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LEADING CAUSES OF DEATH CAN BE SUCCESSFULLY PREVENTED OR TREATED IF CAUGHT EARLY (Chambersburg, PA) - The Monday following Mother's Day, National Women's Check-Up Day, is the perfect opportunity to encourage moms, aunts, sisters, spouses, and best friends to visit a health care professional to receive preventive services and screenings. Since many of the leading causes of death among women can be successfully prevented or treated if the warning signs are caught early enough, a reminder from loved ones to get a regular health check-up is one of the nicest gifts a woman can receive. The top three causes of death among women are heart disease, cancer, and stroke. Heart disease is the number one killer of American women and, in fact, more women die of heart disease each year than do men. Cancer is the second leading cause of death, with lung cancer being the top cancer killer among American women followed by breast cancer and colorectal cancer. Stroke is the number three killer of American women. Each year, 30,000 more women than men have strokes. The second annual National Women's Check-Up Day, Monday, May 10, 2004, marks the start of National Women's Health Week, coordinated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). This nationwide observance is to promote awareness of the measures women can take to prevent fatal and debilitating illnesses. According to HHS, maintaining regular check-ups, being physically active, eating a healthy diet, not smoking, and following general safety rules are five health habits for improving women's health. When women take even the simplest steps to improve their health, the results can be significant. But women need to be able to choose the most effective steps for their individual lifestyles and circumstances. They need to be informed and take responsible actions to improve their own health. For example, heart disease is the number one killer among women, but cancer ranks first among Asian/Pacific Islander women. When it comes to lung cancer, however, white women have the highest mortality rate, while African American women have the highest mortality rate from heart disease. Stroke is the third leading cause of death for American women, but it occurs at a higher rate among African American and Latina women. Women with disabilities often require additional technological and accessible features when seeking health care services; the lack of these features often prevents them from seeking and achieving proper health care. These differences show the importance of taking appropriate health actions based on individual backgrounds and risk factors. According to Dr. Yvette Brown, an obstetrician
/ gynecologists at Keystone Women’s Care, a practice of Keystone
Health Center in Chambersburg, “Some women need Women should consider the following screening tests:
Keystone Health Center, Chambersburg, will give flowers to the female patients at its five medical practices—Keystone Family Practice, Keystone Health Center-Path Valley, Keystone Women’s Care, Franklin County Pediatrics, and Franklin County Heart Center—and its dental practice, Keystone Dental Care, on the Thursday or Friday during National Women’s Health Week to thank the women for taking care of their health – for themselves and their families. “We women are so busy taking care of everyone else that we sometimes forget to take care of ourselves. The flowers are a small way to honor our female patients for taking the time to care for themselves by scheduling regular check-ups and appropriate screenings,” said Joanne Cochran, CEO and President of Keystone Health Center, Chambersburg. To participate in National Women's Health Week, women should schedule appointments with their existing health care providers or contact one of the participating local community health centers, hospitals, or other health care providers to schedule check-ups and screening services. Screening tests, such as mammograms and Pap smears, can find diseases early, when they are easier to treat. For more information about National Women's Health Week, visit www.4woman.gov/whw or call 1-800-994-WOMAN (9662), or TTY: (888) 220-5446. The prevention guide, "A Lifetime of Good Health. Your Guide to Staying Healthy," can be found at http://www.4woman.gov/pub/PG.English.pdf or ordered by calling (800) 994-WOMAN (9662). Keystone Health Center, a public, non-profit organization, provides high-quality family medical, obstetric, gynecological, cardiac, behavioral, and dental health care and, when needed, social services to underserved and vulnerable populations as well as the entire community. At present, Keystone Health Center operates six primary care sites—Keystone Family Practice, Keystone Dental Center, Keystone Women's Care, Keystone Health Center-Path Valley satellite family practice, Franklin County Pediatrics, and the State Migrant Farmworker Administration office—and one specialty practice, the Franklin County Heart Center. Keystone also operates one year-round migrant and seasonal farmworker site in Berks County and one seasonal farmworker site in Adams County. Services are also provided through outreach workers and contracted providers across the Commonwealth. For more information regarding Keystone Health Center, please visit the website at www.keystonehealth.com. For more information regarding this news release, please contact Dawn Stinson at (717) 263-2230 x227. |
certain screening tests earlier, or more often, than others. During
their check-ups, women should discuss with their health care
professionals which of the tests are right for them, when they
should have them, and how often.”
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