May 14 kicks off National Women’s Health Week, a special focus designated by the Office on Women’s Health in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Additionally, the National Cervical Cancer Coalition also recognizes each May as Women’s Health Month, as do other organizations focused on maternal and female health.
At this annual Mother’s Day celebration, Swope Health invites you to join us in championing healthier lives for women, starting with the women in your life.
Swope Health provides whole-person care for girls and women, covering all aspects of a woman’s life.
“Caring for women means caring for the whole woman, remembering that women’s health is more than only reproductive health,” said Dr. Naiomi Jamal, Chief Health Officer at Swope Health. “When we think about comprehensive health care for women, we include mental health, preventive care like mammograms and cervical screening, management of chronic diseases, family planning, healthy nutrition and exercise, well-woman visits, dental care, pre-natal and post-partum care and more.”
She added: “Women’s health care is whole-person health care.”
The whole-person care approach at Swope Health includes checking on each woman’s social well-being – asking about personal safety, access to food and housing, instances of depression and anxiety, for example. These questions can highlight other elements that play a determining factor in a woman’s overall health.
When any of these answers signal a need, Swope Health’s community health workers are engaged to bring resources to assist. The resources could include transportation assistance, support with obtaining medication, help with nutrition and meals, access to counseling or therapy and even help with employment and housing. The list of services and support is long, and Swope Health’s community health workers can help patients find the best resources for each individual’s situation.
And, knowing that women are often tasked with caregiving for others in a family, Swope Health helps make scheduling and planning health care easier, coordinating appointments for family health and dental visits, for example. Swope Health also provides convenient text reminders to help manage busy schedules.
At all of Swope Health’s clinics, we provide care for women in all stages of their life: adolescence, adulthood and senior years. Services provided are:
- Pregnancy testing, with walk-in options, no appointment needed
- Prenatal and postpartum care
- Minor surgical procedures
- Comprehensive family planning services
- Preventive education, management and linkage to care for HIV/AIDSand other sexually transmitted diseases
- Preventive services including mammograms, colon cancer screening, chronic disease screening and treatment
- Cervical cancer screening and pap smears
- Overall health assessment and management
Nationally, the annual observance of Women’s Health brings together a range of organizations focusing attention on special health topics for women:
Heart disease: Heart disease is the leading cause of death in women, yet many women don’t recognize the symptoms, which can differ from symptoms in men. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention promotes a program called WISEWOMAN to prevent stroke and heart disease through integrated screening and evaluation for women.
Osteoporosis: This is a disease that causes bones to become weak and break easily. Osteoporosis affects mostly older women, but it is a disease that can be prevented with early action. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recognizes National Osteoporosis Awareness and Prevention Month in May annually.
Women’s Check-up Day: The Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion of the Department of Health and Human Services names May 18 at National Women’s Check-up Day. It’s a reminder for women to schedule an annual well-woman visit.
Menstrual Hygiene Day: Nearly a thousand regional, national, and international organizations have joined forces to end the stigma of periods, using May 28 as a day to make menstruation a normal fact of life. The goal is to raise awareness about menstruation and create a world where no one is ever held back because of menstruation.
World No-Tobacco Day: The National Institutes of Health and the National Cancer Institute champion May 31 as the international day to focus on ending tobacco use. A special focus highlights Smokefree Women, which offers a variety of tools to help women plan ways to end tobacco use with medications, counseling, apps and other resources.
Be a champion for women: encourage the women in your life to schedule an annual check-up with Swope Health for comprehensive whole-person care. Call 816-923-5800 to make an appointment.
