PURPOSE, PEOPLE AND PASSION UK HEALTHCARE IS DEDICATED TO HELPING WOMEN TAKE CARE OF THEMSELVES
With plates that are brimming, women often have a long list of priorities – kids, careers, caregiving for older relatives, community responsibilities – that they put ahead of their own health and wellness.
UK HealthCare, the health system at the University of Kentucky, is dedicated to ensuring women of all ages learn to care for themselves throughout their lifespans. Through education and women-centric programs such as the Gill Heart & Vascular Institute’s Women’s Heart Health Program – which features female physicians, nurses and staff and high-tech interventions – and the UK Midwife Clinic, UK HealthCare strives to help women establish and maintain lifelong health. The UK Well Woman Clinic
at Women’s Health Primary Care, part of the Center for the Advancement of Women’s Health, provides comprehensive primary care services for women during all stages of life, by providing all age-appropriate exams and diagnostic testing in one convenient, half-day appointment. The clinic also encourages women to participate in the Women’s Health & You (WHY) research initiative, which helps advance knowledge and improve care of women. The Active Women’s Health Initiative, started by Dr. Mary
Lloyd Ireland, focuses on encouraging girls to begin creating a healthy lifestyle and keep at it as they grow up. No. 1 cause of death for women isn’t what you think Many women believe their major health concern is breast cancer, but the truth is heart disease is the leading cause of death among women in the United States. And Kentucky women are at a much higher risk for developing cardiovascular disease than women in other states. Women
need to know their risk factors for heart disease, such as having diabetes, a sedentary lifestyle and using tobacco. Most of the population has attributable risk, said Dr. Gretchen Wells, medical director of the Women’s Heart Health Program. “Within the population, over 90 percent of the cardiac disease could be reduced or eliminated by controlling those risk factors.” It’s relatively easy to start on the road to cardiac health. Women are encouraged to: » Eat healthier (including plenty of fruits and vegetables). » Increase their intake of fiber (this supports digestive health). » Choose lean protein sources such as beans, nuts, chicken breast and seafood (to support and maintain
