Women play many roles in our lives and in our community. They are mothers, grandmothers, wives, sisters, and friends, just to name a few. And with the many hats that women often wear, sometimes health care is the last thing on the list that is taken care of. Too often, routine medical visits that are critical to good health are neglected.

That is why South Jersey Healthcare (SJH) is commit­ted to building comprehensive health services for women in our community that are not only of the highest quality, but also fit into their busy lives. With multiple medical specialties and the compre­hensive care that you need, SJH provides a wide variety of women’s health services, all conveniently located here in your community.

Through its Women’s Health Institute, SJH has introduced several new initiatives and programs to ensure that women enjoy healthy lifestyles. These educational programs help to connect women in our community with impor­tant health education and screenings. In September, hundreds of local women attended a free Women’s Health Education Day at the Regional Medical Center in Vineland. The event fea­tured dozens of free screen­ings and sessions covering a variety of topics ranging from nutrition to yoga.

Each February, the SJH Women’s Health Institute also hosts its annual Women’s Heart Health Conference. The event is held in conjunction with National Heart Month and aims to raise awareness among women about keep­ing their hearts healthy.

“Nearly 39 percent of all female deaths in the nation result from cardiovascular diseases such as heart disease and stroke,” said Elizabeth Sheridan, RN, MA, FACHE, SJH Regional Medical Center Chief Operating Officer and SJH Chief Nurse Executive. “Many people may not realize that heart disease is the number one killer of women. Through our Women’s Heart Health Conference, our goal is to help raise awareness among women in our community about the importance of heart health.”

Local women can receive valuable health information and tips to protect them against car­diovascular disease at the event. A group of health experts will discuss the signs, symptoms and prevention of stroke and heart disease specifically for women. When it comes to caring for hearts, there is a difference between men and women and the conference will help to teach women to recognize these differ­ences. When you see someone having a heart attack on televi­sion, he likely exhibits chest pain as the first of his symptoms. For women, that is more likely not to be the case.

“Only 30 percent of women exhibit typical chest pain,” said Rita Cangi-Kramer, M.S., C.E.S., manager of the Cardiac Catheterization Lab and Cardiac and Pulmonary Rehabilitation Services at SJH. “Problems with a woman’s heart may show up as trouble sleeping, shortness of breath, indigestion or anxiety. If women do experience discom­fort, it’s more likely to be in the jaw or back than in the chest.”

Participants will hear pre­sentations about these differ­ences between men and women regarding heart health, as well as lifesaving strategies for prevent­ing heart disease and conscious living using stress reduction and nutrition.

More than 200 women attended the event in 2008 to not only learn from the experts, but also to enjoy a variety of activities including a Chinese auction and an introduction to Zumba, a fun way to exercise through Latin dance. The health system expects an even larger turnout for the next Women’s Heart Health Conference, which is sched­uled for Thursday, February 19, 2009, at the Centerton Country Club in Pittsgrove. The event will include con­tinental breakfast, luncheon, breakout sessions and con­ference speakers. For more information about the event, contact the SJH Foundation at (856) 691-6551.

When it comes to qual­ity care for our families, it is often women who help their loved ones find the care they need to stay healthy. That is why we developed the SJH Women’s Health Institute—to keep women healthy as they care for others. For your family, that means SJH is committed to offering convenient access to quality health services and educational sup­port to ensure the well-being of the important women in your life.