Contact: Mike Horn, Public Relations
Forsyth Medical Center
(336) 287-4203
mikeh@velaagency.com
KERNERSVILLE, N.C. – Kernersville Medical Center will recognize the 12th annual National Women’s Health Week beginning on Sunday, May 8. Local women are encouraged to participate specifically in National Women’s Checkup Day on Monday, May 9, by scheduling an appointment with their primary care physician.
National Women’s Health Week is a women’s health initiative created by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to motivate and empower women to take control of their health by becoming more active participants in their healthcare experience. Kernersville Medical Center, along with Forsyth Medical Center, anticipates that National Women’s Checkup Day will help local women to find primary care physicians in order to create long-lasting healthcare relationships that will help support all stages of women’s health.
“Receiving an annual health check-up is so important to a woman’s health,” says Sherry Ryter-Brown, M.D., of Kernersville Family Practice. “Early prevention and early detection of an illness are two major health benefits of regular check-ups. Also, it is important to create and sustain a relationship with your healthcare provider so that they know and understand your personal health history.”
“National Women's Health Week is important because it encourages women to take time for their health,” says Victoria Nnadi, M.D., of Forsyth Internal Medicine-Kernersville. “Women are often the caregivers for their families and, as a result, forget to make their own health a priority. With National Women’s Health Week, we remind women that they, too, need to visit the doctor, make sure their screenings are up-to-date and just take a minute to think about their health.”
Forsyth Medical Center has planned a “Girl’s Night Out: Ask the Doctor” event on Tuesday, May 10, that gives women the opportunity to talk to a pediatrician, cardiologist, OB/GYN, oncologist and primary care doctor. Kernersville Medical Center is planning to hold a similar event later this summer. Both hospitals support women in taking the pledge to participate in National Women’s Check-up Day. To take the pledge, visit the hospital on Facebook at www.facebook.com/KernersvilleMedicalCenter and follow the posted link on the page. Participants can also take the pledge by visiting the National Women’s Health Week website at www.womenshealth.gov/whw/.
Taking the pledge requires women to:
- Contact their current health care professional to schedule a checkup and get important screenings.
- Discuss with their health care professionals which screenings and tests are right for them, when they should have them and how often.
- Use the interactive screening chart and immunization tool located on the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services website to learn what screenings and immunizations are needed and at what age.
- Schedule at least one preventive health screening during May 2011.
According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, receiving regular screenings such as mammograms and pap tests are vital to the early detection of diseases. Also, women may need particular screenings more or less often depending on age, family history, or previous medical history; therefore it is important to have a primary care physician who knows your history.
If you need a primary care physician, call Health Connections at (336) 718-7010, and we will help you find an excellent one.