By WKTV Staff
Catherine’s Health Center is looking for 200 women eager to work with a health coach and engage in programs that will support you in reaching your goals!
WISEWOMAN provides opportunities and programming that empower Michigan women to make healthy lifestyle choices.
The local WISEWOMAN Agency team is made up of clinical staff and a health coach. Women ready to change can receive:
- One-on-one health coaching from a WISEWOMAN Health Coach
- Free membership to a weight loss program or a diabetes prevention program
- Free gardening supplies and education through the WISEWOMAN Entrepreneurial Gardening program
- Referrals to programs in the community to help her make healthy lifestyle behavior changes
To be in WISEWOMAN, a woman must first receive cancer prevention screening or patient navigation services from the Michigan Breast and Cervical Cancer Control Navigation Program (BCCCNP).
Program focus areas
The Michigan WISEWOMAN program has three main focus areas related to participants.
- Identify and communicate risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD), stroke, diabetes, and other chronic diseases. The woman is better able to decide where she wants to take small steps if she understands her risk factors.
- Encourage healthy lifestyle choices. Health Coaches work with each woman to make lifestyle behavior changes that will help with the risk factors and symptoms she has now. Making healthy choices may also keep her from developing any new risk factors.
- Address Health Equity and Social Justice in the community
Local WISEWOMAN agencies address health equity by identifying underserved groups in their service areas and getting them into WISEWOMAN. The underserved groups may include:
- Women with disabilities
- Women who do not speak English
- Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgendered (LGBT) women
- Racial or ethnic minority women
- Women whose citizenship or immigration status is not settled
Once in the program, many women find it difficult to think about making healthy lifestyle choices when they are having trouble paying rent, utilities, or buying food for their families. These are social justice issues. Michigan WISEWOMAN addresses these issues through special projects that provide participants with opportunities to earn extra money while learning marketable skills.
Eligibility:
- Ages 40-64 years
- Reduced income (ask staff)
- A desire to set a health goal and work towards reducing your unique risk factors that could cause long-term health problems
Contact: Maria or Katie at (616) 336-8800 ext. 207
