The Louisiana Department of Health's (LDH) Office of Women’s Health and Community Health (OWHCH) is continuing its “Listen to H.E.R.: Hearing, Empowering, Responding” town hall series, with the next town hall taking place in Lake Charles.
The town hall will be held on Monday, October 9 from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Lake Charles Civic Center, 900 Lakeshore Drive.
This is the sixth of nine town halls held to raise awareness of the new OWHCH, promote the many LDH services and programs available to residents, and collect feedback on the diverse health needs of women in Louisiana to inform the office’s priorities and future programming. Attendees will also be able to participate in health screenings, listen to personal testimonies from special guests and more. The first town hall was held in Baton Rouge on March 21.
Community members can register online for the event at no cost here.
“Hearing directly from the community allows us to give a voice to women’s health needs across their lifespan and better understand views on access to healthcare, mental wellness and preventative care,” said OWHCH Assistant Secretary Dr. Torrie Harris, PH, MPH. “Progress comes from actively listening to women and responding in a way that makes them feel seen and heard in healthcare, where traditionally they may not have always felt that they were.”
“Women’s health is such an important topic. It is the foundation for our overall community health, as the factors that contribute to health begin from the moment a person is born,” said Region 5 Medical Director Lacey Cavanaugh. “When our wives, mothers and friends are healthy and well, the impacts reach far beyond those individuals and last a lifetime. Women’s health has to be a priority to make meaningful change and improve the overall health of Southwest Louisiana.”
Created during the 2022 Legislative Session, OWHCH provides an agency-wide focus on women’s health and improving outcomes through policy, education, evidence-based practices, programs and services. The office aims to be a clearinghouse, coordinating agency and resource center for women’s health data and strategies, focusing on issues such as needs throughout a woman’s life; chronic or acute conditions; access to healthcare; how poverty impacts women’s health; leading causes of morbidity and mortality and health disparities.
Operationalizing OWHCH was one of 17 key initiatives outlined in LDH’s FY23 business plan, “Invest: Teaming Up for a Stronger LDH and a Healthier Louisiana.”
Visit ldh.la.gov/womenshealth to learn more about OWHCH and stay up to date on its activities.