Services

Health Fair Participation

The Mary Amelia Douglas-Whited Community Women’s Health Education Center does not offer medical advice or screenings.  The purpose of our participation in health fairs is to empower community women with health information and knowledge.

The package of health education materials available for health fairs includes:

• Modules – these 5-panel poster boards present health information in a simple, condensed manner

• Pamphlets – easily accessible, condensed information related to health issues, though not disease-specific

• Fact Sheets – offering information on typical questions asked pertaining to specific diseases and health issues

• Handouts – whether generated in-house or received from a national organization, these offer more in-depth information on health issues as well as available resources

If you are interested in requesting our participation at your organization’s health fair, please fill out the request form and email or fax it back to us. 

Planning an event for your organization? Refer to this list of National Health Observances for topic ideas. 

National Health Observances

 

Health Education Program Descriptions

Lay Health Advisors

A Lay Health Advisor plays a key role in bringing better health to her community. She helps people learn about health issues that affect them and their families. She shows them ways to have healthy behaviors, to prevent chronic disease, and to live healthier lives. Without her, many communities might not receive such vital information. A Lay Health Advisor is a person trusted and known within the community.  This could be your aunt, a neighbor, your mother, or even YOU!  If you are interested in finding out more about becoming a Lay Health Advisor, contact us at 504-988-6269 or tuxcoe@tulane.edu.

Cardiovascular Disease Prevention

Did you know that cardiovascular disease is the number one killer of women in the United States? The best way to combat this chronic disease is through healthy behaviors.  This training program provides 8 sessions on healthy behavior changes aimed at preventing cardiovascular disease.  It also provides tools for you to use in talking to other women in your community about how they can take steps to prevent cardiovascular disease. If you are interested in finding out more about cardiovascular disease prevention for your and your community, contact us at 504-988-6269 or email us at tuxcoe@tulane.edu.

Breastfeeding Awareness

MAMA (Mentor and Mommy Alliance) Training This program trains women in the community to become lay-breastfeeding advisors for mothers-to-be and new mothers in their community. MAMAs go through 4 training sessions and receive information about the benefits of breastfeeding, as well as instruction and practice on how to assist mothers-to-be (Mentees) and new mothers in breastfeeding. This program is designed to build a support network for breastfeeding mothers and supporters. If you are interested in finding out more about this program, contact us at 504-988-6269 or email us at tuxcoe@tulane.edu.

Workplace Lactation Program

Women are no longer stay-at-home mothers or housewives. In the US, women between the ages of 20-44 comprise 74% of the workforce.   In 1998, 50% of working women in the US, who became pregnant, returned to work within 3 months after the birth of their child (Breatfeeding.com, 2000). 

Many Louisiana women say that one of the reasons they do not breastfeed, or quit breastfeeding, is that they have to return to work (LAPRAMS, 2000). Full time employment significantly decreases breastfeeding duration, and is cited as one of the main barriers to increasing breastfeeding rates (Fein & Roe, 1998)

Workplace Lactation Programs have shown to significantly increase the initiation rates and duration of breastfeeding among working moms.  Since the percentage of working women has increased, and may continue to do so, new concerns have come to light. Nursing women no longer have the time or opportunity to go home at feeding time, nor do they have a viable alternative. So what is the solution? TUXCOE has developed a simple and efficient Workplace Lactation Program for businesses that offer the right resources and support.

There are three main components of the Workplace Lactation Program.

The first component is to identify a private space for a woman to pump. An ordinary restroom is not sufficient unless it is converted to a private room. A breastfeeding woman needs a place where she can pump her milk in privacy. A room with the door labeled as such, and a lock are a good start.

The second component is a pump and proper cleaning area where she can clean her utensils. The apparatus should stay clean since it is to be reused. After the milk is pumped and the baby is fed, a refrigerator for proper storage of pumped milk is crucial.

The final component is to provide breastfeeding materials for the nursing mom, and the expecting woman.  Materials can be used as a resource for the nursing mom, and provide expecting mothers with the necessary information to make an informed infant feeding decision.  All information should be current including the latest breastfeeding advances.

