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Blagojevich administration announces more than $1.5 million in
Women's Health Initiative grants for Illinois
Grants to
raise awareness and educate women and young girls about the health
risks associated with common disease and health conditions
Every
uninsured woman in Illinois to have access to breast and cervical
cancer screening and treatment
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[September 06, 2007]
SHERMAN -- On Tuesday, officials
from Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich's administration announced more than
$1.5 million in Women's Health Initiative grants for nonprofit
organizations, health departments and service agencies in Illinois.
The grants will help institute educational programs about menopause,
cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis. This latest grant
announcement continues to strengthen the governor's commitment to
improving the overall picture of health care in Illinois.
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 "These grants help support local programs so that women of all ages
receive the information they need to prevent and fight breast
cancer, heart disease, cervical cancer or osteoporosis. This is the
same reason I increased funding for the Illinois Breast and Cervical
Cancer Program in this year's budget, so more women can afford to
get important screenings that could save their lives," Blagojevich
said.Illinois Department of Public Health Director Dr. Eric E.
Whitaker made the announcement Tuesday morning at Sherman Elementary
School. The announcement follows the governor's recent decision to
expand funding for the Illinois Breast and Cervical Cancer Program
to provide mammograms, breast exams, pelvic exams and Pap tests for
all uninsured Illinois women, regardless of income.
The Illinois Department of Public Health's Office of Women's
Health administers the Women's Health Initiative grants, which are
awarded to organizations that implement programs that provide
guidance on issues related to nutrition, exercise, risk assessment,
treatment options and prevention strategies.
"The Office of Women's Health recognizes the need to educate the
public about the benefits of healthy lifestyles and that positive
behavioral changes can help improve and prevent a variety of chronic
conditions," Whitaker said. "We've added two new programs this year,
LifeSmart for Women and BodyWorks, to address women's comprehensive
health and obesity in adolescent girls."
The Sangamon County Health Department received $25,000 for its
Heart Smart for Teens program. Heart Smart for Teens is a nine-week
program that educates fifth- to ninth-grade girls on the risk
factors of cardiovascular disease and teaches them the importance of
a healthy diet and physical activity.
"Heart Smart for Teens gives girls an early start at learning
heart-healthy eating and exercise habits," said Michelle Burger,
health educator for the Sangamon County Department of Public Health.
"The girls are introduced in the classroom to foods they may have
never tried before and also have the chance to participate in
exercises that are fun and a great workout at the same time. All
activities are hands-on, which makes it easier for the girls to
re-create the snacks and exercises at home. All of the new
information, we believe, will empower the girls to confidently and
consciously make better eating and lifestyle choices."
The Women's Health Initiative grants are funded through state
general revenue funds and include eight programs:
a 12-week community-based program designed to change
unhealthy behavior while promoting the benefits of exercise and
nutrition.
Heart Smart for
Teens, a nine-week nutrition and exercise curriculum geared
to school-aged girls.
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Building Better
Bones, a program for women that offers group education
sessions as well as bone density screenings for osteoporosis.
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Osteoporosis
Prevention for Teens, a program targeting high school
freshman and sophomore students that includes a presentation on
osteoporosis and several activities, including a nutrition
demonstration and exercises to promote bone building.
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Jump Girl Jump,
a four-session structured jump rope and nutrition program
for grade school girls that is designed to create awareness of
bone health, physical activity and the importance of calcium
intake.
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Understanding
Menopause, a program offering educational sessions that help
women understand perimenopause and menopause and inform them
about related health issues.
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LifeSmart for
Women, a 10-week comprehensive education curriculum
appropriate to a widely diverse audience of women and covering a
variety of women's health topics, including cardiovascular
disease, stroke, diabetes, nutrition, fitness, stress, substance
abuse, violence against women, sexual health, aging and family
health.
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BodyWorks, a
Toolkit for Healthy Girls and Strong Women, an obesity
prevention program to help parents and caregivers of adolescent
girls improve family eating and exercise habits.
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Blagojevich has made other significant contributions to promote and
improve women's health including:
Blagojevich has announced he will increase
funding for the
Illinois Breast and Cervical Cancer Program to provide
mammograms, breast exams, pelvic exams and Pap tests for all
uninsured Illinoisans. The program currently serves low-income
uninsured women. This expansion is expected to provide access to
screenings for 261,000 women in Illinois. If diagnosed with
breast or cervical cancer upon screening, program participants
will have access to coverage for treatment. Last year,
Blagojevich allocated $2.1 million in new funding to increase
eligibility for lifesaving breast and cervical cancer screenings
to women with incomes up to 250 percent of the federal poverty
level. Since the governor has been in office, more than 52,250
women, 48 percent of whom are minorities, received free
screenings through the program.
Stand Against
Cancer: Beginning in 2003, Blagojevich funded Stand Against
Cancer, a community outreach and screening program targeting the
hardest-to-reach minority women. It is conducted by a coalition
of neighborhood organizations, churches and federally qualified
health centers. In fiscal 2007, the program provided more than
23,900 breast and cervical cancer screenings and reached more
than 324,225 other women through educational programs and
outreach.
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Hispanic Breast
and Cervical Cancer initiative: In 2005, Blagojevich
launched the Hispanic Breast and Cervical Cancer initiative,
which is closely patterned after Stand Against Cancer. Women
screened through the initiative who subsequently need diagnostic
tests are referred to local lead agencies for the Illinois
Breast and Cervical Cancer Program.
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Illinois Wisewoman
Program: A cardiovascular research
program, Well-Integrated
Screening and Evaluation for Women Across the Nation, is
provided in both English and Spanish languages in 21 Illinois
counties. The
project is targeted toward women enrolled in the Breast and
Cervical Cancer Program and helps them reduce heart disease by
leading healthier lifestyles.
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Women's
Health-Line:
Women's Health-Line and other informational resources
provide increased access to services. In fiscal 2007, the
state-funded, toll-free Women's Health-Line responded to almost
6,000 calls, referring women to services and providing more than
270,000 free educational materials to women and community
providers. These
materials are also available on the Web from the Illinois
Department of Public Health.
For a list of Women's Health Initiative grant recipients, please
go to
http://www.idph.state.il.us/public/
press07/9.4.07_WomenHlthGrants.htm.
For more information on women's health and programs offered
through the Illinois Department of Public Health, visit
www.idph.state.il.us, or call the Women's Health-Line at
888-522-1282 or, for hearing-impaired use only, 800-547-0466 TTY.
[Text from file received from
the
Illinois Office of
Communication and Information]
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