Mother's Day is more than flowers and sweet gifts from children this year at Baptist Health System. It's also the official start to a week-long, systemwide focus on women's health in conjunction with National Women's Health Week.

 

Colleen Woodruff, director of the Women's Center at Baptist Health Medical Center in Little Rock, said this is the first year Baptist has fully participated in the National Women's Health Week, now in its tenth year nationally. The system has various activities planned at its facilities each day of the week to enhance women's health education and awareness.

 

A 2007 report on women's health by the National Women's Law Center was part of the impetus for the week of activities, Woodruff said. The report gave Arkansas a letter grade of F for women's health and ranked the state 49^th in the nation.

 

"One of the things we do well in is the number of women who get screening mammograms, so we've made good progress there as a state," Woodruff said, but added that there were a number of challenges that contribute to Arkansas' low ranking.

 

"We are a rural state, we have access issues. We have a high rate of women without health insurance. We have a high rate of obesity, which leads to diabetes and heart disease. A high number of women who are below the poverty level in income. It's a tough blend of factors," she said.

 

The activities at Baptist are all intended to tie into some of the key priorities for women's health as set by the Office on Women's Health in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services:

 

·        Getting at least 2 ½ hours of moderate physical activity, 1 hour and 15 minutes of vigorous physical activity, or a combination of both each week

·        Eating a nutritious diet

·        Visiting a health care professional for regular checkups and preventive screenings.

·        Avoiding risky behaviors, like smoking and not wearing a seatbelt.

·        Paying attention to mental health, including getting enough sleep and managing stress

 

The signature event, Ladies, Life and Laughter, will be held Sat. May 9 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the J.A. Gilbreath Conference Center on Baptist's Little Rock campus. The event is $10 and is expected to attract about 200 women. The keynote speaker for the event is Kathleen Passanisi, an experienced healthcare professional, businesswoman and educator who will speak on the physical benefits of laughter and mirth in a talk called, "Add Humor to Your Health Plan." The event will also feature a panel discussion with a question and answer format featuring several local physicians who specialize in women's health issues. Panel members are cardiologist Tina Murphy, MD; orthopedist Herbert Hahn, MD; family practice physician Beth Milligan, MD, and OB/GYN Amy Wiedower, MD. The event will also feature booths where attendees can receive various free health screenings.

 

Other events throughout the week include a lecture on genetics and breast cancer by Jerri Fant, MD; a women's self-defense class; a discussion of healthy eating on the go at the Little Rock River Market by dietician JoBeth McElhanon; a free-for-women Fit for Life Day at the Jim Daly Fitness Center in Little Rock; diabetes awareness activities at Philander Smith College; a "Cooking with Cardiologists" demonstration of healthy cooking options; and at each of the Baptist Breast Centers (in Little Rock, North Little Rock, Arkadelphia, Heber Springs and Stuttgart) a free walk-in day for screening mammograms on Friday, May 15.

 

"What I'm hoping is that this week of activities will raise awareness of the things that women could do to have a positive impact on their health. A lot of those things and behaviors don't any cost money or require any special facilities or resources," Woodruff said.

 

Another aspect to Baptist's Women's Health Week is spreading awareness about the grants the health system has available to help women who would not otherwise be able to afford screening mammograms and other breast health services.

 

"We received funding from the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Arkansas Affiliate to provide screening and diagnostic mammograms, ultrasounds and biopsies for women who don't have other means to pay for these," she explained. "Typically, it will be women who don't meet the criteria for the Arkansas BreastCare program, usually women between the ages of 20 and 40 who don't have coverage for mammography."

 

A similar grant from the National Foundation for Breast Care also helps Baptist reach more women for these services.

 

"Physicians should know that if they have patients who need breast health services and can't afford them, the physician offices can call us," she said, "and we will do our best to help."