Capitalizing on Opportunities to Improve the Health of Women

Background

The WISEWOMAN (Well-Integrated Screening and Evaluation for WOMen Across the Nation) program is located at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, Georgia, within the Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention (DHDSP).  WISEWOMAN consists of 21 CDC funded WISEWOMAN programs in 20 states (2 programs in Alaska) and tribal organizations. Through these 21 programs, WISEWOMAN provides screening and lifestyle interventions for many low-income, uninsured, or under-insured women aged 40–64.

Click HERE to view the Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention organizational chart.

CDC Program Activity

CDC's state–based National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program (NBCCEDP) offers an established framework that provides the opportunity to target other chronic diseases among women, including heart disease, the leading cause of death among women. Women who are eligible for the NBCCEDP are also eligible for WISEWOMAN. Although more than half of all deaths from heart disease and stroke occur in women, heart disease in women is often diagnosed at an advanced stage. Addressing risk factors such as elevated cholesterol, high blood pressure, obesity, sedentary lifestyle, diabetes, and smoking greatly reduces a woman's risk of cardiovascular disease–related illness and death.

WISEWOMAN Program Requirements

In order to join a WISEWOMAN Program, if offered in your state (Program Locations), you must answer YES to All of the following questions:

• Are you a woman at least 40 years old and not older than 64 years old?
   
• Are you already participating in the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program (NBCCEDP)?
   
• Are you either uninsured or underinsured?
  - Uninsured - you do not have health insurance.
  - Underinsured - you have health insurance, but not enough to cover your needs.
   
• Are you eligible for Medicare, but are unable to pay the premium (monthly payment) to enroll in Medicare, Part B?

Note: Unfortunately, you cannot join WISEWOMAN if it is not offered in your state.

Services Provided

WISEWOMAN provides these additional services:

• Blood pressure, cholesterol, and diabetes screening/testing.
• Dietary, physical activity, and smoking cessation interventions/classes.
• Medical referral and follow-up as appropriate.

WISEWOMAN Program Locations

• Alaska ( 2 programs)
• California
• Connecticut
• Illinois
• Iowa
• Massachusetts
• Michigan
• Minnesota
• Missouri
• Nebraska
• North Carolina
• Oregon
• Pennsylvania
• South Carolina
• South Dakota
• Utah
• Vermont
• Virginia
• West Virginia
• Wisconsin

Evidence of Success

Since 2000, WISEWOMAN has

• Reached over 79,000 women in need.
• Provided over 138,000 health screenings and nearly 193,000 lifestyle intervention sessions to women.
• Identified over 7,656 new cases of high blood pressure, 7,916 new cases of high cholesterol, and more than 1,137 new cases of diabetes.

These women would have been unaware of their risk factors if not for the WISEWOMAN Program.

Also,

• WISEWOMAN program participants are more likely to return for regular health screenings.
• 7% of smokers have quit.
• Women's blood pressure has decreased, as well as their cholesterol levels.

Opportunity

The WISEWOMAN program has funded 21 state and tribal programs for the new 2008–2013 funding cycle. The success of the WISEWOMAN program has been documented in the June 2004 issue of the Journal of Women's Health. The program continues to make significant progress towards eliminating health disparities and responding to the preventive health care needs of low-income women. Expansion plans for the WISEWOMAN program are contingent upon additional Congressional funding.

Related Resources

• Authorizing and Related Legislation for WISEWOMAN
• Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
• National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program
• WISEWOMAN At A Glance: A Crosscutting Program to Improve the Health of Uninsured Women

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Page last reviewed: June 26, 2008
Page last modified: June 26, 2008

Content source: Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion