Media Release

For: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: August 18, 2003
Contact: Nancy Libby Fisher, Office Of Women’s Health, 
401- 222-7621

Media Advisory 
Women’s Health Forum on September 19, 2003

The RI Department of Health’s Office of Women’s Health (OWH) joins with other groups to implement recommendations promoting women’s health. These recommendations come from a report, "The Status of Women In Rhode Island" conducted by the Institute for Women’s Policy Research and co-published by the Women’s Fund of Rhode Island last year.

The Women’s Fund Education and Outreach Committee and the University of Rhode Island Women’s Center will host a forum at 11:00 am – 4:00 pm on September 19, 2003 at the University of Rhode Island Women’s Center.

OWH participates on the Women’s Fund Education and Outreach Committee and will take a lead role in the session focusing on women’s health. The purpose of the forum is to develop next steps for Rhode Island’s response the to study findings.

The study ranked Rhode Island as 26th among all states for women’s health overall, and last in New England for some health measures. It highlights obesity and deaths from heart disease, lung and breast cancer as the major women’s health issues in Rhode Island. For a copy of the report go to www.iwpr.org and choose "Status of Women in the States 2002 " or the in- depth report for Rhode Island.

For more information call Nancy Libby Fisher at 222-7621 or go to www.health.ri.gov