Although heart disease is the number one cause of death for both men and women in the US, women have vastly different risk factors and symptoms—and require specialized care to prevent, diagnose, and treat their cardiac conditions.

Dr. Canoniero, an experienced women’s cardiologist, has specialized training in advanced imaging for cardiac testing and minimally invasive cardiac diagnostics, which is a pivotal point of access in women’s heart care. “I am very pleased to join the outstanding team at The Christ Hospital Heart & Vascular Institute, and in particular The Women’s Heart Center,” said Dr. Canoniero. “I am excited to participate in this world-class center that continues to strive for patient-centered, innovative approaches to diagnose and treat cardiovascular disease in women.”

As a medical student at the University of Buenos Aires, Argentina, Dr. Canoniero was intrigued by cardiology advancements, technology innovations, and breakthrough medications. She became interested in the evolving field of advanced cardiac imaging, rigorously pursuing advanced training in adult echocardiography (ECHO), nuclear cardiology, CT angiography, and cardiac MRI.

“We are especially delighted to welcome Dr. Mariana Canoniero to our team of nationally renowned cardiology experts,” said Dean Kereiakes, MD, FACC, MSCAI, President of The Heart & Vascular Institute, and Medical Director, The Christ Hospital Research Institute. “She has extensive experience in her field, a great deal of experience in treating women with heart disease, and her commitment to continuing education in advanced cardiac imaging is truly impressive.”

During her twelve years as a general cardiologist and imaging specialist at Methodist Hospital in Minneapolis, Dr. Canoniero was consistently recognized for her outstanding ability to connect with patients and for her high patient satisfaction scores. As a result of her individualized approach to heart care, she was selected to participate in a pilot program as a coach, helping physicians across many specialties improve their relatability for a superior patient experience. "If you don’t establish a relationship with your patient, you can’t effectively deliver care,” she said. “As far back as medical school, I learned that my patients would follow a prescribed course of treatment if I gained their trust."

Dr. Canoniero has received several awards throughout her career, including The Anthony L. Garofalo Cardiovascular Disease Prevention Award for research on early detection, prevention, and treatment of heart failure from the University of Minnesota, and Best Ambulatory Care Award for “outstanding clinical performance” from the Department of Medicine at the University of Miami. Her cardiovascular research has been published in numerous medical journals.

Odayme Quesada, MD, MHS, Founder and Medical Director of the Women's Heart Center, leads an exceptional team focused on providing specialized cardiac care for women. This team of cardiologists, advanced practitioners—Darlene Tierney and Julie Gallatin—and specialized nurses provide women with a place where they are listened to, cared for, and diagnosed. “Dr. Canoniero is an extraordinary addition to our expanding Women’s Heart Center,” said Dr. Quesada. “We are excited she will be part of our rapidly growing and dedicated team of cardiology specialists in women’s cardiac care.”

Dr. Quesada established the Women’s Heart Center to address the overwhelming gap in women’s cardiac care. Many women have microvascular disease, a disease that affects the tiny heart arteries, which cannot be detected by standard testing, and is often missed—contributing to the problem of misdiagnosis. “Women often have chest pain or other symptoms, and even evidence there is damage to the heart, but are falsely reassured after general cardiology testing, because there is no coronary obstruction.” She explained that to diagnose women, you must go beyond testing for blocked coronary arteries to examine the health of the microvascular system, which is accomplished through a specialized invasive procedure called coronary functional angiography, or advanced imaging.

The multitude of women who schedule second opinion consultations at the Women’s Heart Center come desperately seeking answers to their symptoms or specialized care for cardiac diseases more common in women, such as spontaneous coronary artery dissection, heart attacks with no blocked arteries, and stress cardiomyopathy. “It is so apparent that the abundance of women coming to the Women’s Heart Center are attracted because this center is dedicated to their care,” said Dr. Canoniero, adding that most of her patients in Minnesota were women. “I'm excited to be part of the Women's Heart Center. It's vibrant—it has a pulse. And I really want to be part of it.”

Dr. Canoniero is available to see patients at The Women’s Heart Center in the Montgomery Outpatient Center and, like Dr. Quesada, is fluent in Spanish, which she believes is one more resource she can use in her ongoing quest to better connect with patients. Dr. Quesada and the advanced practitioners also see patients at the Kentucky Outpatient Center.

As a Center of Excellence, the Women’s Heart Center is the first choice for women in the Tristate and beyond to realize the difference between simply being treated and receiving exceptional heart care. Our approach is to care for each patient as a team to ensure that if you need to be seen, you will be scheduled with one of our expert providers. To schedule a consultation or request a second opinion, please call 513-585-2140 or visit our website here.

About The Christ Hospital Health Network

The Christ Hospital Health Network is an acute care hospital located in Mt. Auburn, with a remote hospital location in Liberty Township, five ambulatory outpatient centers, and dozens of offices conveniently located throughout the region. More than 1,300 talented physicians and more than 6,000 dedicated team members support the Network. Its mission is to improve the health of the community and to create patient value by providing exceptional outcomes and the finest experiences, all in an affordable way. The Network has been recognized by U.S. News & World Report—for the seventh consecutive year as the #1 hospital in Greater Cincinnati for cardiology and heart surgery—and awarded Healthgrades “America’s 50 Best Hospitals” for being in the top 1% in the nation for providing the highest clinical quality year after year. It is also a Press Ganey Guardian of Excellence Award recipient, which recognizes top-performing healthcare organizations that achieve the 95th percentile or above for performance in patient experience. The Christ Hospital is among a select number of hospitals in the nation to be awarded Magnet® recognition for nursing excellence. For more than 130 years, The Christ Hospital has provided compassionate care to those it serves.