Women’s Health: Making Small Changes for Healthier and Happier Lives

May 24, 2017


For many women, it’s easy to put health on the backburner, especially when juggling work and raising a family. When women get caught up in the hustle and bustle of life, it’s not uncommon for them to overlook changes in their bodies that may be signs of a serious health condition.

Please keep reading to learn about our Breast and Cervical Cancer Control Navigation Program and WISEWOMAN Program, which are funded by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.  Both above programs fall under the GHP Health Navigation Program.

Some of the leading health conditions that affect women include heart disease, breast cancer, depression, autoimmune diseases, hypertension and high cholesterol. Studies have also shown that women are often diagnosed later and die more often from these conditions because they aren’t getting checked sooner.

“It’s important to raise awareness of women’s health so we can do a better job at early detection and prevention,” said Linda Gibson, GHP Director of Operations. “Many of the conditions that impact women can be caught early and are curable. It’s key for women to schedule annual doctor’s appointments and physicals as well as ensuring they’re getting annual breast exams and other health screenings, such as colonoscopies if they’re over 50.”

At GHP, we are committed to raising awareness of health conditions that impact women and helping women take preventative steps so they can live long, happy and healthier lives. With May being National Women’s Health Month and recently celebrating Mother’s Day, we’re sharing some simple ways women can improve their health and how GHP is here to help through our women’s health services and programs.

Health Navigation Program
Through our Health Navigation Program, we connect our members to lifesaving health care resources and tools in the community. Our Health Navigators perform an initial health assessment to evaluate health care needs and identify those with chronic health conditions or those at risk of developing chronic health conditions. After the assessment, Health Navigators connect members with doctors and resources in the community to help them improve their health. We also provide three-month and six-month assessments and health coaching to keep our members on track for better health.

“Our Health Navigators have a special role at the Genesee Health Plan,” said Teresa Dehmel, RN and GHP Lead Health Navigator. “We work on a personal level to help our members make obtainable lifestyle changes, especially with those who have a chronic condition or are at risk. Our members trust us and know they can talk to a Health Navigator at any time.”

Breast and Cervical Cancer Control Navigation Program (BCCCNP) and WISEWOMAN Programs
Thanks to support from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS), we can provide women’s health services to our community through the BCCCNP and WISEWOMAN Programs. These programs allow us to reach more women, including those who are uninsured, or underinsured where co-pays or deductibles prevent them from obtaining needed diagnostic services. BCCCNP provides services for women ages 40-64 who experience barriers to accessing breast and/or cervical cancer screenings, including women who have transportation issues or a language barrier. After a woman completes BCCCNP, she is eligible to enroll in the WISEWOMAN Program. Women can stay in the WISEWOMAN Program for one year to get health support, and afterwards can continue to work with Health Navigators as needed.  Additionally, GHP has a bilingual Health Navigator on staff to help assist those women who have identified language as a barrier to accessing these crucial life-saving services.

“We really work hard to build relationships with the women to let them know we care about them,” said Dehmel. “We try to meet women where they are and help them take small steps that lead to big changes in their life. Whether it’s drinking more water or incorporating more walking to increase physical activity, we help women get on track to make healthy changes in their lives.”

We believe early detection for any chronic disease is critical to treatment and success. We work with our members to provide prevention tools and screenings so we can detect diseases like breast cancer and cervical cancer before it’s too late. For more information about our women’s health services, call our office at 844.232.7740. You can also watch our ABC 12 Medical Minute about breast cancer screenings or listen to our Healthy Minute segment on Women’s Health Services to learn more about our BCCCNP and WISEWOMAN Program.

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