A Nebraska program that aims to help low-income women stay healthy and out of the hospital has been singled out as an example of the best of American health care.
U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius on Wednesday highlighted Nebraska's WISEWOMAN program in an ongoing government report on health care success stories.
“It's very exciting,” said Melissa Leypoldt, the program's director. “We've received lots of letters from clients about how appreciative they are for these services. But it's exciting to get this kind of recognition on the national level.”
The initiative, started in 2000, is a community intervention program funded by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. There now are 21 similar programs nationwide.
In Nebraska, the program works with health care providers to provide low-income, uninsured or under-insured women with information and lifestyle tips to help prevent heart attack and stroke. The program provides risk-factor screenings to low-income women at clinics throughout Nebraska, and it refers women at risk of heart attack or stroke to experts for additional counseling and care.
During the past nine years, the program has screened more than 19,000 Nebraska women. According to a 2008 CDC report, the program has helped to significantly reduced the incidence of chronic disease and death among low-income women in the state. The study also showed a 7 percent reduction in smoking among program participants.
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