Tonya Moore

My name is Tonya R. Moore. I’m a 46 year old mother of two and I’ve been married for 29 years. I have been a Stained Glass Artist since 1998. At the age of 37, I was diagnosed with heart failure and in 2013, I became the first patient at Cone Health to be implanted with the Left Ventricular Assist Device (LVAD). I am a Support Network Coordinator for WomenHeart: The National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease (helping to set up and run Cone Health HeartSisters Support Group). I am also a Co-Coordinator for a LVAD Support Group for patients as well as caregivers here at Cone. I am in my second year as a member of Cone Health’s Patient and Family Advisory Council. This is a new concept for my health care system but it shows how “patient centered” they are becoming. We have a very dynamic group. This advisory council gives us the opportunity to have our voices heard and to be give patient/caregiver feedback for various projects and changes for our health care system.