Newark Beth Israel Medical Center Hosts 11th Annual Women’s Health Day
Over 600 women attended the expert panel discussion on women’s health and wellness moderated by Atiya Jaha-Rashidi, MHA, RN, Chief Equity Officer and Vice President of Community Relations at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center and Children’s Hospital of New Jersey.
The panel of clinical experts from Newark Beth Israel Medical Center included Mahtab Ayatollahi, MSW, LCSW, Director of Behavioral Health Outpatient Services; Rebeca Kane, DNP, APN-BC, CCRN; AVP, Advanced Heart Failure Treatment and Transplant and Ambulatory Cardiology; Nisha Kumar, MD, Division Director of Internal Medicine, Beth Prime Care and Adult Health Center; Erika Lannaman, MS, RDN, Registered Dietitian, Community Wellness Services; Norma Milanes-Roberts, MD, Obstetrician and Gynecologist, Centering Pregnancy lead physician; and Sherri Suozzi, APN-C, AOCN, PhD, Oncology Nurse Practitioner, Women and Cancer, Frederick B. Cohen, MD, Comprehensive Cancer and Blood Disorders Center and Suganthini Umakanthan, MD, CMD, Geriatrics & Senior Health.
Jeannine Frisby LaRue, Lobbyist, Entrepreneur and Public Affairs Executive, was the motivational speaker for the afternoon. She shared her inspirational journey and detailed how stress and trauma have impacted her physical health. Ms. LaRue’s resounding message to the women in attendance was to remember that despite the stressors of life, “The sun will come out tomorrow.”
The break-out sessions were hosted by representatives from many of Newark Beth Israel Medical Center’s outpatient departments who provided information on cancer prevention, dental health, diagnostic imaging (X-rays and mammograms), food security, geriatric health, heart health, HIV/AIDS, medication management, nutrition, pre-natal care, community health, lung cancer, insurance, physical therapy, and weight loss management/surgery.
The afternoon was filled with opportunities to participate in wellness activities such as free health screenings, blood pressure and diabetes risk assessments, wellness counseling and fitness demonstrations. These screenings aimed to raise awareness about common health conditions and encourage proactive healthcare among women.
Attendees also participated in stress-relieving wellness activities including massage, meditation, self-care bingo, yoga, Zumba, and a financial wellness seminar. Dozens of vendors and entrepreneurs were invited to showcase products that promote wellness and deliver retail therapy.
For more information about upcoming events and resources related to Newark Beth Israel health fairs visit RWJBH.org/NewarkBeth
Newark Beth Israel Medical Center, an RWJBarnabas Health facility, is a 665-bed regional care teaching hospital that provides comprehensive health care. Newark Beth Israel is a Top Teaching Hospital and home to one of the nation’s top 15 heart transplant centers, which has performed more than 1,200 heart transplants; RWJBarnabas Health’s Heart Failure Treatment and Transplant Program; New Jersey’s only Advanced Lung Disease and Transplant Program and a Valve Center that performs complex cardiac valve procedures, including minimally invasive transcatheter aortic valve replacements (TAVRs). Newark Beth Israel Medical Center is also home to Children’s Hospital of New Jersey (CHoNJ), caring for children from birth through adolescence, with more than 30 specialized pediatric services including New Jersey’s largest Valerie Fund Children’s Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders; and the Children’s Heart Center that offers a complete range of medical and surgical treatments for the most complex cardiac abnormalities. Children’s Hospital of New Jersey also includes a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and a Level
IV Regional Perinatal Center that offers Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) therapy; and the highest level of intensive care for both mothers and newborns. The Newark Beth Israel robotic surgery program is the most experienced in northern New Jersey. RWJBarnabas Health and The Frederick B. Cohen, MD, Comprehensive Cancer and Blood Disorders Center at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center and the Healthcare Foundation of New Jersey Breast Health Center, in partnership with Rutgers Cancer Institute – the state’s only NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center – brings a world class team of researchers and specialists to fight alongside you, providing close-to-home access to the latest treatment and clinical trials. Newark Beth Israel also offers many preventive health programs that promote wellness in the community, including The Beth Greenhouse, which provides access to fresh produce and health and wellness education to residents.
To learn more visit RWJBH.org/NewarkBeth.
