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KERN BUSINESS JOURNAL
Women’s health targeted By Sandy Doucette
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t’s no secret that men and women are very different. So different, in fact, that Mercy and Memorial Hospitals now offer programs just for women and their specific health care needs. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, as of 2010, women comprised 47 percent of the total U.S. labor force, making women’s health an issue for more than just women. Women balance a variety of demands. In the constant struggle between family, work and self, often self does not come out on top. According to the American Academy of Family Physicians, 90 percent of U.S. adult women are responsible for health care decisions for themselves and/or members of their family. Women also are more likely to be the primary caregiver, when a family member becomes ill or disabled. In fact, women devote so much time to others’ health, they often overlook their own. That’s not hard to imagine considering that in the U.S., more than 65 percent of females work more than 40 hours a week outside the home, in addition to fulfilling their roles as primary caregivers. Women suffer from chronic disease and disability at a rate disproportionate to men, with consequences for their own health and the health of their families. Dignity Health Mercy and Memorial Hospitals have introduced Spirit of Women, a program to encourage women to make personal health a priority. Spirit of Women focuses on inspiring women to make positive changes in their lives—mind, body and spirit. It offers tools to help women be better health care consumers and to make the most of the partnership they have with their physician in order to achieve their personal health and wellness goals. Dignity Health Mercy and Memorial Hospitals
provide access to a wide range of healthier lifestyle, preventive care and educational programs. Each month, health information, as well as special invitations to seminars and special events are emailed to participants. Most women have a limited amount of down time. As a result, they don’t want to hear a lecture. They want to be entertained. Spirit of Women events employ “health-u-tainment,” that is, the little bit of sugar that helps the medicine go down. The program balances serious information with a seriously good time. Many women are unaware that heart disease is the leading cause of death among women, and do not recognize the warning signs or symptoms of heart disease and stroke, which may be more subtle than those exhibited by men. Unfortunately, this lack of awareness can extend to health care providers, sometimes resulting in less aggressive diagnosis and treatment. Recognizing the unique heart health needs of women, Mercy and Memorial Hospitals became the area’s exclusive HeartCaring provider, committing to share clinical information on the symptoms, diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular disease, P.A.D., and stroke in women with local physicians. The program provides women with educational messages and tools to motivate them to make positive, healthy choices and to work with their doctor to prevent heart attacks, strokes, and other cardiovascular conditions. More information about Spirit of Women and HeartCaring is available at www.ChooseMercyMemorial.org. — Sandy Doucette is the marketing and public relations manager for Dignity Health Mercy and Memorial Hospitals.
San Dimas Medical Group opens new building Outgrowing its current location at 300 Old River Road, the San Dimas Medical Group expects to move into a new, 26,000-squarefoot building on May 1. The new facility is being built across the parking lot from SDMG’s present location on the Mercy Southwest Hospital campus. The group will continue to provide women’s health services, with obstetrics and gynecology being the primary focus. But it will also provide services in the following areas: infertility, perinatology, ultrasounds, esthetics, massage therapy, diabetic counseling and nutritional counseling. Additionally, the new building will have an expanded procedures area, which will allow physicians to perform more in-office procedures and services, which are now provided elsewhere. The complex will also have a café, a full-size boutique and a pharmacy to serve patients. San Dimas Medical Group is celebrating its 40th year of providing women’s health services to the women of Kern County. The group began in the 1970s with Drs. Harry Knudsen and Larry Hubbell. Today, Drs. Marietta Tan, Wendy Crenshaw, Dana Edwards, Jigisha Upadhyaya, Tillai Kannappan, Gregory Klis, James Tsai, Noel Del Mundo, Jacqueline Olango, Tony Hoang, Luis Lopez, and Sonia Ghia work together to continue the founders’ legacy. In addition to these 12 physicians, the staff includes three NP/PAs and 75 employees. — San Dimas Medical Group
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