Note: At first pumping can be time consuming. That’s why it is essential for a woman nursing to have at least thirty minutes to pump her milk. If it takes longer she can be allowed the flexibility to make up that time by coming in early or staying late.

If assistance is needed with any of the above steps TUXCOE is here to help. Ourstaff is available to help your company identify resources, and ensure asmooth transition in setting up a Program. TUXCOE will givepresentations on the importance of a Workplace Lactation Program for employers and employees and provide brochures and other educational material.

An increase in the rates of breastfeeding among working women can significantly increase the rates of breastfeeding among all women in the US as a whole.

For additional information on establishing a Workplace Lactation Program at your workplace, please download our “Breastfeeding in the Workplace” guide or contact our Breastfeeding Coordinator, Meshawn Tarver, at mtarver@tulane.edu.

Stress

Coming Soon!

Disaster Preparedness and Recovery

National Hurricane Center

American Red Cross

FEMA

Louisiana Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness

CDC: Emergency Preparedness and Response

Health Education Information

Pamphlets:

Family Medical History: Playing an Important Role in Your Health

Maintaining Your Health:  Taking Care of Yourself is Time Well Spent

Preventive Measure:  Screenings to Keep You Healthy

Reproductive Health and You!

Fact sheets: (pdf formatted)

Breast Cancer Facts

Breastfeeding Facts

Cardiovascular Disease Facts

Diabetes Facts

Hypertension Facts

Osteoporosis Facts

Signs of a Heart Attack and Stroke

Talking to Your Doctor About Heart Disease

Websites of Interest

Maternal and Child Health

Student Programs

History

In 2004, CWHEC developed a standardized method of recruiting, interviewing, and securing students as Capstones and Volunteers.  The protocol is a strategy for identifying opportunities within TUXCOE and The Mary Amelia Douglas-Whited Community Women’s Health Education Center (CWHEC), of which students may benefit. 

The Mary Amelia Douglas-Whited Community Women’s Health Education Center offers a supportive and nurturing environment where young women and men from various fields, cultural backgrounds and nationalities are encouraged to develop their ideas into viable programs.  All programs involve health education and community outreach, as well as coalition building, policy and advocacy. 

Each semester the Mary Amelia Douglas-Whited Community Women’s Health Education Center sponsors several Capstone Interns, many of whom are from the Community Health Sciences Department with a focus on global Maternal and Child Health (MCH), MCH-Epidemiology, Health Education and Communication (HEDC) and the MCH/HEDC dual degree tracks.  In the Spring semester 2006 however, the majority of our first set of Post-Katrina students were from the International Health and Development Department of TUSPHTM.

Maternal and Child Health Newsletter Spring 2006

Capstones All MPH students at Tulane SPHTM must complete a 300-hour Capstone practicum in order to graduate. Work Study CWHEC is designated a work study site by the Tulane SPHTM Financial Aid office. Students from the SPHTM may apply for work study at the Financial Aid Office.

Volunteers

Students from Xavier, Loyola, Dillard, Tulane and surrounding colleges are welcome to apply for a volunteer position, which can range from a full fledged program management to a series of mini tasks depending on their hours available. 

High School Interns

In 2002, 2003 and 2004 all high school interns were from the World of Work Academy (WOWA) which is a local organization aimed at introducing inner city minority high school students into the “world of work”. These students spend four weeks during the summer in a real life work environment and learned how to dress for work, and interact with other staff on various projects and tasks.

As a World of Work site, TUXCOE and CWHEC Director Dr. Jeanette Magnus standardized the process by which high school students are admitted into the center as interns. The new curriculum was piloted with the New Orleans Center for Math and Science (NOMAS) students during the summer of 2005.  The intention is to offer this upgraded summer internship program to all our community partners who work with adolescents.   < Mollie Flint presents Certificates of Completion to New Orleans Math and Science High School students Rosalyn and Chelsea at the completion of their terms.

Click here for additional Student Program information.

Among our Past Students are: