Dr. Rachana Kulkarni Shares Journey as a Woman in Cardiology and Philanthropy
“I realized how heart disease in women is misunderstood and undertreated and that the lack of female cardiologists has compounded the problem. That was my inspiration to go into cardiology, and I would do it again in a heartbeat!” For this week’s Women’s Health Wednesday, we are excited to introduce today’s woman dreamer, Dr. Rachana Kulkarni. An award-winning cardiologist with a passion for empowering women and children, Rachana is the President of American Heart Association - New Jersey, and a proud board member of The Akshaya Patra Foundation, helping the organization in its mission to provide meals to millions of school children across India. Rachana shares the lifestyle tips that every woman must follow for a healthy heart, and how she combines her passions for healthcare and philanthropy to empower communities!
1) Tell us your background and journey that led you to be a cardiologist.
I am from Nagpur and migrated to the US after completing medical school at Government Medical College in Nagpur. When I was completing my residency at Robert Wood Johnson University hospital, I realized the extent and severity of heart disease in South Asians my natural thought process was to seek solutions for such an aggressive disease for my ethnicity.
In addition, I realized how heart disease in women is misunderstood and undertreated and that the lack of female cardiologists has compounded the problem. So, I definitely saw a gap in the treatment of heart disease in women. That was my inspiration to go into cardiology! It was a tough but very rewarding journey and I will do it again in a heartbeat
2) You are not only a cardiologist, and a managing partner in your practice but also the President of the American Heart Association in New Jersey. How do you make the time to balance all of these roles along with family life?
Passion! I love what I do as a cardiologist. It is extremely gratifying to see how your knowledge can make a difference in peoples life and help them change the trajectory of their life!
In addition I strongly believe in the American Heart Association’s mission that most heart disease in preventable by identifying and addressing the risk factors and their mission of raising the awareness of heart disease in women. So it has been my honor to serve as their President in New Jersey. This is possible because of my passion for the cause and having a very supportive husband and family.
3) You are on the board of the non profit Akshaya Patra. How long have you been involved with them and what motivates you to be involved in a non-profit? Also, why Akshaya Patra?
I have been involved with Akshaya Patra for probably a decade now. I came from a family that valued hard work and education and I strongly believe that educating children and especially girls is the most important intervention to change the world. Akshaya Patra’s vision that -No child in India shall be deprived of education because of hunger was a very powerful vision to change the course of the country.
At Akshaya Patra, we dream of a world where families won’t have to choose between food and education for their children. A wholesome meal prompts children, especially girls, to stay out of the workforce and attend school thereby addressing both classroom hunger and education. So I feel that Akshaya Patra’s vision and mission resonates with my desire of promoting education and supporting women empowerment through education. Akshaya Patra is the perfect vehicle to achieve that change in an entire generation of Indian kids and give them tools to break the cycle of poverty for them and their families
4) You are invested in women's cardiac health. What are your top tips for women to maintain their best cardiac health?
Women need to know that Cardiovascular disease is the number one killer for women causing 1in 3 deaths each year! That’s approximately one woman per minute ! That means heart disease takes away a mother , a daughter, a girlfriend every minute!!
Each year, more women die of heart disease than all cancers combined !!
But women can change it by adopting a heart healthy lifestyle –
I suggest Life’s simple 7 steps for heart health -Stop smoking, eat better, stay active, maintain healthy weight, manage your blood pressure, control your blood sugars and cholesterol
We owe it to our loved ones to take better care of our heart health.
Your ‘why” to take care of your heart- your mother, your Daughter, your Family!!
5-What is your next big personal and / or professional dream?
I would love to see Akshaya Patra feed 5 million children in India each day by 2025 and every Indian girl to be educated.
My personal dream is to see the United states be a truly beautiful mosaic of ethnicities’ where each piece contributes uniquely to make a beautiful end product. People of different beliefs, different hopes and dreams and different talents coming together to pursue their dreams and contribute to be a part of this wonderful country.
Thank you Rachana for sharing your story with us! We are excited to have you in our global women’s network!
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