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Health & Fitness

Sisters Network Prince George's County Celebrates National Women's Health Week

Sisters Network PGC is joining the Office on Women's Health in celebrating National Women's Health Week to help improve breast cancer support for women of color in Prince George's County.

Prince George’s County, MD Sisters Network Prince George’s County is joining the Office on Women’s Health within the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in celebrating National Women’s Health Week 2013. On May 12, 2013, Sisters Network Inc. announces the launch of Sisters Network Prince George’s County (SNPGC) to help improve breast cancer support, outreach and education for women of color in Prince George’s County. Sisters Network Inc. founded in 1994, a leading voice and only national African American breast cancer survivorship organization in the United States. The organization’s purpose is to help save lives and provide a broader scope of knowledge & services to address the breast cancer survivorship crisis affecting women of color around the country. Sisters Network Prince George’s County will continue the outstanding breast cancer services of Sisters Network Inc. for women of color in Prince George’s County.

The need for additional services is great, colorectal and breast cancer deaths in Maryland are among the highest in the nation.  Prince George’s County was chosen because of its high mortality rate, its diverse population and the social economic challenges facing women in the northern region. In Prince George’s County, screening numbers show that about 81 percent of women 50 and older are getting screened, but mortality data shows that 31.2 women out of 100,000 are dying due to breast cancer. Residents who live in the northern part of Prince George’s have the highest poverty rates and lowest education levels as compared to those living outside the Beltway. It is estimated that 29 percent of women age 45 to 64 are uninsured and many women (72%) have an at risk insurance status. This raises serious concern about access to breast health services, especially for Latina women in the northern part of the county. 

"Sisters Network Inc. is proud to expand our presence and African American breast cancer outreach efforts in the state of Maryland with the establishment of our new chapter in Prince George's County. Our new affiliate chapter leadership and members are committed to educating and informing Prince George's large African American population about the devastating impact that breast cancer continues to have in the African American community and also look forward to partnering with the local medical establishments on breast health outreach projects, " said Karen E. Jackson Founder/CEO of Sisters Network Inc.

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National Women’s Health Week is a nationwide initiative that calls attention to the importance of women’s health. National Women’s Health Week empowers women to take small, manageable steps for longer, healthier, happier lives. The steps include encouraging women to increase their breast self-awareness, visit a health care professional to receive regular checkups and preventive screenings; get active; eat healthy; pay attention to their mental health, including managing stress and getting enough sleep; and avoid unhealthy behaviors, such as smoking and not wearing a seatbelt or bicycle helmet.

During the week, families, health organizations, businesses, communities, the government and individuals come together to raise awareness of women’s health and support women to take simple steps for better health.

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The launch of Sister Network Prince George’s County is the beginning of helping women of color improve their knowledge of breast health & help create a  preventive health strategy to reduce known risk factors related to breast cancer as much as possible by avoiding weight gain and obesity, engaging in regular physical activity, and minimizing alcohol intake.

“National Women’s Health Week is important because it encourages women to make time for their health,” says Madeline Long-Gill, President, Sisters Network Prince George’s County. “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 increase breast health- awareness, visit the doctor, make sure their screenings are up-to-date, and get active because women that are overweight have an increase risk of getting breast cancer.”

National Women’s Health Week kicks off on Mother’s Day, May 12, and will be celebrated until May 18, 2013. National Women’s Checkup Day — a day on which women across the country are urged to visit their health care professional. For more information about National Women’s Health Week, please visit womenshealth.gov/nwhw/. To learn more about Sisters Network Prince George’s County, please visit our Facebook page: Sisters Network Prince George’s County or call (301) 494-7315.

Sisters Network® Prince George’s County (SNPGC), founded April 2013, is an affiliate chapter of Sisters Network Inc., Sisters Network® Inc. (SNI), founded in 1994, a leading voice and only national African American breast cancer survivorship organization in the United States. Sisters Network is governed by an elected Board of Directors and assisted by an appointed medical advisory committee. Membership is 3000, which includes more than 40 affiliate survivor run chapters nationwide. The organization’s purpose is to save lives and provide a broader scope of knowledge that addresses the breast cancer survivorship crisis affecting African American women around the country. For more information visit www.sistersnetworkinc.org.

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