A SCHNEPS MEDIA SPECIAL SECTION
Women’s History Month
A focus on women’s health
As we celebrate Women’s
History Month throughout
March, we recognize
the incredible contributions
through the years of women
who not only helped heal and comfort the
sick, but also find cures to deadly ailments.
In fact, the first American woman to
graduate with a U.S. medical degree,
Elizabeth Blackwell, MD, had a profound
impact on the health of New York. In 1857,
she founded the New York Infirmary for
Indigent Women and Children, providing
vital health care to the most vulnerable
New Yorkers.
Ten years later, she established the Woman’s
Medical College of the New York Infirmary,
helping to educate generations of female doctors
and nurses serving the public.
Today, across America, more than 76% of
healthcare jobs in the United States belong
to women. As of 2019, more than 2.4 million
women worked in nursing, followed by
1.2 million women serving as nursing, psychiatric
or home health aides. More than a
third of the 763,000 physicians working in
America are also women, according to the
U.S. Census Bureau.
Dr. Blackwell started a legacy of American
women serving in health care that flourishes
to this day. We honor all women serving
on the medical front lines and in the homes
of the sick, selflessly providing essential care
and comfort to strangers and doing their
part to improve lives.
We also recognize the many thousands
of women who today are battling all kinds
of serious ailments particularly impacting
females – including cancer and heart disease.
Breast cancer affects one in eight women,
while one in four deaths among women
are the results of heart disease. Women
also face increased risks of autoimmune
diseases such as lupus, which triggers the
immune system to attack the body’s tissue
and organs.
Learn the symptoms of breast cancer,
heart disease and autoimmune diseases
and practice self-testing; early detection
will increase your odds of beating these illnesses
before they do serious damage to
your bodies.
Make sure to get an annual checkup at
your primary care physician and with your
OB/GYN. Never ignore the symptoms of a
possible serious illness, and seek medical
help right away.
And don’t forget your own mental health,
especially if you are a caregiver. The Centers
for Disease Control reported that women
who are caregivers are more likely to suffer
from poor physical and mental health,
including depression and anxiety.
Be sure to exercise, eat right, get plenty
of sleep and take breaks for yourself to
unwind and relax. Seek out respite care
to have someone step in for you if necessary.
And if you’re still coping with stress,
reach out to a therapist or a support group
to talk it out.
Take care of yourself this month, and
every month!
Schneps Media March 10, 2022 13