Unified Women’s Healthcare Advances New Initiative to Improve Early Detection of Cardiovascular Disease Risk in Women
Unified Women’s Healthcare (Unified), one of the largest women’s healthcare organizations in the United States, is taking an important step toward improving cardiovascular health outcomes for women through a new initiative designed to identify potential heart disease risks earlier during routine obstetrics and gynecology (OB/GYN) appointments. The initiative aims to strengthen preventive healthcare by using existing women’s healthcare visits as opportunities to assess cardiovascular risk, recognize warning signs, and connect patients with appropriate medical services before serious health complications develop.
The initiative reflects a growing recognition that cardiovascular disease prevention should be an essential part of women’s healthcare throughout their lives. Although cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death among women in the United States, many women do not receive timely risk assessments or appropriate preventive interventions. By bringing cardiovascular risk identification into routine OB/GYN care, Unified hopes to address this gap and create a more accessible approach to long-term health management.
The program builds on early support from the American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women Venture Fund, which helped establish the foundation for a feasibility study conducted by Lucina Analytics, a subsidiary of Unified. The initial research explored how existing clinical information and healthcare technologies could support earlier identification of cardiovascular disease risk among women.
Building on this foundation, Unified is now leveraging Lucina Analytics’ artificial intelligence-driven intelligence, predictive analytics, and embedded care management capabilities to explore how OB/GYN clinical teams can identify patients who may have an elevated risk of cardiovascular disease. The approach is designed to help healthcare professionals recognize risk factors, evaluate patient needs, and connect women with preventive services and specialized care based on their individual health profiles.
Addressing the Growing Need for Cardiovascular Prevention in Women’s Healthcare
Cardiovascular disease continues to represent one of the most significant health challenges affecting women across the United States. Despite improvements in medical research, diagnostic technologies, and preventive healthcare programs, many women remain unaware of their individual cardiovascular risk factors.
Several factors can contribute to cardiovascular disease risk, including high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol, metabolic conditions, family history, and lifestyle-related health concerns. In women, certain reproductive and hormonal experiences can also provide important information about long-term cardiovascular health.
Pregnancy-related complications, changes associated with menopause, and metabolic conditions may influence a woman’s cardiovascular risk over time. However, these factors are not always consistently considered during routine preventive healthcare appointments.
For many women, an OB/GYN is one of their most regular and trusted healthcare providers. Women often visit these specialists for reproductive health services, pregnancy-related care, annual examinations, family planning, and menopause management. These ongoing relationships create valuable opportunities for healthcare professionals to identify health concerns that extend beyond reproductive medicine.
Unified believes that these existing patient relationships can become an important part of a broader cardiovascular prevention strategy.
Through its new initiative, the organization aims to explore how cardiovascular risk assessments can be incorporated into routine OB/GYN visits without significantly increasing administrative or clinical workloads. By using information already available in patient medical records, healthcare teams may be able to recognize potential risks earlier and recommend appropriate follow-up care.
The broader objective is to establish a scalable approach that makes cardiovascular prevention a more integrated component of women’s healthcare.
Using Artificial Intelligence to Support Earlier Risk Identification
A central component of Unified’s initiative is the technology and analytical capabilities provided by Lucina Analytics.
Lucina has experience developing predictive models and integrating clinical data to support healthcare professionals in identifying patients who may require additional attention. Its existing maternity risk model demonstrates how healthcare data and predictive analytics can help identify potential complications and support more informed clinical decision-making.
The organization plans to build on these capabilities to explore additional applications in cardiovascular risk assessment.
By combining artificial intelligence-driven intelligence with existing clinical information, Lucina’s platform is intended to help healthcare teams evaluate patient risk profiles and identify women who may benefit from additional cardiovascular screening.
The initiative will also examine how existing healthcare data can be used to support more consistent preventive care practices. Rather than relying entirely on separate screening appointments, the approach seeks to make better use of information collected during regular OB/GYN encounters.
This could help clinicians identify patients who may need closer monitoring, further evaluation, or referrals to other healthcare professionals.
The technology is expected to support clinical teams rather than replace medical judgment. Healthcare providers will continue to play a central role in interpreting patient information, evaluating individual circumstances, and determining appropriate care pathways.
Building on the American Heart Association’s PREVENT Risk Assessment Tool
The initiative builds on the American Heart Association’s PREVENT cardiovascular risk assessment calculator, which provides a framework for estimating an individual’s likelihood of developing cardiovascular disease.
The PREVENT equations use established clinical and health indicators to estimate cardiovascular risk. Their sex-specific design provides an important foundation for evaluating cardiovascular health in women.
Unified’s initiative will explore how this assessment tool can be incorporated into routine OB/GYN care and how additional information related to women’s reproductive and hormonal health can contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of cardiovascular risk.
The organization is particularly interested in understanding how different stages of a woman’s life may influence cardiovascular health.
These considerations include pregnancy-related complications, polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome (PMOS), and menopause. Such conditions and life-stage transitions can provide important clinical information that may help healthcare professionals identify women who could benefit from additional cardiovascular monitoring.
By examining these factors alongside established cardiovascular indicators, Unified hopes to develop a more practical and comprehensive approach to preventive screening.
The initiative also recognizes that cardiovascular prevention should not be limited to women who already have a diagnosed condition. Identifying potential risks before serious symptoms develop could help patients access preventive care earlier.
Research and Feasibility Work to Guide Future Clinical Implementation
The current foundational research phase is focused on understanding whether existing clinical information can effectively support cardiovascular risk assessment within women’s healthcare settings.
The research includes several important areas of evaluation.
