Health Care : Current Reviews

Addressing womenâ??s health and wellness: Annual community conference in southern California

Global Healthcare & Fitness Summit

July 20-22, 2015 San Francisco, USA

Sylvia Shaw

Posters-Accepted Abstracts: Health Care: Current Reviews

Abstract:

Introduction: With an aging baby boomer population and rising healthcare costs, there is a growing demand to address the
availability and accessibility of health promoting services and activities. In response to this need, a Californian rehabilitation
facility launched an annual, interactive community health conference for women in 2009. The outcomes of this event were
evaluated.
Method: The health conference is held for one day in October in a local Southern California community. Announcements
about the conference are made via e-mail, regular mail, institution’s website and word of mouth. Conference attendees include
women between the ages of 18 and 90. Every year healthcare providers and educators gather to give interactive presentations on
subjects ranging from healthy aging and stress management to prevention of acute and chronic conditions. Each presentation
is followed by a 15-minute exercise, dance and meditation and relaxation session. Feedback and evaluation forms regarding
the conference and presentations are administered and collected. Suggestions for the next annual event are taken under
consideration by the conference’s organizing committee.
Results: Attendance at the conference has increased each year. For the last two years, there has been a waiting list for about 20
participants. On average, 140 women attend the health conference; many of whom are repeat attendees. The feedback received
shows an overwhelming positive response regarding interactive learning as well as the practice of relaxation techniques,
dance and exercise. Participants appreciated that medical information provided was conveyed in a manner that was easy to
understand and had practical applications in daily life.
Conclusion: The success of our conference is related to the expertise and passion of the educators in addressing the needs
of women in our local community. Our future goal is to expand this interactive, educational forum at local, national and
international levels in order to empower women to make healthier lifestyle changes.

Biography :

Sylvia Shaw, M.D., MACM, F.A.C.E. received her M.D. from the University of California Medical School at Davis, and completed her internship, residency and
fellowship in Internal Medicine and Endocrinology at LAC-USC Medical Center in 1988. After her training, she joined the clinical faculty at USC Keck School of Medicine
as an Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine in the Division of Diabetes/Endocrinology. She transferred to the Endocrine Division of Rancho Los Amigos National
Rehabilitation Center in 1991, where she is currently the Associate Chair of Medicine and Chief of Endocrinology. She recently completed a master’s degree in Medical
Education from USC Keck School of Medicine. She is also a Clinical Assistant Professor of Internal Medicine at Western University of Health Sciences. Dr. Shaw's
research interest is in diabetic patient education and health literacy, diabetic foot-risk factors and preventive therapy, endocrinology of patients with spinal cord injury,
and the medical effects of stress. She has been Principal and Co-Principal Investigator on numerous research projects, has several published journal articles, and has
made numerous professional and poster presentations.