NIH Joins with the Jackson Medical Mall to Launch Health Series

To mark the second anniversary of the National Institutes of Health Information Center at the Jackson Medical Mall in Jackson, MS. The center features health information materials from many of NIH's 27 Institutes and Centers on cancer, heart disease, dental care, diabetes, sudden infant death syndrome, and many other health topics. NIH experts will answer questions about:

• The launch of the National Institutes of Health/Jackson Medical Mall Quarterly Health Series called "On the Road to Better Health." The series includes symposiums and community health forums, starting October 23.
• The NIH's partnership with the Jackson Medical Mall to improve the health of area residents.

According to the Mississippi's Department of Health, diabetes contributes to the deaths of 1,600 Mississippians each year; 36 percent of adult Mississippians were overweight, and 27 percent were obese; and more Mississippians die from cardiovascular disease than from all the State's cancers, traffic injuries, suicides and AIDS combined.

Scheduled speakers include:

Yvonne Maddox, Ph.D. — Deputy Director of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)

Valerie Maholmes, Ph.D. — Program Director of Social and Affective Development/Child Maltreatment and Violence, Child Development and Behavior Branch, NICHD

Warren Jones, M.D. — Executive Director of the Mississippi Institute for the Improvement of Geographical Minority Health Disparities at the University of Mississippi Medical Center

Frances C. Henderson, R.N., Ed.D., Deputy Director of the Jackson Heart Study, Jackson State University

News conference: Thursday, October 23, 10:00 a.m. EDT

Jackson Medical Mall, 350 Woodrow Wilson Blvd, Jackson, MS, 39213

*Media are invited to attend panel discussions about health information and services, and to speak to participants and medical experts.

• Health Literary Panel for Health Professionals, 10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
• Community Health Forum on Health Literary, 1:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.

The NICHD sponsors research on development, before and after birth; maternal, child, and family health; reproductive biology and population issues; and medical rehabilitation. For more information, visit the Institute's Web site at http://www.nichd.nih.gov/.