The 19th Omaha Women’s Health and Wellness Conference will be held Friday, Oct. 7, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the La Vista Conference Center, 12520 Westport Parkway.
The conference, which is open to the public, offers a day of new health insights, encouraging and empowering messages, health screenings, exhibits and fun.
The conference is hosted by the Olson Center for Women’s Health, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Nebraska Medicine, University of Nebraska at Omaha and WELLCOM.
The theme of the conference is “Strength and Motivation for Life’s Challenges” and will feature three main sessions and six health education sessions from which to choose.
It will kick off with a continental breakfast and morning health fair with more than 40 vendors offering health screenings, education, demonstrations, massage, consultation, and products available for purchase.
Registration deadline is Sept. 30. The cost of the conference is , which includes lectures, exhibits, breakfast, lunch and afternoon refreshments and door prizes. Continuing nursing education credit is available at an additional .
Low cost screenings including lipid and glucose profile and complete blood count will be available for , and a thyroid-stimulating hormone test will be available for . Flu shots will be offered for .
Opening session speaker, Steven Wengel, M.D., professor and chair of the UNMC Department of Psychiatry, will explore the positive and negative effects of stress and offer practical ways to reduce stress level to cope with the ups and downs of life.
General session speaker will be Sheritta Strong, M.D., assistant professor, UNMC Department of Psychiatry, who will talk about resilience and overcoming adversity — what traits are important to maintain resiliency or to return to this state and how to overcome obstacles.
Breakout sessions include:
Being a Smart Consumer of Health Insurance – Cindy Jodlowski, Blue Cross Blue Shield Nebraska, will discuss the importance of educating yourself on health insurance and when to use your benefits.
Sexploration: Teens, Sexual Identity, and Self-image – Amy Lacroix, M.D., UNMC Department of Pediatrics, will address the changing sexual environment that teens are facing and some practical things to support them.
That’s the Third Time I’ve forgotten Where I Left My Glasses This Week! Do I Have Alzheimer’s Disease? Stephen Bonasera, M.D., Ph.D., UNMC Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Geriatrics and Gerontology, will talk about Alzheimer’s warning signs, and steps families can take to deal with the challenges of caregiving.
Carbohydrate Queries: What You Need to Know about Fueling with Carbs and Sugars – Meghan McLarney, registered dietician, Nebraska Medicine Diabetes Center, will share the ways carbohydrates impact daily nutrition and health and talk about the different types of carbohydrates and how to choose the best carbs.
Sex Trafficking: Unseen but Present – Sister Rosalee Burke, Notre Dame Sisters; Coalition on Human Trafficking, will talk about what sex trafficking is, where it takes place, who is vulnerable, and what can be done about it.
Need Tips on Retirement? Take it from a Pro – Betty Foster, Ph.D., retired from the UNMC Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Geriatrics and Gerontology, has been retired for 18 years and has experienced the ups and downs of retirement. From her personal perspective and as that of a gerontologist, she will offer her tips on a satisfying retirement.
Breast cancer survivor, Ashli Brehm, will be the closing session speaker.
For more information and registration, call 402-559-6345 or go to http://omahawomenshealthandwellness.org/agenda.
