Governor Ryan Opens Second Annual Women's Health Conference

ROSEMONT -- Governor George H. Ryan today welcomed attendees to the second annual Illinois Women's Health Conference, Shaping the Future of Women's Health, at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center.

The Governor underscored the need for continued research and funding for health issues that affect women.

"As a husband, father, grandfather and a pharmacist, I have always been concerned about the health issues that surround women," Governor Ryan said. "Illinois was one of the first states to create an Office of Women's Health.

"This administration not only supports the efforts of this office, but we have increased its budget by nearly 300 percent-making it the most funded and staffed state office of women's health in the country."

Following Governor Ryan, keynote speaker Wanda Jones, D.P.H., director of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Women's Health, addressed the attendees on what is happening nationally in women's health.

The conference continues Thursday, with Lieutenant Governor Corrine Wood addressing the attendees during lunch on Thursday between 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.

Sponsored by the Illinois Department of Public Health, the two-day conference covers a broad range of topics including the latest findings in hormone replacement therapy, anxiety and depression, cardiovascular disease, rheumatoid arthritis and lupus disease, and mind/body health.

Other notable speakers at the conference include:

• Barbara Steinberg, D.D.S., assistant director, Division of Dental Medicine, Allegheny University Hospitals, Philadelphia, Penn., 8:30 a.m., Thursday, oral health problems;

• Dr. David Fishman, National Ovarian Cancer Program, Northwestern University Medical Center, Chicago, 10 a.m., Thursday, effective methods for the accurate detection of early stage ovarian cancer;

• Dr. Walter Kinney, the Permanente Medical Group Inc., Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Sacramento, Calif., 12:45 p.m., Thursday, recognition that cervical cancer is an infectious disease and clinically useful human papillomavirus testing is available to change cervical cancer screening practices for the better;

• Dr. Valerie Raskin, academic director of psychiatry, MacNeal Health Network, Oak Park, 12:45 p.m., Thursday, the management of anxiety disorders; and

• Dr. Carol Warshaw, director of Behavioral Science, Primary Care Internal Medicine Residency, Cook County Hospital, Chicago, 12:45 p.m., Thursday, the prevalence and impact of domestic violence and procedural steps health care providers can take to respond to victims.