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Empowered Women, Improved Health Texas Health Resources has forged a collaboration with the Laura W. Bush Institute for Women’s Health, part of the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, to educate women and health care providers in the Dallas-Fort Worth region about the differences between men’s and women’s health. Women experience unique health needs throughout life,” says Arlene Betancourt, M.D., internal medicine physician with Texas Health Physicians Group and on the medical staff at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas. “This collaboration between Texas Health and the Laura W. Bush Institute for Women’s Health will help make physicians aware about gender differences in medicine so we can provide the best possible care for each patient.” The collaboration has three main components: •Community involvement via a series of community lectures and events geared to educate women on topics relevant to their health. •Continuing medical education modules prepared by Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center to help physicians acquire the latest knowledge in gender-specific medicine and earn a certificate of completion in this specialty. •Research collaboration between Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center and physicians on the medical staffs at Texas Health hospitals around gender differences in medicine. Gender-Based Medicine Historically, women were not included in health care studies, likely due to the belief that men’s and women’s bodies would experience illness and respond to treatment in similar ways. There was also the concern of endangering women of childbearing age and their offspring. However, during the past 20 years, it has become clear that there are significant differences in the ways men and women experience disease and respond to medications. Women are more likely to be afflicted by certain conditions, such as autoimmune diseases and osteoporosis, and they can also present with different symptoms than men. “Studies suggest specific physical characteristics of women in comparison to men —such as lower body weight, smaller organs and more body fat — can impact the way women respond to treatments as well as medications,” says Marjorie R. Jenkins, M.D., executive director of the Laura W. Bush Institute for Women’s Health at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center. “We also know women can experience different symptoms than men, especially in regard to heart attack. This collaboration will help shine a light on these gender differences and the importance of empowering women to take charge of their health.” Visit TexasHealth.org/Women to find out more about this collaboration and get information about ways to improve your health. You will find health assessment tools and practical tips for healthy living for all stages of life. ABCs of Finding a Physician If you’re in search of a primary care provider to meet your individual health care needs, keep your eye out for these three qualities: •Available — Choose a physician with a convenient location and office hours that match your needs. •Balanced — Seek a specialist who is both abreast of scientific trends and evidence-based medicine while committed to creating a close bond with his or her patient. •Credible — Look up a prospective physician’s board certifications and training. “A woman should find a physician she can trust,” says Jean Paicurich, M.D., OB/GYN on the medical staff at Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Stephenville. “Forging a close bond is important, as this specialist will likely be around when a woman gets married, plans a family and throughout other stages in her life.” For help finding a physician on the medical staff at a Texas Health hospital, visit TexasHealth.org/FindAPhysician or call 1-877-THR-WELL (1-877-847-9355).