By Claudia Loucks
Geneseo Current

Knowledge can lead to many benefits, according to members of the Community

Benefits Committee at Hammond-Henry Hospital in Geneseo.

The Women’s Health Series is sponsored by the committee which is an extension of the

Hammond-Henry Hospital Foundation. Jan Sellman and Linda Storm serve as co-chairmen of the committee.

The 2022-2023 program series began its season in September and continues into 2023.

The monthly health series luncheon meetings are from 12 to 1 p.m. on the fourth

Thursday of each month, through May, in the Geneseo Community Center Activity Room, 514 North St., Geneseo. Cost is $10 per person, payable at the door. Reservations should be made by calling the Hospital Foundation office, (309) 944-9112 or by email at hhhfound@hammondhenry.com.

The series of programs began in 2003 in an effort to help educate the community,

according to Darcy Hepner, Hammond-Henry Hospital Foundation manager. Program

topics are selected by members of the Community Benefits Committee.

“At that time, the sessions were for both men and women, and men are still welcome,

but it seems that we focus more on women’s topics because they are the primary

caretakers of the family,” she said.

The women’s sessions led to establishing a men’s health series in 2013 where health

topics for men are presented four times each year at 7 a.m. in the hospital conference

room.

In addition to the programs being educational, Hepner said they are also a social time.

“Beyond what they learn, they also view the time as a social outing and look forward to

visiting with other people who attend,” she said.

“The programs are a means for us to let people know about services offered at

Hammond-Henry,” Hepner said. “I have often heard remarks such as, ‘I had no idea that

was offered at the hospital.’…I also think the people who attend the programs are in a

more comfortable setting to ask questions of the presenters.” “It is a fun way to learn,”

she added.

Hepner said comment forms are available, asking those in attendance to submit ideas.

Those ideas are reviewed by the committee and a list of topics is chosen for the upcoming year, and Hepner added, “We have never run out of topics.”

The 2023 Women’s Health programs:

-January 26, 2023 – Maintaining Mobility

-February 23, 2023 – Heart Health

-March 23, 2023 – Genetic Testing

-April 27, 2023 – Pain Management

-May 25, 2023 – Hospice

The 2023 Men’s Health programs:

-March 1, 2023 – Arthritis

-May 3, 2023 – Skin Cancer