"I was immediately impressed by this hospital and fell in love with the community."

As a Kansas high school student interested in science, Dr. Cooper first considered a career in veterinary medicine. But she soon decided that she'd be happier helping people.

Board certified in nuclear cardiology and with extra training in echocardiology, Dr. Cooper joined Berkshire Medical Center in 2006, having been recruited from the New Mexico Heart Institute's Cardiology Division in Santa Fe.

"I've lived in Vermont and New Mexico, and I wanted to get back to New England," she says. "I was immediately impressed by this hospital and fell in love with the community."

Dr. Cooper received her medical degree in 1987 from the University of New Mexico and completed her internship and residency training at the University of Vermont, where she studied cardiovascular disease and noninvasive cardiology on a fellowship.

"BHS's investment in the expansion and improvement of its cardiology services will greatly benefit residents of the region,” she remarks. Dr. Cooper says she is committed to the role that prevention awareness plays in helping to reduce the number of heart attacks and the incidence of heart disease. She also serves as the Director of Women's Cardiology Services at BHS.

Dr. Cooper's leisure activities include kayaking and hiking, often with the three dogs that she and her partner have as companions.