KANSAS CITY, Mo. (April 8, 2010) — Cardiologist Tracy Stevens, M.D., has been appointed to the Scientific Advisory Council for WomenHeart: The National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease based in Washington, D.C. WomenHeart is the nation's only patient advocacy organization solely dedicated to supporting the 42 million American women living with or at risk for heart disease.

WomenHeart promotes women's heart health through advocacy, community education and patient support. The Scientific Advisory Council's mission is to provide medical and scientific leadership and guidance to help advance the organization's mission. The council proactively facilitates the development of new knowledge about heart disease in women, actively disseminates the knowledge to medical audiences and public-at-large, and advocates and raises awareness about heart disease in women.

Dr. Stevens is medical director of the Saint Luke's Muriel I. Kauffman Women's Heart Center, established in 1994 as the first program of its kind in the nation. The center's mission is to empower women to be proactive about their heart health through education and risk factor awareness. To date, the center has educated more than 100,000 women in the Kansas City area.