Women’s Health: Reducing Disparities

Every Wednesday, 8:00 – 9:00 AM CST

A disproportionate disease burden exists among women who are racial or ethnic minorities, or who are low income. For example, Chicago health statistics indicate a shocking increase in disparities in breast cancer mortality between white women and black women since the late 1990’s. Even as improvements in care have resulted in decreasing mortality rates for white women, mortality rates for black women are unequally impacted. This inequality is apparent in the practice spaces of many of community providers and necessitates further training to attempt to create health parity. High quality, risk-based preventive care delivered in the primary care setting can help to reduce these disparities and lead to better overall health for women in Chicago and beyond. In this ECHO-Chicago series, we discuss the assessment and management of the multiple, complex risk factors that women belonging to vulnerable populations often experience. With a range of topics from behavioral healthcare and the use of Motivational Interviewing to screening and genetic risk factors for cervical and breast cancer, our curriculum moves through a variety of issues which are pressing to our providers and the female patients they serve. This series was designed with the goal of providing training and support to community providers in using a risk-based approach to breast, bone, heart, and gynecological health. We invite primary care providers who work with women across the age spectrum to participate in this series.

Topics for Case-Based Learning and Discussion Include:

• Gynecological health: PAP screening guidelines, uterine and ovarian cancer risks and the management of risks
• Genetics in primary care for cancer risk
• Controversies in breast cancer screening and current recommendations
• Evaluation of breast masses, pain, and nipple discharge
• Breast cancer and the role of primary care providers
• Pelvic pain
• Menopause
• Screening recommendations for osteoporosis and bone density testing
• Bone health treatment recommendations
• Cardiovascular health
• Obesity and cancer
• Behavioral Health and the Impact of Intimate Partner Violence on Health