Life Matters | summer 2004



 

2004 Women’s Life Conference a Success

 
 
Nationally known humorist Frank King kicked off the 2004 Women’s Life Conference with laughter. “Conference attendees really enjoy the humorist session each year,” says Karen Vanderslice, Women’s Life Conference coordinator. More than 700 area women attended South Central Regional Medical Center’s 15th Annual Women’s Life Conference held Saturday, May 8th at Jones County Junior College. The event is held each year to educate area women about a variety of women’s health-related issues. “We have all heard the saying—laughter is life’s best medicine. If that is the case, our conference attendees get a good dose of it during the opening session each year.”

“Those attending also enjoy receiving updates on women’s health-related issues from Laurel physicians,” Vanderslice says. “Research shows that women make the majority of health care decisions today, so it is important that we provide women in our community updated information about advancements in health care so they can make informed decisions.”

Jean Smith Vaughan, Heather Wagner, and Deanne Mosley, all attorneys with the state Attorney General’s Office, provided a general session for participants entitled Women and the Law: Protecting Yourself Legally. “This session helped women understand how to protect themselves from issues such as consumer fraud, identity theft, and domestic violence,” Vanderslice says.

Conference attendees also enjoyed a conference health fair and participated in a variety of health screenings. Following the conference luncheon, country music legend Crystal Gayle provided the keynote presentation.

“We look forward to offering this event to the women of this area each year,” says Vanderslice. “It would not be possible without the support from our conference sponsors.” Sponsors of the conference this year were South Central Regional Medical Center, Jones County Junior College, WDAM-TV, Pine Belt Country B-95, Oncologics, Inc., the American Cancer Society, Jones County Medical Supplies, Inc., Quinn Pharmacy, Jones County Medical Alliance, Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, Laurel Leader-Call, Impact/ Senior Lifestyles, Jefferson Medical Associates, Pfizer, and Eli Lilly.

Physicians speaking at the conference this year were: Larry Leader, DO and Hugh Stancill, MD, Women and Heart Disease; Chrystal Sumrall, MD, Women and Depression; Steven Nowicki, MD, Ramesh Singh, MD, and Thomas Sturdavant, MD, Pain-Related Health Issues; Kelvin Raybon, MD and Valerie Short, MD, The Prevention and Treatment of Cancer; Stephen Johnson, DO and Bharat Patel, MD, Digestive Health Problems; and Robert DeSantis, MD, Vinay Kumar, MD, and Chad Saul, MD, A Women’s Guide to Surgery.

The Women’s Life Conference has grown to become one of the largest women’s health events in the state of Mississippi. If you would like to receive an invitation to the 2005 conference, call Karen Vanderslice at 399-0506.

Top: Crystal Gayle; Center: Frank King; Bottom: Margie Hilman, RN, of Laurel Family Clinic, takes the blood pressure of a Women’s Life Conference participant.



The editorial content of this online publication is taken from the print version of Life Matters published by South Central Regional Medical Center.

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