First, the team is assessing the availability and completeness of clinical data required to support cardiovascular risk calculations. Reliable patient information is essential for producing meaningful risk assessments and helping healthcare professionals make informed decisions.
Second, the initiative is examining which patient populations may be appropriate for cardiovascular screening within OB/GYN practices. Understanding which groups could benefit most from earlier assessment will help inform the development of future screening approaches.
Third, the research is evaluating the feasibility of using existing healthcare information to identify women who may have elevated cardiovascular risk.
These initial findings will help guide the design of future clinical feasibility studies. Those studies are expected to evaluate how cardiovascular risk assessments could be incorporated into routine clinical workflows and how identified risks could be translated into meaningful preventive interventions.
Potential interventions may include improved blood pressure management, cholesterol monitoring and management, lifestyle counseling, and coordinated referrals to primary care providers or cardiologists.
The goal is to ensure that identifying cardiovascular risk leads to appropriate follow-up actions rather than simply generating additional clinical information.
For example, a patient identified as having elevated blood pressure or cholesterol levels may benefit from further evaluation and a coordinated treatment plan. Another patient may require lifestyle guidance, additional monitoring, or a referral to a cardiovascular specialist.
By establishing clear connections between risk identification and preventive services, Unified hopes to make cardiovascular screening more useful and actionable for both patients and providers.
Leadership Highlights the Role of OB/GYN Providers in Cardiovascular Health
Unified’s leadership believes that women’s healthcare providers have an important opportunity to contribute to cardiovascular disease prevention.
Elizabeth Cherot, MD, MBA, Chief Medical Officer of Unified Women’s Healthcare, emphasized that OB/GYN providers maintain relationships with women throughout several important stages of their lives.
According to Dr. Cherot, these relationships extend from pregnancy and postpartum care through menopause and later stages of life. This continuity provides healthcare professionals with opportunities to identify potential long-term health concerns while addressing patients’ immediate reproductive healthcare needs.
She explained that the initiative is intended to recognize the broader role OB/GYN appointments can play in protecting women’s long-term health.
The organization’s approach reflects a shift toward more connected healthcare delivery, where reproductive health, cardiovascular prevention, and general wellness are considered parts of a woman’s overall healthcare journey.
By incorporating cardiovascular risk assessments into existing appointments, Unified hopes to reach women who might otherwise miss opportunities for preventive screening.
American Heart Association Venture Fund Supports the Broader Vision
The initiative also reflects a shared commitment between Unified Women’s Healthcare and the American Heart Association to improve cardiovascular health outcomes among women.
The early support provided by the American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women Venture Fund helped establish the foundation for Lucina Analytics’ feasibility research.
Tracy Warren, Senior Managing Director of the Go Red for Women Venture Fund, which is part of the American Heart Association Ventures family of funds, highlighted the importance of developing new approaches to cardiometabolic health.
Warren noted that establishing an annual midlife healthcare visit and identifying nontraditional opportunities for screening were important takeaways from the organization’s Inflection Point Summit.
She described Unified’s initiative as an important step toward establishing a more consistent approach to cardiovascular screening for women across different stages of life.
The initiative aligns with the fund’s broader focus on supporting innovation that can address important gaps in women’s healthcare.
By encouraging earlier screening and exploring new ways to integrate cardiovascular prevention into existing medical settings, the collaboration aims to contribute to more accessible and comprehensive healthcare services.
National Healthcare Network Creates Opportunities for Wider Implementation
Unified Women’s Healthcare’s national presence provides an important foundation for evaluating the potential impact of the initiative.
The organization operates a network of more than 3,000 clinicians who collectively care for millions of women every year.
This extensive clinical network creates opportunities to explore how new preventive healthcare models can be introduced, evaluated, and potentially expanded across different healthcare settings.
Combined with Lucina Analytics’ predictive intelligence and embedded care management capabilities, Unified’s clinical reach could support a more coordinated approach to cardiovascular risk identification.
The organization hopes to develop a model that can be incorporated into existing clinical workflows while minimizing additional administrative responsibilities for physicians and healthcare teams.
For patients, integrating cardiovascular screening into routine OB/GYN care could provide a more convenient way to learn about potential health risks and receive guidance on preventive services.
For clinicians, access to relevant clinical information and analytical tools could help support more informed conversations about cardiovascular health.
However, the long-term success of the approach will depend on the results of ongoing research, the quality of available clinical information, and the ability to establish effective follow-up care pathways.
A Broader Approach to Women’s Preventive Healthcare
Unified’s initiative represents an important effort to expand the role of women’s healthcare providers in addressing long-term health concerns.
Historically, reproductive healthcare and cardiovascular prevention have often been managed through separate clinical pathways. However, the relationship between reproductive health, hormonal changes, metabolic conditions, and cardiovascular risk highlights the importance of a more integrated approach.
By recognizing these connections, healthcare organizations may be able to identify opportunities for prevention earlier and improve coordination between different medical specialties.
Unified’s long-term vision is to establish an evidence-informed cardiovascular risk assessment model that can become a practical part of routine women’s healthcare.
As the initiative progresses, findings from the foundational research and future feasibility studies are expected to help inform broader clinical implementation.
The organization aims to demonstrate how existing patient relationships, clinical data, predictive analytics, and coordinated care management can work together to improve preventive healthcare delivery.
Ultimately, the initiative seeks to make cardiovascular risk identification a more consistent part of women’s healthcare experiences. By using routine OB/GYN visits as opportunities to assess potential risks and connect patients with appropriate medical services, Unified Women’s Healthcare hopes to support earlier intervention and contribute to better long-term health outcomes for women.
The effort reinforces a broader message: protecting women’s cardiovascular health requires attention throughout every stage of life, not only when symptoms appear or a serious medical condition has already developed.
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