Meet our Team

 

Anita Kelsey, M.D. Director 

Dr. Anita Kelsey is the director of the Echocardiography Laboratory and a cardiologist at The Hoffman Heart and Vascular Institute of Connecticut at Saint Francis Hospital and Medical Center. She completed her cardiology fellowship at Duke University in 1998 and joined Hartford Hospital, where she was director of the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit and assistant director of echocardiography. She is an assistant clinical professor of medicine at the University of Connecticut Medical School. She joined the The Hoffman Heart and Vascular Institute of Connecticut at Saint Francis in 2003 as the director of echocardiography. She maintains special interest and expertise in echocardiography with prior research in coronary flow reserve, quantitative myocardial contrast enhancement, and stress echocardiography. She also has a special interest in cardiovascular cisease in women and is a member of the North American Menopause Society.

Claire L. Karwacki-Marugg, M.S., CES, Coordinator 

Claire Karwacki-Marugg has served in the health and wellness field for 26 years and has worked at Saint Francis Hospital and Medical Center for the past 19 years. She graduated from the University of Wyoming with her Masters in Exercise Physiology and is certified by the American College of Sports Medicine as an exercise specialist. Her specialties are in in cardiac rehabilitation, lipid management and wellness.

“There is such a need to educate women about cardiac wellness and prevention. The Women's Heart Program provides a unique opportunity to teach awareness and skills to women on how to have healthier lives.” 

Beverley Vassell, Administrative Assistant  

I have worked with various cardiologists at Saint Francis for the past 18 years. I am currently the secretary for the Women’s Heart Program at Saint Francis Hospital and Medical Center’s Hoffman Heart & Vascular Institute of Connecticut. Five years prior to joining Saint Francis, I was employed as a medical secretary/transcriptionist in a variety of healthcare settings.

"I am enthusiastic and excited about being a part of the Women’s Heart Program. It’s a program geared toward awareness and prevention and I am proud to promote women’s wellness. " 

Beth Morse MS, RD, CD-N, Registered Dietitian 

Beth came to Saint Francis in 2012 from Lahey Hospital & Medical Center. She received her undergraduate degree in psychology from Emory University and completed her Master of Science and Dietetic Internship at Boston University. She holds a Certificate of Training in Adult Weight Management from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and is a Certified Personal Trainer with the American Council on Exercise.

“I became a dietitian because I want to help people make well informed and successful decisions about the foods they choose to eat. I enjoy working with the Women’s Heart Program because it gives me an opportunity to motivate and educate women in my own community.”