BATON ROUGE — A Baton Rouge healthcare executive is leading a local women's heart health movement.

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death for women in Baton Rouge and across the nation, according to the American Heart Association.

The association encourages women to prioritize their heart health, with Tina Williams, Chief Health Equity and Belonging Officer of Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady Health System, leading the effort in Baton Rouge. 

Williams serves as the 2027 chair for the Capital Area Go Red for Women movement, which addresses critical gaps in research, education and care concerning women's heart health. 

“I am honored to serve as the chair of the Go Red for Women Campaign in Baton Rouge,” Williams said. “This work is deeply personal to me. With a generational predisposition to heart disease and the loss of my mother to a heart attack at an early age, I understand firsthand the urgent need to increase awareness, support research, and advance cardiovascular health for women and families across our community.”

The movement encourages women to move beyond awareness and take action by learning their risk factors, scheduling preventative screenings, making heart-healthy lifestyle changes or seeking medical care when needed.