The Office of Women’s Health at Wayne State University, in partnership with the Wayne Health Mobile Unit program, will introduce Well-Woman Wednesdays, bringing free mobile health screenings and health education to the community at a variety of locations beginning July 14.
The first Well-Woman Wednesday will take place from 2 to 6 p.m. at the headquarters of Alternatives for Girls, located at 903 West Grand Blvd., in Detroit.
The project seeks to educate and empower women to achieve better health by providing them with screening, resources and connections to health care providers on their journey to improved wellness.
Each designated Wednesday, a multi-disciplinary team of health care experts will address health across all eras of a woman’s lifespan. Participating women will receive a “wellness passport” to help them record the screenings they receive and the activities in which they participate. Women who engage in five or more activities will be entered into a raffle for gift baskets containing an assortment of skin care and hair products. Attendees will also receive free giveaways such as educational materials and women-specific and health-related products.
“With Well-Woman Wednesdays, the Wayne State University Office of Women’s Health aims to expand health care to vulnerable communities impacted most by health disparities and lack of access to health care, thus improving the health of women overall,” said Sonia Hassan, M.D., associate vice president and founder of the Office of Women’s Health and a professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Wayne State University. “The development of a women-focused mobile health unit aiming to improve health literacy and provide reliable methods and resources for the establishment and pursuit of care will improve accessibility of health care to women and eventually narrow the gap in health disparities.”
The Wayne Health Mobile Unit program began in April 2020, bringing COVID-19 testing, and later vaccinations, to tens of thousands of people across Michigan.
“This latest project is an extension of our initial testing and vaccination efforts,” said Phillip Levy, M.D., M.P.H., a WSU professor of Emergency Medicine and chief innovation officer for Wayne Health. “It makes perfect sense to expand the array of health care and health care education services that our mobile units can provide for communities, assisting people in the comfort of their own surroundings.”
In addition to COVID-19 testing and vaccination, women can receive the following:
• Wayne Health and the CDC-funded WISEWOMAN program will provide testing and basic cardiovascular and metabolic laboratory care that covers the cardiovascular, renal and endocrine systems, including blood pressure screening and blood work screening for diabetes, cholesterol, kidney function. Free lead testing will also be provided.
• Michigan Breast and Cervical Cancer Control Program representatives will provide information about the program, which offers free screening for breast and cervical cancer to women ages 21 to 64. Women who require further diagnostic tests or treatment and are eligible for further BCCCP services can register for the program and receive education on breast and cervical cancer, as well as education and resources related to colon and lung cancer prevention.
• Make Your Date, an evidence-based program with a longstanding record of reducing preterm birth in Detroit, will provide prenatal care and follow-up, cervical screening and prenatal care and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome education.
• In the area of reproductive health, educational sessions will be offered on sexual health, healthy relationships, HIV and testing, and resources for safe sex.
• The Know Your Flow Program, a reproductive health program developed for adolescents and teenagers to promote awareness and battle misconceptions regarding reproductive health, will offer menstrual and vaginal health education, puberty education and contraception education.
• Women will have the opportunity to learn how to care for their mental health, when to seek help for anxiety, depression and substance use disorder, as well as effective exercises to improve their overall well-being and help manage stressful events.
“We are thrilled to be partnering with WSU’s Office of Women’s Health, and hosting the launch of Well-Woman Wednesdays at our site,” said Amy Good, chief executive officer of Alternatives for Girls. “The impact of these highly accessible services — both education and care — will be tremendous, especially for the homeless, high-risk, and otherwise vulnerable young and adult women we serve at Alternatives For Girls. This project sends a powerful message: that the health of all women is valued, and that our community is investing in supporting women’s wellbeing.”
Partners involved in Well-Woman Wednesdays include Wayne State University, Wayne Health, Alternatives for Girls, Priority Health, Detroit Parent Network, First Candle, Wisewoman Program, the Barbara Ann Karmanos Institute, and the Michigan Breast and Cervical Cancer Control Program.
For additional information, call 313-577-3526 or email womenshealth@wayne.edu.