Women's Health Initiative Grants

Blagojevich Administration announces more than $1.5 million in Women’s Health Initiative Grants for Illinois

Grants to raise awareness and educate women and young girls about the health risks associated with common disease and health conditions

Awards reinforce Governor’s commitment to healthcare; every uninsured woman in Illinois to have access to breast and cervical cancer screening and treatment

SHERMAN, Ill. – Officials from Governor Rod R. Blagojevich’s Administration today announced more than $1.5 million in Women’s Health Initiative Grants for non-profit organizations, health departments and service agencies in Illinois. The grants will help institute educational programs about menopause, cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis. This latest grant announcement continues to strengthen the Governor’s commitment to improving the overall picture of healthcare in Illinois.

“These grants help support local programs so that women of all ages receive the information they need to prevent and fight breast cancer, heart disease, cervical cancer or osteoporosis. This is the same reason I increased funding for the Illinois Breast and Cervical Cancer Program in this year’s budget, so more women can afford to get important screenings that could save their lives,” said Gov. Blagojevich.

Illinois Department of Public Health Director Dr. Eric E. Whitaker made the announcement this morning at Sherman Elementary School. The announcement follows the Governor’s recent decision to expand funding for the Illinois Breast and Cervical Cancer Program (IBCCP) to provide mammograms, breast exams, pelvic exams and Pap tests for all uninsured Illinois women, regardless of income.

The Illinois Department of Public Health’s Office of Women’s Health administers the Women’s Health Initiative grants, which are awarded to organizations that implement programs that provide guidance on issues related to nutrition, exercise, risk assessment, treatment options and prevention strategies.

“The Office of Women’s Health recognizes the need to educate the public about the benefits of healthy lifestyles and that positive behavioral changes can help improve and prevent a variety of chronic conditions,” said Dr. Whitaker. “We’ve added two new programs this year, LifeSmart for Women and BodyWorks to address women’s comprehensive health and obesity in adolescent girls.”

The Sangamon County Health Department received $25,000 for its Heart Smart for Teens program. Heart Smart for Teens is a nine-week program that educates 5 th-9 th grade girls on the risk factors of cardiovascular disease and teaches them the importance of a healthy diet and physical activity.

“Heart Smart for Teens gives girls an early start at learning heart-healthy eating and exercise habits. The girls are introduced in the classroom to foods they may have never tried before and also have the chance to participate in exercises that are fun and a great workout at the same time. All activities are hands-on, which makes it easier for the girls to recreate the snacks and exercises at home. All of the new information we believe will empower the girls to confidently and consciously make better eating and lifestyle choices,” said Michelle Burger, health educator for the Sangamon County Department of Public Health.

The Women’s Health Initiative Grants are funded through state general revenue funds and include eight programs.

Heart Smart for Women, a 12-week community-based program designed to change unhealthy behavior while promoting the benefits of exercise and nutrition.

Heart Smart for Teens, a nine-week nutrition and exercise curriculum geared to school-aged girls.
Building Better Bones, a program for women that offers group education sessions as well as bone density screenings for osteoporosis.
Osteoporosis Prevention for Teens, a program targeting high school freshman and sophomore students that includes a presentation on osteoporosis and several activities which include a nutrition demonstration and exercises to promote bone building.
Jump Girl Jump, a four-session structured jump rope and nutrition program for grade school girls designed to create awareness of bone health, physical activity, and the importance of calcium intake.
Understanding Menopause, a program that offers educational sessions that help women understand peri-menopause and menopause and inform them about related health issues.
LifeSmart for Women, is a 10-week comprehensive education curriculum covering a variety of women’s health topics including cardiovascular disease, stroke, diabetes, nutrition, fitness, stress, substance abuse, violence against women, sexual health, aging and family health and is appropriate to a widely diverse audience of women.
BodyWorks, a Toolkit for Healthy Girls and Strong Women is an obesity prevention program to help parents and caregivers of adolescent girls improve family eating and exercise habits.

