade.com (the “HeARTbeat” exhibition is a collaboration with the same company that does the Cows on Parade exhibitions).

For more information about the Praxair Regional Heart and Vascular Center at Danbury Hospital and all Danbury Hospital’s services, visit DanburyHispital.org.