OWH
Heart Health Initiatives:
OWH's Regional Activities
Region I
Region I has supported educational activities on
cardiovascular disease in women through work and funding for the Maine Women and CVD Plan
and Report (2001) and the Vermont Women and Heart Disease: Working Toward Prevention
Conference (2002), which promoted awareness and prevention strategies.
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Region II
New York City Women's Healthy Heart Consortium Since 2001,
this coalition of 15 public and private sector partners has been convened by the New York
City Department of Health to plan and implement citywide activities focused on the
prevention of cardiovascular disease in women. The Regional Women's Health Coordinator is
an active member of the Women's Healthy Heart Consortium. Examples of activities have
included: a) a legislative briefing on cardiovascular disease and women for the New York
City Council; b) public health awareness campaigns conducted in partnership with local
florists on St Valentine's Day and Mother's Day; c) neighborhood walks in parks and
botanical gardens throughout New York City, with an educational component on the
importance of exercise to prevent cardiovascular disease; and a d) a seminar on heart
disease and women for private corporations in the health industry.
National Women's Health Week During National Women's Health
Week, May 12 18, 2002, several community-based organizations conducted community health
fairs in which they provided health screenings and distributed educational brochures on
women and cardiovascular disease. Sponsoring organizations included St Barnabas Hospital
Women's Health Community Center of Excellence, Bronx, NY; William F Ryan Community Health
Center, NY, NY; and US Virgin Islands Department of Health Division of Chronic Disease.
Medical Experts as Spokespersons Dr. Nieca Goldberg, Chief,
Cardiac Rehabilitation and Prevention, at the Women's Heart Program at Lenox Hill Hospital
in New York, has developed a model program to address cardiovascular disease in women. In
Spring 2002, she published a book entitled Women Are Not Small Men: Life-Saving Strategies
for Preventing and Healing Heart Disease in Women. Dr. Goldberg has been an outspoken
advocate on women and cardiovascular disease at professional conferences; she was a
presenter at HRSA Region II's Annual Conference in May 2002.
Target the Heart: A Summit on Stroke and Heart Disease in
Women This summit took place on March 13, 2003 in Buffalo, NY. It was sponsored by the
Jacobs Neurological Institute and co-sponsored by the HHS Region II Office on Women's
Health and others. The conference examined the latest in data, prevention, and
intervention strategies to address cardiovascular disease in women.
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Region IV
American Indian Health Summit: "Keeping the Circle
Healthy" OWH Region IV was a co-sponsor with the North Carolina Commission on Indian
Affairs to convene this two-day conference focused on the education and prevention of
chronic diseases in North Carolina Indian Communities. The second-day general session was
Cardiovascular Health and Stroke-Early Warning Signs. This session focused on the risk
factors for CVD, the prevalence of CVD risk factors, and promoting healthy lifestyles in
American Indian Communities. The speaker also addressed the differences in treatment of
CVD symptoms in men and women.
Take Charge of Your Heart: Reducing Cardiovascular Risks in
Women OWH Region IV co-sponsored this first women's health summit with the Georgia Office
of Women's Health. The summit was held in Macon, Georgia. The summit educated primary care
physicians and other health providers about the risks for women in developing
cardiovascular disease and what they can do to reduce these risks. It provided specific
information about CVD risk factors for women.
"Girls Rule!" Obesity Prevention Intervention for
African American Girls Project OWH Region IV co-sponsored this project with the University
of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. It focused on community-based preventive research
efforts to gather information on individual, household, community, and ecological factors
that affect diet and physical activity among African American girls in North Carolina. The
information gathered will be used to develop an age-appropriate and culturally specific
intervention, integrating spiritual, social, and cultural strengths of the African
American Church. It provides specific intervention with African American girls to reduce
the risks of CVD.
Leadership Institute for Women's Health and Health Policy In
collaboration with the Emory Regional Training Center, OPHS Region IV sponsored this
weeklong institute for clinicians (nurses and mid-level providers) from eight southeastern
states to expand their leadership and clinical skills in the area of women's health. These
sessions included a presentation on cardiovascular disease and prevention in women with a
focus on identifying the risk factors for heart disease in women; understanding the
epidemiology of heart disease; recognizing the differences in presentation of heart
disease in women and men; and, identifying diagnostic and treatment strategies for heart
disease in women. It provided updated information for clinical providers to use when they
return to their clinical settings, which provide services to women.
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Region VI
Social Security Field Office Group Meeting: "Importance
of Women's Health" OWH Region VI office provides educational sessions to federal
employees on women's health topics. In this case, the session focused on "taking care
of yourself by taking care of your health." This OWH initiative focused on women's
health across the lifespan by providing women's health care services, education and
outreach.
University of North Texas UN Conference on Women: "The
Power to be Cool, Smart and Successful" OWH funded three speakers to discuss
"The Impact of Culture on Disease" at this conference. Women from various
race/ethnicities attend this yearly conference, and the health track is one of interest to
many women attending the conference. The speakers focused on the importance of keeping
healthy and how one's culture can be positive or negative in improving one's health.
Nutrition and physical activity were also discussed. An exhibit booth also provided OWH
women's health information.