Gov. Blagojevich has made other significant contributions to promote and improve women’s health including:

Increased funding for IBCCP: Governor Blagojevich has announced he will increase funding for the Illinois Breast and Cervical Cancer Program (IBCCP) to provide mammograms, breast exams, pelvic exams and Pap tests for all uninsured Illinoisans. The program currently serves low- income, uninsured women. This expansion is expected to provide access to screenings for 261,000 women in Illinois. If diagnosed with breast or cervical cancer upon screening, program participants will have access to coverage for treatment. L ast year, Governor Blagojevich allocated $2.1 million in new funding to increase eligibility for life-saving breast and cervical cancer screenings to women with incomes up to 250% of the federal poverty level. Since the Governor has been in office, more than 52,250 women, 48 percent of whom are minorities, received free screenings through IBCCP.

Stand Against Cancer Initiative: Beginning in 2003, Gov. Blagojevich funded the Stand Against Cancer Initiative (SAC), a community outreach and screening program targeting the hardest to reach minority women. It is conducted by a coalition of neighborhood organizations, churches and Federally Qualified Health Centers. In fiscal year 2007, SAC provided more than 23,900 breast and cervical cancer screenings and reached more than 324,225 other women through educational programs and outreach.

Hispanic Breast and Cervical Cancer Initiative: In 2005, Gov. Blagojevich launched the Hispanic Breast and Cervical Cancer initiative, which is closely patterned after the Stand Against Cancer initiative. Women screened through the initiative who subsequently need diagnostic tests are referred to local IBCCP lead agencies.

IllinoisWISEWOMAN Program: Providing the WISEWOMAN cardiovascular research program in both English and Spanish languages in 21 Illinois counties. The project is targeted toward women enrolled in the Breast and Cervical Cancer Program and helps them reduce heart disease by leading healthier lifestyles.

Women’s Health-Line: Increased access to services through Women’s Health-Line and other informational resources. In FY07, the state-funded toll-free Women’s Health-Line responded to almost 6,000 calls, referring women to services and providing more than 270,000 free educational materials to women and community providers. These materials are also available through the department’s website.

Following is the list of Women’s Health Initiative grant recipients.

For more information on women’s health and programs offered through the Illinois Department of Public Health click here or call the Women’s Health-line at 888-522-1282 or for TTY, (hearing impaired use only) 800-547-0466.

