LEWISTON – The Central Maine Medical Family and the Central Maine Heart and Vascular Institute will host the eighth annual “A Heart to Heart” Heart Disease Conference on Saturday, Feb. 23.

The event will be held in the Chairmen’s Room on the ground floor of the 12 High Street Medical Office Building. The program will be telecast to Bridgton and Rumford hospitals. The event, open to men and women, is free.

The conference will begin at 8 a.m. with registration and refreshments. At 8:45 a.m., Cindie Rice, Central Maine Heart and Vascular Institute’s director for outreach, prevention and wellness, will offer introductory remarks.

The centerpiece for the day’s activities will be “Journey of the Heart,” a panel presentation that will center on the experiences of an actual cardiac patient.

The panel will consist of cardiologist Dr. William Phillips, CMHVI’s chief of cardiology; nurse educator Wanda Mitchell, RN; exercise physiologist Tracey Fegan; licensed dietitian Ashley Whalen; and Erin Guay, a public health expert. Jeffrey Baker of Lewiston, a former CMHVI cardiac patient, will offer his perspective on the “Cardiac Patient Experience.”

Following the panel discussion and a short break, Ann LoPresti and Louise Devlin from Re-Awakenings Holistic Health Services will discuss how individuals can achieve multiple objectives without experiencing physical and psychic overload in a presentation titled “Pulling It All Together, Making It Work for Me.”

LoPresti is a registered pharmacist and Devlin is a licensed massage therapist.

At about 11:30 a.m., Ashley Whalen will present a cooking demonstration. Following that, a heart-healthy lunch will be served.

Participation in the day’s event will be limited to the first 100 registrants. To register for the Bridgton Hospital program, call 647-6055. Those interested in attending the Rumford Hospital program should call 369-1143.

For more information about the event or to register, call 795-8240. Registrations can also be made via e-mail at [email protected].