SPRINGFIELD – The public perception may be different, but heart disease claims the lives of more U.S. women each year than all forms of cancer combined. To educate the community about heart disease, Crozer-Keystone Health System will present a “Women’s HeartAdvantage community event” on Oct. 27 from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Drexelbrook Corporate Events Center, Drexelbrook Drive and Valley Road in Drexel Hill.

Keynote speaker at the event will be Noel Bairey Merz, M.D., medical director of the Preventive Medicine and Rehabilitative Cardiac Center, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, Calif., and national spokesperson of the Women’s HeartAdvantage campaign of the VHA.

In addition, a panel of Crozer-Keystone Health System cardiologists and surgeons will discuss and answer questions about the risk factors, diagnosis and treatment of heart disease. The physicians will provide the latest information about interventional treatments, electrophysiology, open heart surgery and more.

Crozer-Keystone physicians expected to attend include Howard Gitter, M.D., a cardiologist at Taylor Hospital; Karl Grunewald, chief of Cardiac Surgery at Crozer-Chester Medical Center; Scott Hessen, M.D., medical director of Cardiac Electrophysiology at Crozer-Chester Medical Center; Ancil Jones, M.D., chief of Cardiology at Crozer-Chester Medical Center; Edward LaPorta, M.D., chief of Cardiology at Delaware County Memorial Hospital; Roselle Mesmer, M.D., cardiologist at Crozer-Chester Medical Center and medical director of Crozer-Keystone’s Women’s HeartAdvantage campaign; and Domenic Pisano, D.O., chief of Cardiology at Springfield Hospital;

Crozer-Keystone has been a participating health system in the Women’s HeartAdvantage campaign since 2002. This campaign aims to increase awareness of heart disease among women; help them recognize the signs and symptoms of a heart attack, as well as help them to change unhealthy behaviors; and enhance the way physicians approach prevention, detection and treatment of heart disease in women.

Parking is free, and refreshments will be served at the event.

For more information and to register for the event, call 1-800-CK-HEALTH (1-800-254-3258).