Jemez Health & Human Services-Walatowa Women's Health
Wellness Conference "Women are Sacred" in New Mexico OWH works with various
American Indian tribes to promote health of American Indian women. Region VI's OWH
provided conference support for American Indian women at the Jemez Pueblo, in Jemez, New
Mexico. This pueblo has strong health department initiatives that focus on heart,
diabetes, domestic violence prevention initiatives. Various health topics and prevention
methods were discussed. The speaker, an American Indian woman, was able to relate cultural
messages and the importance of being pro-active with one's health care.
24thAnnual Conference on Women's Health Care University of
Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas and Ft. Worth Business Women's Expo-Ft. Worth,
Texas OWH Region VI exhibits to large professional and consumer groups in their local area
to build awareness of how the federal government is encouraging women to live healthier,
longer lives. OWH materials, including heart-focused messages, nutrition, and physical
exercise. (OWH-funded, written, provided?)
Federal Physical Activity Expo Region VI OWH started our
comprehensive health prevention/health promotion messages three years ago when they had a
Federal Physical Activity Expo. They had vendors from the community (including American
Heart Association) hand out messages and the importance of including health nutrition/
physical activity rest/stress-relieving messages to have better body health, and we had
venues that included physical activities for the individuals to participate in. Fun was
had by 300+ individuals.
Walk Across Texas Region VI has been involved the last two
years in partnering with local USDA Cooperative Extension Service, to promote, "Walk
Across Texas," an 8 week work-place initiative to encourage good heart/body health
activities. FOH has provided health screenings including blood pressure checks. We have
had as many as 15 teams of 8 people who have participated and this event has been well
received. 120+ participants
National Women's Health Week Region VI OWH has participated
in "Take Your Loved One to the Doctor Day," for the last two years, and also had
a "Check-up Day," for women during National Women's Health Week last year. These
events emphasized health screenings (blood pressure and cholesterol screenings.)1,000
individuals attended these screenings.
Community Health Presentations For three years, Region VI has
provided over ten community health promotion presentations that include heart health. They
have reached at a minimum of 500 participants
Teen Health Fashion Show In 2004, Region VI OWH is working
with teens 14-17 years of age to have a "Teen Health Fashion Show," that will
entail 50 teens models. The evening gown section will have red dresses and the health
message will be "Protecting Your Heart Now," That event is scheduled for
February 7, 2004. Expect 500 participants are expected.
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Region VIII
Community Stroke Education Collaboration The National Stroke
Association was awarded a contract by the Region VIII Office of the Regional Health
Administrator to conduct a needs assessment within the region. Public health providers
such as community health centers, family planning clinics, and Indian Health Service
providers were asked to assess a variety of patient and provider education materials and
to assess their provider training needs and preferences. A toolkit of materials was
provided to all participating clinics plus the Primary Care Associations in Region VIII.
Montana Cardiovascular Health Summit A plenary presentation
was made during the conference entitled Cardiovascular Disease Intervention in Women at
Montana's statewide conference on heart disease and stroke. It educated health providers
about the gender differences in the prevention, identification, and treatment of heart
disease.
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Region X
Workshop on Public Health Approaches to Healthy Weight:
Social Marketing, Focus Groups and Targeted Interventions, April 4-6, 2001, Seattle,
Washington The April 2001 workshop was the second in a series of trainings designed to
build capacity of the public health workforce in Region X to address issues of healthy
weight in adolescent women of color. The content of the year's workshop was planned to
meet needs expressed in the evaluations of April 2000's expert panel meeting and those
expressed by respondents to a survey posted by the NWOPP in the fall of 2000. Attendees
learned about the process of implementing focus groups and social marketing campaigns.
Presenters included case studies of successful experiences that they have had in these
areas. The small workshop format encouraged interactions and provided opportunities for
public health practitioners to begin planning effective interventions in their own states
and cities.
The Interface of Urban Design, Public Health and Physical
Activity in Prevention Obesity, December 6, 2001, Seattle, Washington The urban design
conference provided a forum for experts and advocates to look into the environmental
causes of obesity and the ways in which urban design can promote physically active
communities. The outcome of this meeting generated a short policy document that can be
used for several purposes, including advocacy with elected officials and health planners,
and strategic planning for nutrition and physical activity programming throughout
Washington State. Ideas for the policy document were explored during the facilitated
discussion portion of the conference and were presented in a draft form for comment.
Northwest Obesity Prevention Project The project seeks to
improve capacity in Region X to (1) address obesity in programs that target the health of
women and adolescents (2) support collaborative relationships between communities,
agencies and disciplines to facilitate systems development, program planning and timely
responses to Requests for Proposals for innovative approaches to obesity.
We have established an ongoing, multidisciplinary work group
of committed public health professionals and prevention specialists in Region X, including
nutritionists, women's health specialists from medicine and nursing, behavioral experts,
physical activity experts, epidemiologists, and health educators. A listserv and a web
site have been established to facilitate communication and resource sharing. The first
phase of work was a resource assessment. The work group provided information about
existing assessment information, references and materials, current obesity-related efforts
in the region, interests of specific geographic areas and/or ethnic groups, and resources
for interventions. This information was enhanced through the systematic use of key
informant interviews, and results were posted on the web site.
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Last updated: February 2004
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