The Women's Health Resource Center,
Advocate Lutheran General Hospital
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| The Women's Health Resource Center (WHRC) of Lutheran General Hospital |
Park Ridge, Illinois
The Women's Health Resource Center (WHRC) of Lutheran General Hospital is located on the first floor of the Yacktman Pavilion, and serves as an access point for women and their families to obtain information related to their medical and psychosocial health care needs. Hours of operation are Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.. The Women’s Health Resource Center opened in February, 1997 and was located off the main hospital lobby. Recently it was moved to a larger location where additional women’s services will be housed this fall ( Breast Center, OB/Gyn Services).
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| The WHRC houses a comprehensive library with over 1,500 books, videos, and audiotapes which are loanable to the public |
The WHRC houses a comprehensive library with over 1,500 books, videos, and audiotapes which are loanable to the public. The center also offers journals, a literature file which features current articles and research trends, hundreds of brochures, Internet access, and software programs which focus on the latest findings in diagnosis and treatment for women and family health. The center has one computer for the public, which is equipped with software specific for women’s health, Clinical Reference Systems - Health Advisor for Women, Clinical Reference Systems - Behavioral Health Advisor, Mosby Medical Encyclopedia for Health Professionals, LifeForm, and Heart Healthy Cookbook. Center staff has bookmarked many sites that are utilized frequently, including:
- Healthfinder
- American Heart Association
- Other National Organizations
A full-time coordinator staffs the center. She is assisted regularly by 11 volunteers who each work 4-hour shifts, and, when available, by nurses who are on restricted duty. The coordinator provides the day-to-day operations of the center, acting as a resource provider and link to hospital and community services and information. She works in close conjunction with other departments and physicians to refer patients to obtain the assistance that they need.
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| The Supervisor of Women's Health Education Programs and Services was responsible for the development of the Women's Health Resource Center and now manages the Center, from the budget operations to the short-and long-term planning and development of the Center |
The Supervisor of Women’s Health Education Programs and Services was responsible for the development of the Women’s Health Resource Center and now manages the Center, from the budget operations to the short-and long-term planning and development of the Center. She designs and facilitates the extensive community and corporate wellness programs, and aids in the enhancement, development, and marketing of clinical and support services for women and their families within the hospital system.
The Women’s Health Resource Center sponsors educational programs at the hospital and in various locations in the community, including libraries, restaurants, bookstores, and other types of stores. Additionally, they manage a Speakers’ Bureau that provides year-round wellness programs to corporations, organizations, and church and synagogue groups. This marketing and outreach provides individuals in a variety of communities with easier access to health information by bringing it to their neighborhoods or worksites free of charge to them. The partnership allows for increased exposure of the Women’s Health Resource Center through corporate and community promotions through these sites, and brings in a patronage that may otherwise not have had awareness of the center and its related programs.
The WHRC sponsors dozens of programs focusing on the health needs throughout lifespan of women. Some are 1-2 speaker programs, while others are much broader in focus. ãWomenfestä was a 6-hour free event, which included 16 lectures, 55 exhibitors, and 15 screenings. Last fall, the center held a program. called ãBack to School: The ABC’s of Health For Womenä focusing on the essential topics that a woman faces in her middle years and beyond. Recently, the center sponsored an educational program at the hospital on women’s health issues, with the topics including heart health, bone health, cancer prevention, and mental health. The program was conducted, marketed, and registered for in six languages (Korean, Russian, Polish, Spanish, English and Sign Language). The programs were held simultaneously in six different rooms.
A new service offered by the Women's Health Resource Center is an e-mail question and answer resource where health professionals from Lutheran General Hospital will answer general information questions about a broad range of women's health topics ranging from hormone replacement therapy to where to go for a cardiac risk assessment, or issues for women thinking about having a baby.
For additional information, please visit, www.advocatehealth.com/luth/services/women/whrc.html.