The latest findings on women’s health and new advances in preventing, detecting and treating women’s diseases will be presented Thursday, Jan. 24, at Palm Beach’s first annual “A Woman’s Journey” symposium sponsored by Johns Hopkins Medicine.  The one-day conference, at the Raymond F. Kravis Center’s Cohen Pavilion, begins at 9:15 a.m. and concludes at 2 p.m.

“As women, it is important that we gain the knowledge about gender-based differences in diseases and empower ourselves to make wise decisions about healthcare for us and our families,” says Susan Keenan, a member of the Johns Hopkins Medicine Regional  Board of Governors for Palm Beach.  “Although much attention has been focused on men’s health issues such as prostate cancer, progress in detection and treatment of heart disease and other disorders in women highlight the need to discuss women’s health.”

Conference attendees attend a Johns Hopkins heart-healthy breakfast, two seminars of their choosing and lunch with members of the Hopkins faculty.  Hopkins doctors and specialists will present 10 hour-long seminars covering new medical treatments and important health issues facing women, including nutrition, emotional health, cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer’s disease, hearing loss and minimally invasive treatments for facial rejuvenation and body contouring.

Keynote speaker for the event is Lillie D. Shockney, R.N., B.S., and M.A.S., administrative director of the Johns Hopkins Avon Foundation Breast Center and assistant professor of surgery and gynecology and obstetrics.  Shockney, a breast cancer survivor, has written five books and many articles on breast cancer and is a nationally recognized advocate for women with the disease. She serves on the medical advisory board of several national breast cancer organizations and is the co-founder and vice president of a national nonprofit organization called Mothers Supporting Daughters with Breast Cancer. Shockney will share her poignant yet entertaining tale of surviving breast cancer with humor during her presentation titled “Stealing Second Base.”

“A Woman’s Journey” was the creation of two women from Baltimore, Md., Harriet Legum and Mollye Block, who together realized the need to provide women with a forum to gain knowledge about their health concerns.  For the last 13 years, the annual health symposium, which takes place every November in Baltimore, has attracted nearly 1,000 women. The event, which continues to be a tremendous resource for the community, features 32 seminars taught by Johns Hopkins physicians and faculty that highlight advancements in diagnosis and treatment of women’s diseases.

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WHEN/WHERE:
Thursday, Jan. 24
9:15 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Raymond F. Kravis Center’s Cohen Pavilion
701 Okeechobee Boulevard
West Palm Beach, FL

DETAILS:
The latest findings on women’s health and new advances in preventing, detecting and treating women’s diseases will be presented during this one-day symposium sponsored by Johns Hopkins Medicine.

Hopkins faculty will present 10 hour-long seminars covering new medical treatments and information on diseases and health issues affecting women.  Symposium content includes nutrition, emotional health, cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer’s disease, hearing loss and minimally invasive treatments for facial rejuvenation and body contouring.

Keynote speaker for the event is Lillie D. Shockney, R.N., B.S., and M.A.S., administrative director of the Johns Hopkins Avon Foundation Breast Center and assistant professor of surgery and gynecology and obstetrics.  Shockney, a breast cancer survivor, will share her poignant yet entertaining tale of surviving breast cancer with humor during her presentation titled “Stealing Second Base.”

For the last 13 years, the annual health symposium, which takes place every November in Baltimore, has attracted nearly 1,000 women.

For additional information on the program, a schedule of the sessions, a list of speakers and registration information, please visit http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/awomansjourney/palm_beach/

Speakers are available for press interviews with the media in advance as well as during or after the event.