A decade ago, Yale's Merilyn Varghese was working as a medical resident in a cardiac intensive care unit when she first encountered a patient population that would change the course of her career.
It was during that time that she first became interested in cardiology. And she found that military veterans were a population unlike any other, particularly when it comes to cardiac risk factors, including post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, and increased levels of hypertension. Working with them, she discovered, offered a unique mission.
Today, Varghese is an assistant professor of cardiology at Yale School of Medicine and medical director for cardiac rehabilitation and primary prevention at the West Haven VA Medical Center. In her work at the VA, she is focused on one primary goal: improving rehabilitation rates among military veterans.
"Veterans have given their time, health, all sorts of sacrifices for this country," she says. "Working with veterans is meaningful. It's one of the most valuable, enriching clinical experiences I've had."
