The Women’s Cardiology and Cardio Obstetrics (WC-COB) Fellowship Program is an advanced training program for cardiovascular disease specialists in the comprehensive, sex-specific care of women throughout their lifespan through multidisciplinary clinical care, cutting-edge research, community engagement, and education. The fellowship program will consist of inpatient and outpatient cardiovascular consultative care with specialty clinics in women’s cardiology (prevention, general cardiology, heart failure) and maternal cardiovascular health (preconception counseling, contraception, menopause, pregnancy, and post-partum care). Additionally, the fellow will engage with other specialty clinics to enrich their knowledge and expertise in the care of women-specific cardiovascular health including heart failure/transplant and adult congenital heart disease. The program will be integrated into the current cardiology fellowship curriculum with the opportunity for the presentation of lectures/didactics specific to women’s cardiology and journal club presentations. The fellowship program will also support dedicated time for mentored research projects with the expectation of academic output with a strong emphasis on cardio obstetrics.

• Increase the education and training of all trainees and faculty in the unique cardiovascular care of women.
• Improve access to high-quality and evidence-based care for women with cardiac disease.
• Establish clinical protocols for the evidence-based diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular diseases that are sex-specific or more prevalent among women.
• Increase the visibility and recognition of our university at the local, regional, and state level as a leader in women’s cardiovascular health.
• Promote engagement by all providers at our institution and hospital in women’s cardiovascular health. 

• Cardio OB non-ACGME application
• Curriculum vitae
• 2 or more letters of recommendation
• Statement of Interest

• ABIM Board Certification in Internal Medicine
• Completion of cardiology fellowship program
• Board eligible or board certified in cardiovascular medicine
• Board eligible or board certified in echocardiography
• Active full state of Florida medical license (J1 visa not applicable)

Didactic

• Yearlong lecture series in Women's Cardiology
• Multidisciplinary Cardio-Obstetrics Monthly Meeting
• Cardio-Obstetrics Quarterly Case Conference
• Journal Clubs
• Grand Rounds

Experiential

• Inpatient consultative services
• Outpatient specialty clinics in women's heart
• Multidisciplinary Cardio-Obstetrics Clinic
• Regional and national conferences

Scholarly Work

• Cardio-Obstetrics Research Work Group
• Spontaneous Coronary Artery Dissection (SCAD) registry
• REBIRTH Clinical Trial (Lactation Suppression in Peripartum Cardiomyopathy)
• Opportunity for cross-collaboration with colleagues (OB, Interventional Cardiology)

• Mission: Provide comprehensive, equitable, high-quality, evidence-based sex-specific training in the prevention and treatment of women at risk or with cardiovascular disease across the lifespan.
• Aims: Train a cardiovascular specialist in the comprehensive sex-specific cardiovascular care of women.

The didactic education will be split between women’s cardiology health topics and cardio obstetrics and will consist of the following:

• Women’s Cardiology Longitudinal Cardiology Fellowship Curriculum: consists of 4-6 lectures given by Dr. Crousillat, MD per year to general cardiology fellows, faculty, and staff
• Cardio Obstetrics Quarterly Educational Conferences: consists of 4 yearly shared case conferences for both cardiology and OB/MFM residents/fellows
• Monthly Cardio Obstetrics Complex Cardiac Moms Multidisciplinary Meeting: monthly meeting led by OB MFM fellows with Cardiology, OB/MFM, anesthesia, adult congenital, and perinatal safety teams to discuss labor and delivery planning for women receiving maternal care in the Cardio Obstetrics Program
• Additional opportunities to enhance educational curriculum:
  • Annual American College of Cardio Obstetrics Virtual Couse (estimated cost $230)
  • Annual American College of Cardiology Cardio Obstetrics and Adult Congenital Heart Disease Conference (in-person and virtual options, estimated cost $1,000)

• Specialty Women’s Cardiovascular Health Clinics
• Women’s Heart Clinic: Specialized sex-specific care for women of any age at risk or with existing cardiovascular disease
• ½ day per week, housed in the Pamela Muma Women’s Center at STC and staffed by Dr. Crousillat
• Specialty Cardio-Obstetrics Clinics
• Cardio-Obstetrics Multidisciplinary Clinic: Comprehensive management from pre-conception counseling in women with existent CVD, specialized and timely management of cardiac conditions throughout pregnancy, and formulation of multidisciplinary delivery plans in conjunction with OB/MFM.
• ½ per week, housed in Obstetrics and Gynecology Department at STC and staffed by Dr. Crousillat, Allison Koch, PA, maternal-fetal medicine physician, and Ashley Young, RN, Cardio OB program coordinator
• Healthy Hearts CVD Risk Reduction Postpartum Clinic:  Specialized clinic for women with pregnancies complicated by high blood pressure/hypertensive disorder of pregnancy to treat hypertension, assess and modify CVD risk factors, counsel on risk of future CVD, and assist in transition to longitudinal care
• 1 full day per week, housed at TGH Genesis Healthpark, staffed by Catherine Nadeau, DNP, APRN and Ashley Cain, MD with oversight by Dr. Daniela Crousillat

• Cardio OB Research Work Group: quarterly meeting of group of medical students, residents, and fellows that meets to discuss new research ideas, ongoing research projects, and updates.
• Institutional/Local Registry
• USF/TGH Cardio Obstetrics Registry: Prospective registry of women who are cared for during pregnancy and postpartum in the Cardio Obstetrics program to assess standards of care and maternal and fetal outcomes
• National Registries
• iSCAD Registry: Multi-center registry for women with spontaneous coronary artery dissection including pregnancy associated MI (only enrolling site in state of FL)
• HOPE Registry: Multi-center registry to assess optimal CVD care for pregnant women with heart disease (pending NIH multi-site funding)
• Clinical Trials
• REBIRTH: (Randomized Evaluation of Bromocriptine in Myocardial Recovery Therapy
• for Peripartum Cardiomyopathy)
• Funding: NIH 5UH3HL 153847-03, subaward: AWD00004314
• Randomized, clinical trial studying the effectiveness of bromocriptine (versus placebo) in left ventricular function recovery among women with pregnancies complicated by peripartum cardiomyopathy

Inpatient (5%)

• Yearlong inpatient consultative service  Education (5%)
• Educational webinars, virtual conferences, dedicated reading time, creation of educational presentations

Outpatient (70%)

• Women’s Cardiology Outpatient Care 10%
• Cardio Obstetrics Outpatient Care 20%
• Specialty Clinics/Electives 20%
• Faculty Clinic/Echocardiography 20% (non-supervised independent practice as general noninvasive cardiologist not encompassing scope of specialty training)

Research (20%)

• Trainees will complete an entrance/pre-test exam at the beginning of their fellowship program followed by exit exam during the last month prior to completion of fellowship program to assess knowledge in women’s cardiovascular disease and cardio obstetrics
• Trainees will receive quarterly verbal and written feedback in form of an electronic evaluation form from primary supervisor, Dr. Daniela Crousillat
• Trainees will receive verbal and written evaluation from primary supervisor after completion of any 4-week elective
• The trainee will complete bi-annual program evaluations at 6 months and 12 months for program feedback