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The WISEWOMAN (Well-Integrated Screening and Evaluation for Women Across the Nation) program was created by a 1993 Congressional authorization as a demonstration program within the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program (NBCCEDP) to provide additional preventive health services to low- income, uninsured women. As a result, those women receiving cancer screening services through NBCCEDP are also able to receive preventive health services that focus on reducing the risk of heart disease and other chronic diseases. Three WISEWOMAN demonstration projects were launched in 1995. The WISEWOMAN program currently funds 15 projects located in 14 states, and provides screening and lifestyle interventions to address high blood pressure and cholesterol, nutrition and weight management, physical inactivity, and tobacco use.
A world where any woman can access preventive health services and gain the wisdom to improve her health.
To provide low-income, under- or uninsured 40- to 64-year-old women with the knowledge, skills, and opportunities to improve diet, physical activity, and other lifestyle behaviors to prevent, delay, and control cardiovascular and other chronic diseases.
CDC’s WISEWOMAN Projects, FY 2004
1. Southcentral Foundation in Alaska | 9. Illinois Department of Public Health |
2. Southeast Alaska Regional Health Consortium | 10. Michigan Department of Community Health |
3. State of California Department of Health Services | 11. West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources |
4. South Dakota State Department of Health | 12. North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services |
5. Nebraska Health and Human Services System | 13. Vermont Department of Health |
6. Minnesota Department of Health | 14. Massachusetts Department of Public Health |
7. Iowa Department of Public Health | 15. Connecticut Department of Public Health |
8. Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services |
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With fiscal year 2004 funding of $14 million, CDC supported 15 projects in 14 states. CDC is also funding studies at Prevention Research Centers to develop interventions that most effectively reduce risk factors for cardiovascular disease and other chronic disease among uninsured and financially disadvantaged women. As of 2004, more than 21,000 women aged 40 years or older have participated in the WISEWOMAN program. These women received counseling to improve their health and were provided with appropriate follow-up services. As highlighted in the chart below, the number of women screened for the first time for cardiovascular risk has approximately doubled each year over the three year period of 2000–2003. Number of Women Screened at Baseline from 2000–2003
WISEWOMAN Success StoriesEvidence has shown that WISEWOMAN has been successful in responding to the needs of underserved women. The following success stories from two WISEWOMAN projects highlight how pooling resources can lead to increased access for women and how cultural adaptation is critical to reaching more women. North Carolina WISEWOMAN ProjectTitle: !Vida Saludable, Corazon Contento! Location: Chapel Hill, North Carolina Focus: Help Latina women make healthy changes in their diet and become more physically active. Strategy: WISEWOMAN staff at the University of North Carolina—Chapel Hill developed culturally appropriate, Spanish-language materials to help Latina women make dietary and physical activity changes that will reduce their risk for heart disease and stroke. Levels of Success: This successful strategy can serve as a model for others wanting to develop culturally appropriate materials. Rigorous reviews by bilingual health professionals and Latina women were essential to ensuring that these materials would be culturally sensitive. Results: These culturally targeted materials have the potential to reach many Latina women across the country. They are being pilot-tested in North Carolina and other states that need help reaching Latina women at risk for heart disease and stroke. Southeast Alaska Regional Health Consortium (SEARHC) WISEWOMAN ProjectTitle: Partners Pool Resources to Give Rural Alaska Women Higher Quality of Care, More Life-Saving Services Location: Rural Southeastern Alaska Focus: Provide women in this isolated, rural area with needed preventive services such as programs on nutrition, physical activity, and smoking cessation. Strategy: Community partners pooled their resources to provide multicultural health care services to underserved women in rural Alaska. Levels of Success: Many organizational benefits have resulted. By coordinating their funding sources, agencies have been able to offer more extensive services, including preventive care, to low-income women who previously were unable to receive the care needed to stay healthy. Results: Because this WISEWOMAN project has pooled resources with other agencies in the community, more Alaska Native as well as non-Native women are receiving preventive care. About 500 women in isolated communities have received preventive services through this WISEWOMAN project in the first year of operation. |
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Policy | Accessibility This page last reviewed August 10, 2004 United
States Department of Health and Human Services |
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