National Women’s Health Week is celebrated every year in May to encourage women and girls to prioritize their health and make the choices that are right for them when it comes to their well-being. While it’s only one week, this year on May 14-20, Hadassah makes women’s health a priority all year long. Advancing women’s health through education, advocacy and research is a cornerstone of Hadassah’s mission.
From helping to advance federal protections for reproductive freedom and championing access to infertility care, to leading the way with groundbreaking research and treatments and educating people about women’s health, Hadassah and the Hadassah Medical Organization (HMO) are saving lives.
Empowering Health and Wellness
Hadassah empowers women to take charge of their own health by offering wellness programs, including cooking, exercise, meditation and health education, featuring informative ways to live a healthier lifestyle.
- Eat Smart: Fruits of Israel and Farro Salad, Buildable Israeli Salad
- Keep Moving: Israeli Beats Cardio Dance Fitness, Pop Tunes Cardio Dance Fitness
- De-Stress and Sleep: Star of David Meditation With Lisa Bondy, Four-Count Breath With Lisa Bondy
- Educate Yourself: Hadassah ♥ YOU: Building Healthy Habits Together
Advocating for Women’s Health
Hadassah advocates for expanded women's health research, increased focus on prevention strategies, greater access to care and expanded awareness about women’s health among doctors, researchers and the public. Hadassah believes women should control their own bodies and make family planning decisions based on medical guidance and their own values.
- Act now: Hadassah is urging legislators to prioritize women’s health in the 118th Congress and to address and improve women’s health outcomes.
- Explore other women’s health actions in the National Action Center in support of infertility treatment, women’s heart health awareness and more.
- Hadassah’s National Board adopted the policy statement "A Vision for Women’s Health," which identifies empowered wellness, integration and innovation as the hallmarks of Hadassah’s vision for helping women live their healthiest lives possible.
- Hadassah members are speaking out to advance protections for reproductive choice at the federal and state levels, including the Women’s Health Protection Act.
Breakthrough Research and Treatments
The Hadassah Medical Organization is shaping the future of medicine with innovative research and treatments for medical issues affecting women. Here are some highlights:
- In exploring the reversal of the aging of eggs in older women to improve the chances of conception, researchers at HMO discovered that using an antiviral drug could prevent damage to the eggs due to changes in heterochromatin, a tightly packed form of DNA.
- The Linda Joy Pollin Cardiovascular Wellness Center for Women has initiated programs to promote heart health for women in Israel through broadcast and social media outreach, community awareness events and continuing education programs for medical professionals.
- 1 in 8 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer. In groundbreaking research, Hadassah found that Ashkenazi Jews have at least a 10 times greater prevalence of BRCA1 gene mutations which can cause breast and ovarian cancer. Dr. Shani Paluch-Shimon, director of the Breast Oncology unit at HMO, shares the latest in breast cancer research, including highlights about hereditary mutations in BRCA1/2.
- Ovarian cancer doesn’t have to be a death sentence. Women with the cancer are finding hope at Hadassah’s Gynecologic Oncology Center, which brings treatment and follow-up under one roof, enabling swift action when timing is critical. Dr. Tamar Perri, director of the Gynecologic Oncology Department at HMO, shares the symptoms of the four main gynecological cancers.
Read these stories about empowering women in health care
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Building Bridges: Two Longtime Hadassah Nurses at the UN CSW
Ethiopian Nurse at Hadassah Celebrates Women the World Over
Hadassah in Jerusalem Honors Nurses Who Go “Above and Beyond”
Stories From the Hearts of Women at the Helm in Hadassah’s Hospitals
Henrietta Szold – Zionist “Girl Power”
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