Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas Joins Women's Health Caucus to Launch New Group Which Provides Medically Factual Research to Public, Policymakers
May 11, 2007
AUSTIN, TX - Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas is honored to join the 31-member Women's Health Caucus in the Texas House of Representatives today to announce the launch of a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization devoted to disseminating medically factual information on topics related to women's health. The new group, The Texas Women's Health Foundation, seeks to de-politicize women's health issues by serving as a clearinghouse for medical research that will be distributed year-round to policymakers, healthcare professionals and the public.
Joining members of the Women's Health Caucus in making this announcement is Paul B. Handel, MD, representing Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas — which is a founding sponsor of the new Foundation. Dr. Paul Handel, who is also vice president and chief medical officer at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas, said the Foundation will be able to make a significant impact through health education about disease prevention and wellness. "Women really are the primary caregivers in their families – of their spouses, their children and their parents and parents in-law," Handel noted. "That's why women are in a unique position to teach nutrition and physical activity that will make a profound difference in their family's wellness."
Rep. Senfronia Thompson (D-Houston) and Rep. Michael U. Villarreal (D-San Antonio), co-chairs for the Women's Health Caucus, have the honor of announcing the new Foundation in a press conference today at the Texas Capitol. The Foundation's Board is comprised of representatives from various fields of medicine: Betty J. Edwards, MD, FACOG, serves as Board President; Janet Realini, MD, MPH, serves as Secretary; and Jacqueline Crespo-Perry, BSN, RN, serves as Treasurer. Exofficio members of the Board are Rep. Thompson and Rep. Jessica Farrar (D-Houston).
The Board members all share an interest in educating women about disease prevention and healthy habits. They also recognize the particular importance of a woman's role in maintaining her family's health and setting the example when it comes to lifestyle choices.
Rep. Farrar pointed out that women are particularly vulnerable to diseases that are difficult to detect until the problem is advanced, such as heart disease. "Educating women on healthy lifestyle choices can give them some personal control to prevent disease – for example heart disease, which is the number-one killer of women, even though it's preventable," she said.
The Foundation is based in Austin and will produce literature and circulate research on health matters affecting women, such as breast, cervical and other reproductive cancers, infertility, heart disease, hyperthyroidism, diabetes and mental health issues. The Foundation will also host a yearly conference on women's health. This year's conference will be in Dallas in the fall, with an exact date TBD.
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas – the only statewide, non-investor-owned health insurer in Texas – is the largest provider of health benefits in the state, working with nearly 40,000 physicians and 400 hospitals to serve 3.4 million members in all 254 counties. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas is a division of Health Care Service Corporation (HCSC), the country’s largest non-investor-owned health insurer and fourth largest health insurer overall. HCSC is a Mutual Legal Reserve Company and an Independent Licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.
