NEWS

Concerned about your health? Here's where you can get answers

Claudia Loucks
For the Republic
Jan Sellman, left, and Linda Storm, who co-chair the Women’s Health Committee at Hammond-Henry Hospital, and Jerry Deutsch, representing the Men’s Health Committee invite community members to join them for the upcoming Women’s Health Series and Men’s Health Series programs. The next Women’s Health program is Thursday, Oct. 27.

Knowledge can lead to many benefits, according to members of the Community Benefits Committee at Hammond-Henry Hospital in Geneseo.

The women’s Health Series is sponsored by the committee, which is an extension of the Hammond-Henry Hospital Foundation. Jan Sellman and Linda Storm serve asco-chairpersons of the committee.

The 2022-2023 program and luncheon series began its season in September and will continue with programs through May of 2023, with the exception of December when there will not be a session.

The monthly health series luncheon meetings are from 12 to 1 p.m. on the fourth Thursday of each month in the Geneseo Community Center Activity Room, 514 North St., Geneseo. Cost is $10 per person, payable at the door. Reservations may be made by calling the Hospital Foundation office, 309-944-9112 or by email at hhhfound@hammondhenry.com.

The series of programs began in 2003 in an effort to help educate the community on various health topics, according to Darcy Hepner, Hammond-Henry Hospital Foundation manager. Program topics are selected by members of the Community Benefits Committee.

“At that time, the sessions were for both men and women, and men are still welcome, but it seems we focus more on women’s topics because they are the primary caretaker of the family,” she said

The women’s sessions led to establishing a men’s health series in 2013 where health topics for men are presented four times each year at 7 a.m. in the hospital conference room.

In addition to the programs being educational, Hepner said they are also a social time…”Beyond what they learn from the presentations, the people who attend also view the time as a social outing and look forward to visiting with other people who attend,” she said. “

“The programs are a means for us to let people know about services offered at Hammond-Henry,” Hepner said. “I have often heard remarks such as, ‘I had no idea that was offered at the hospital.’ I also think the people who attend the programs are in a more comfortable setting to ask questions of the presenters.”

“It is a fun way to learn,” she added.

Hepner said comment forms are available, asking those in attendance to submit ideas for programs. Those ideas are reviewed by the committee and a list of topics is chosen for the upcoming year, “We never run out of topics, she added.”

Women's programs

  • Oct.27, 2022 – Dementia Action Plan.Nov. 16, 2022 (Wednesday) – Identity Theft.
  • December - no program
  • Jan. 26, 2023 – Maintaining Mobility.Feb. 23, 2023 – Heart Health.

Men's programs

  • Dec. 7, 2022 – Nutrition & Diabetes
  • March 1 – 2023 – Arthritis
  • May 4, 2023 – Skin Cancer