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STATEWIDE
KICKOFF OF WOMEN'S HEALTH MONTH TO BE HOSTED BY OHIO
UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF OSTEOPATHIC
MEDICINE
Note:
For more information, please contact Kevin Sanders,
writer/editor, at (740) 593-0896.
ATHENS,
Ohio -- The Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine
(OU-COM) is hosting the statewide kickoff of Women's Health
Month and the "Women Making a Difference" Award. The kickoff
event starts at 1 p.m., Wednesday, Sept. 1, in Irvine Hall,
Rm. 194. The award ceremony begins at 1:30 p.m.
"We are
delighted that Ohio University was asked to host the
statewide kickoff on Sept. 1,"said Margo Marazon, director
of the Area Health Education Center (AHEC). "And we are
pleased that two of the four women receiving 'Women Making a
Difference' Awards are from Southeastern Ohio."
The
Southeastern Ohio recipients of the "Women Making a
Difference" Award are Norma Torres, R.N., director of nurses
for the Meigs County Health Department in Pomeroy, and Deb
Goins, president of the Washington County Women's Health
Coalition in Marietta. Recipients of this award are chosen
by their colleagues in recognition of the awardees'
contributions and dedication to women's health concerns.
In
addition to Goins and Torres, Susan Basta, R.N., educational
program coordinator for the HEALTH-UC/University of
Cincinnati AHEC Program, Georgetown, and Jean Wise, R.N.,
M.S.N., health commissioner of the Williams County Health
Department in Montpelier, will receive the award.
"Each of
these four honorees have taken leadership roles in
developing women's health month activities in their own
communities," said J. Nick Baird, M.D., state health
director. "They have encouraged and expanded education about
important women's health issues such as breast cancer,
osteoporosis, heart disease and domestic violence. They are
true motivators."
At the
kickoff event, Deborah Arms, R.N., Ph.D., chief of the
Division of Prevention, Ohio Department of Health (ODH),
will precede Barbara Ross-Lee, D.O., dean of OU-COM, with
opening remarks. Ross-Lee will deliver the kickoff's opening
address. State Representatives Nancy Hollister and John
Carey will present the awards during the award ceremony,
which begins at 1:30 p.m. Also participating in the ceremony
will be Arms and Frank Bright, ODH chief of the Bureau of
Health Promotion and Risk Reduction.
In
recognition of Women's Health Month, ODH provides funds to
support various statewide efforts, which include education
about, and the promotion of events that focus on, women's
health issues. An essential thrust of activities during this
month is also the encouragement of women to network with
each other and to assume a more proactive role in their own
health care. Throughout Ohio, there will be almost 75
women's health programs in 49 counties covering a very broad
range of issues, such as surviving domestic violence,
perinatal health care, stroke prevention screening, minority
oriented health concerns and cardiovascular disease.
ODH
contracted the statewide AHEC to facilitate funding and
implementation of Women's Health Month, Marazon says.
According to Marazon, the process was a good fit for the
AHECs because almost all AHECs are involved in community
health education and have been highly supportive of ODH
Women's Health Month activities in previous years.
"This is
the first year that the statewide AHEC program worked with
ODH to oversee Women's Health Month activities in each of
the AHEC regions," Marazon said.
A two-hour
educational program will follow the award ceremony. Teresa
Parker, R.N., will give a presentation on women and heart
disease. Parker will be followed by Kate Dean-Haidet, R.N.,
who will give the presentation, "Healers, Harpists, and
Herbalists: Choosing a Complementary Therapy." Dean-Haidet's
presentation will include a performance by Killashandra,
featuring Debbie Norris playing the harp and Ted Jordan,
D.O. ('92), playing the fiddle.
For more
information on Women's Health Month, please contact
Mari-jean Siehl or Randy Hertzer, ODH Public Affairs, (614)
644-8562.
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