(Nashville, Tennessee)  – The Matthew Walker Comprehensive Health Center [MWCHC], the Department of Health and Human Services Region IV Offices in Atlanta, Georgia and 92Q Cumulus Broadcasting Station have come together to advance the health of the Nashville and Greater Metro Community.

The Center was awarded a grant to facilitate the Reviving Double Dutch Competition in the Greater Nashville Community. The program seeks to motivate, educate and empower children ages 8 to 18 years old to increase their free-time physical activity levels. The final competition will be held April 25th from 9am to 2pm at Martin Luther King, Jr. Magnet High School, 613 17th Avenue North , 37203.

“Years ago Double Dutch was an activity that brought you together with neighborhood friends”, says Katina Beard , Director of Institutional Advancement and Community Initiatives. “We didn’t think of it as exercise; it was just something to do.”

The Reviving Double Dutch Program is based on an age old jump rope concept called “Double Dutch”, where there are two jump ropes used simultaneously along with two people turning and possibly multiple persons jumping. Several teams signed up for the program and each team consisted of 4 to 6 youth and 1 to 2 coaches, depending upon the size of the team.  The youth and the coaches were taught to jump Double Dutch Rope by professional trainers. All Reviving Double Dutch Program participants were monitored throughout the project for changes in their body mass index (BMI), endurance, strength, agility, nutrition knowledge and of course growth in Double Dutch skills.  Three teams remain, who will compete in the final round of the competition. The teams represent, Head Middle School , Bordeaux Elementary School , and Hadley Park .

Barbara Jones-Slater

The general public is invited to witness this healthy, fun-filled competition and admission is free. There will be celebrity judges from the Disney 2007 movie “Jump In”, a special performance by the nationally renowned Double Dutch team USA Jump Rope and a guest appearance by Olympic Gold Medalist, Mrs. Barbara Jones-Slater. The winning team of the final competition will receive $1,000.00 sponsored by 92Q, a Cumulus Broadcasting Station.

About Matthew Walker Comprehensive Health Center

The Matthew Walker Comprehensive Health Center serves the under-insured and uninsured families of Middle Tennessee.  They offer sick visits, check-ups, comprehensive dental care, low-cost prescriptions, telemedicine, health education, counseling and specialty care including women’s health, ophthalmology and podiatry. They are the place of first and last resort for many in need of quality, affordable healthcare, with four clinic sites in the Middle Tennessee community. Their main offices are located in Nashville, at 1035 14th Avenue North, they have two other satellite clinic sites located in Nashville as well. Their Clarksville, Tennessee clinic site is located at 230 Dover Road, and serves Montgomery, Robertson, Cheatham and Houston contiguous rural counties.  For more information call 615-327-9400 or visit their website.

The second Annual Women’s Health Conference has been slated for May 30th from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.  at the Riverview Inn (50 College Street).

The annual event centers on issues of concern about women’s health. The theme for this year’s conference is “All About Women!” H.O.P.E.’s goal is to address the needs of the young women and the mature women of our community, irrespective of all backgrounds and socio-economic levels. The conference will provide these women with on-site health screenings, counseling, health awareness, and empowerment seminars. Pre-registration is strongly encouraged!

To register visit the Clarksville H.O.P.E web site.

For more info contact Ms. Elizabeth Valdez-Adamski, at (931) 931-249-5330. H.O.P.E. can also be reached at PO BOX 2843, Clarksville, Tennessee 37042.

Clarksville H.O.P.E.’s organizational mission is to provide physical, emotional, mental and or spiritual support with the assistance of professional speakers, medical personnel and nonprofit organizations, whose mission is to support women issues.

The conference will be held Saturday, May30, 2009 at the Riverview Inn Hotel, 50 College Street, Clarksville, TN  37040, from 10:00 a.m. to 4p.m.  (www.theriverviewinn.com).

The aim of our event is to enhance partnerships between women and Montgomery County health professionals in order to improve the health of women in our community and promote health awareness, in general.

The conference will include presentations and discussions of

• Women Health and wellness issue
• HIV/AIDS prevention
• Obesity and pre-diabetes
• Cancer awareness
• Violence against women
• Regional women’s health programs

This free event will be open to health care professionals, service providers, consumers, community leaders, policy makers, and the general public.

As a community health care professional, your knowledge and expertise in promoting the health of underserved populations is invaluable to our community, and we sincerely hope we can count on you to join us in this important outreach effort.

To register please log on to www.latinohope.com or call 931-24905330

President Obama said he did not want family planning to be used a “political wedge” and refused to continue that “stale and fruitless debate.”

“In the coming weeks, my administration will initiate a fresh conversation on family planning, working to find areas of common ground to best meet the needs of women and families at home and around the world.” — President Barack Obama to CNN

January 21, the day after President Obama was sworn into office, was the 36th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the U. S. Supreme Court ruling that legalized abortion by stating the right to abortion was guaranteed within the 14th Amendment’s  right to privacy.  Even as inauguration crowds dispersed,tens of thousands of members of the right to life movement converged on Washington for the annual Right to Life march, which ended on the steps of the U.S. Supreme Court.

While Republican opposition to this decision was quickly voiced in tandem with charges that Obama’s decision was a flip-flop on his earlier statements to work to reduce the number of abortions, it is in fact in keeping with that pledge. Finding ways to fund family planning efforts and create a safety net for women of childbearing age is the responsible approach to 21st century health care.

Population Action International said the move will “save women’s lives worldwide” and that the issue is basic health care and well-being for all women and children. Planned Parenthood, which decried the Bush administration action in cutting of funding, took a similar stance, applauding the move as positive direction in women’s health care.

President Obama, in making his decision, said the move to provide funding to family planning clinics would help achieve the goal of reducing unintended pregnancies, “promote safe motherhood,” reduce maternal and infant mortality,  and improve  economic opportunities for women.

“By signaling his intention to restore U.S. funding for UNFPA, the UN Population Fund, President Barack Obama is signaling his re-engagement with the international community on the critical challenge of improving reproductive health around the worl.”  — UN Foundation President Timothy Wirth said.

Knowledge is power, and empowerment is the goal of the first Women’s Health and Wellness Expo.

Free medical screenings. Free dental check-ups. Free eye/vision screenings. Nutrition and fitness information. Classes on marriage, self-esteem, and self-image. It’s all included in a single program being offered to the women of our community during a unique and absolutely free conference coming up on May 31.

This Women’s Health and Wellness fair is a Community Enhancement event sponsored by the Hispanic Organization for Progress and Education [H.O.P.E.]. It will be held on May 31 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Riverview Inn in downtown Clarksville. The event is free and offered as a community service.

Dr. Joy Twillie, a graduate of John Hopkins University will be the guest speaker on issues including Marriage and Self-esteem. Representatives from Centerstone will be available to discuss services they offer the community.

Women have unique health issues from their child-bearing years through menopause, issues that have a systemic effect. Since nutrition, exercise, and accessibility to basic health care are critical to women’s health and well-being, this fair is designed to integrate information on all aspects of physical and mental health into one comprehensive seminar.

In addition to these empowerment classes, the program includes diabetic screenings and information on this disease, along with a discussion of the risk factors for Type I and Type II diabetes.

In addition to free medical screenings, women will get a bit of pampering via facials and massages as part of this public health fair. In announcing the event, H.O.P.E. cited “a real need” for this type of program.

The event is funded by a state grant. Space is limited and women who want to attend are encouraged to sign up at www.latinohope.com and register before all the slots are filled up. H.O.P.E. regrets that no childcare can be provided for this event.