LEWISTON — Central Maine Medical Center and the Central Maine Heart and Vascular Institute will host the 10th annual “A Heart to Heart” conference on heart disease on Saturday, Feb. 27.

The conference will be held in the Chairmen’s Rooms on the lower level of the 12 High Street Medical Office Building. Registration will begin at 8 a.m. and a heart-healthy continental breakfast will be provided.

The event is free and is open to both men and women.

The day’s events will begin with Dr. Glenn Focht, president of the Central Maine Medical Group, and Claire Cote, director of Outpatient Cardiovascular Services at the Central Maine Heart and Vascular Institute. Beginning about 8:30 a.m., they will discuss “Saving Lives,” an initiative to identify patients critically at risk for a major adverse health event.

At 9:30 a.m., integrative medicine specialist Dr. Erica Lovett, of the Central Maine Family Medicine Residency Program, will discuss “Integrative Medicine Approaches to Heart Health: Keeping Healthy in Mind, Body and Spirit.” She will explore what integrative medicine means to a heart patient, caregiver or friend, considering how an individual can become an active participant in improving health through evidence-based therapies.

Lovett is a family physician who specializes in integrative medicine. She is a member of the faculty at the CMMC Family Medicine residency in Lewiston.

She was awarded a bachelors degree from the University of Colorado in Boulder, Colo., and earned her medical degree at Oregon Health Sciences University in Portland, Ore. She completed her residency training at Maine Medical Center in Portland, where she also completed an integrative family medicine fellowship. She is certified by the American Board of Family Medicine.

At 10:45 a.m., registered and licensed dietitian Tricia Dunton will talk about “Feeding a Healthy Heart,” exploring the American Heart Association diet recommendations, as well as tips for heart-healthy grocery shopping and cooking.

Dunton is a 2006 graduate of the University of Maine in Orono where she majored in human nutrition. She completed her dietetic internship at the University of New Hampshire in June of 2007, and passed her registered dietitian examination later that year. During her internship, she gained experience working at the New Hampshire Food Bank, the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) Program, Portsmouth Regional Hospital and Frisbee Memorial Hospital.

She is presently employed with CMMC through a collaboration with Western Maine Community Action’s WIC Program.

At 11:30 a.m., community wellness educator Jodi Cornelio will explore “Medical Fitness: Past, Present and Future.” Her presentation will explore how fitness is changing. She will walk participants through the history, trends and principles of medical fitness, and how it can improve their health.

Cornelio has been offering nutrition and personal training consultative services for more than 15 years. Prior to beginning her work at CMMC, she operated her own wellness center where she and her staff coached, counseled and trained a large client base.

She earned her undergraduate degree in nutrition from the University of Maine at Farmington and her masters degree in business administration from Thomas College in Waterville. She is certified as a personal trainer through the American Council on Exercise and in holistic health practices, Hatha Yoga and Pilates through the International Sports Medicine Association.

To register or for more information, call 795-8448. Seating will be limited to the first 100 registrants. Registrations can also be made via e-mail at [email protected] or by visiting the events calendar at cmmc.org.