Women’s Health Initiative Grant Program
Fiscal Year 2008 Grantees

ORGANIZATION	CITY	PROGRAM	AMOUNT FUNDED
Adams County Health Department	Quincy	Life Smart for Women	$30,000.00
Advocate Health and Hospitals Corporation dba Good Samaritan Health and Wellness Center	Downers Grove	Heart Smart for Women	$35,000.00
Asian Human Services	Chicago	Heart Smart for Women	$25,000.00
Black on Black Love	Chicago	Heart Smart for Women	$25,000.00
Bond County Health Department	Greenville	Osteoporosis Prevention for Teens	$5,000.00
Bureau County Health Department	Princeton	Heart Smart for Teens	$14,000.00
Carroll County Health Department	Mt. Carroll	Heart Smart for Teens	$25,000.00
Chinese American Service League, Inc.	Chicago	Understanding Menopause	$20,000.00
Clinton County Health Department	Carlyle	Understanding Menopause	$10,000.00
Coalition of Limited English Speaking Elderly	Chicago	Understanding Menopause	$26,000.00
Community Health Partnership of Illinois	Chicago	Understanding Menopause	$25,000.00
Council for Jewish Elderly	Chicago	Understanding Menopause	$30,000.00
Crawford County Health Department	Robinson	Heart Smart for Teens	$27,000.00
Decatur Memorial Hospital	Decatur	Osteoporosis Prevention for Teens	$13,000.00
Dewitt-Piatt Bi-County Health Department	Monticello	Heart Smart for Teens	$18,000.00
East Side Health District	East St. Louis	Heart Smart for Teens	$32,000.00
Frankfort Community Unit School District #168	West Frankfort	Heart Smart for Teens	$30,000.00
Fulton County Health Department	Canton	Building Better Bones	$11,000.00
Hancock Health Department	Carthage	Heart Smart for Teens	$14,500.00
Henderson County Health Department	Gladstone	Jump Girl Jump	$7,500.00
Henry County Health Department	Kewanee	Heart Smart for Women	$15,000.00
Ingalls Memorial Hospital	Harvey	Heart Smart for Women	$22,000.00
Jackson County Health Department	Murphysboro	Heart Smart for Teens	$30,000.00
Jasper County Health Department	Newton	Osteoporosis Prevention for Teens	$15,000.00
Jefferson County Health Department	Mt. Vernon	Heart Smart for Teens	$20,000.00
Jersey County Health Department	Jerseyville	Building Better Bones	$17,000.00
Knox County Health Department	Galesburg	Heart Smart for Teens	$19,000.00
Korean American Community Services	Chicago	Building Better Bones	$32,000.00
Lake County Health Department and Community Health Center	Waukegan	Building Better Bones	$35,000.00
Lewis University	Romeoville	Building Better Bones	$21,000.00
Livingston County Health Department	Pontiac	Heart Smart for Teens	$35,000.00
Logan County Health Department	Lincoln	Heart Smart for Teens	$17,500.00
Macoupin County Health Department	Carlinville	Heart Smart for Teens	$25,000.00
Madison County Health Department	Wood River	Heart Smart for Teens	$35,000.00
Marion County Health Department	Salem	Heart Smart for Women	$13,500.00
Marshall County Health Department c/o Peoria City/County Health Department	Lacon	Building Better Bones	$11,000.00
McLean County Health Department	Bloomington	Heart Smart for Teens	$29,000.00
Menard County Health Department	Petersburg	Heart Smart for Teens	$13,000.00
Mercer County Health Department	Aledo	Heart Smart for Teens	$14,500.00
Montgomery County Health Department	Hillsboro	Heart Smart for Teens	$17,500.00
Morgan County Health Department	Jacksonville	Heart Smart for Women	$10,000.00
Ogle County Health Department	Oregon	BodyWorks	$11,000.00
Peoria City/County Health Department	Peoria	Building Better Bones	$17,000.00
Perry County Health Department	Pinckneyville	Jump Girl Jump	$10,000.00
Pike County Health Department	Pittsfield	Osteoporosis Prevention for Teens	$15,000.00
PrimeCare Community Health, Inc.	Chicago	Life Smart for Women	$21,000.00
Provena St. Joseph Medical Center	Joliet	Heart Smart for Women	$32,000.00
Richland Memorial Hospital	Olney	Life Smart for Women	$15,000.00
Rock Island County Health Department	Rock Island	Heart Smart for Women	$21,000.00
Sangamon County Department of Public Health	Springfield	Heart Smart for Teens	$25,000.00
Sarah Bush Lincoln Health Center	Mattoon	Heart Smart for Teens	$28,000.00
Senior Services Plus, Inc.	Alton	Life Smart for Women	$19,000.00
Sinai Community Institute	Chicago	Understanding Menopause	$25,000.00
Southern Illinois Healthcare	Carbondale	Building Better Bones	$20,000.00
Southern Illinois University School of Medicine	Springfield	Life Smart for Women	$30,000.00
Southern Seven Health Department	Ullin	Heart Smart for Women	$15,000.00
St. Ailbe Catholic Church	Chicago	Life Smart for Women	$22,000.00
St. Clair County Health Department	Belleville	Life Smart for Women	$25,000.00
Stephenson County Health Department	Freeport	Heart Smart for Teens	$30,000.00
Tazewell County Health Department	Tremont	Heart Smart for Women	$20,000.00
The Essential Elements of Health	Oak Park	Jump Girl Jump	$20,000.00
UIC Center for Research on Women and Gender	Chicago	BodyWorks	$30,000.00
United Neighborhood Organization (UNO)	Chicago	Understanding Menopause	$30,000.00
Village of Oak Park	Oak Park	Heart Smart for Women	$19,000.00
Wabash County Health Department	Mt. Carmel	Heart Smart for Teens	$22,000.00
Washington County Health Department	Nashville	Osteoporosis Prevention for Teens	$14,000.00
Waubonsee Community College	Sugar Grove	Heart Smart for Women	$10,000.00
Western Illinois University	Macomb	Heart Smart for Women	$19,000.00
White Crane Wellness Center	Chicago	Building Better Bones	$33,000.00
Whiteside County Health Department	Rock Falls	Heart Smart for Teens	$18,000.00
Xilin Association	Naperville	Building Better Bones	$25,000.00