LiveWell: Coastal Bend’s newest resource for good health

CORPUS CHRISTI--Diabetes prevention by learning your risk, a pregnancy primer for new moms, and a healthy recipe that’s earning rave reviews are just some of what readers will find in the inaugural edition of “LiveWell,” CHRISTUS Spohn’s new magazine. 
 
Whether residents are beginning a healthier lifestyle or want to improve their health, CHRISTUS Spohn wants to keep the community updated with the latest information to help people stay well, Katy Kiser, communications specialist with CHRISTUS Health said.
 
An unveiling ceremony of the magazine will be held in the Main Lobby of CHRISTUS Spohn Hospital Corpus Christi-Shoreline on Friday, Aug. 10, at 11:30 a.m.   This celebration kicks off CHRISTUS Spohn Health System’s newest community outreach endeavor. 
 
The free publication, which will come out quarterly, will also keep its readers updated about the new medical services and technologies CHRISTUS Spohn offers.
 
“Our goal is to provide the community with medical treatments it needs while allowing people to stay close to their home and family,” Pamela Robertson, CHRISTUS Spohn Health System President and Chief Executive Officer said. “We are delighted to make available in the Coastal Bend advanced technologies like CyberKnife Stereotactic Radiosurgery used for the treatment of some cancers and tumors and the daVinci Robotic Surgical System which provides less invasive, safer surgery for women.”
 
Many of the magazine’s articles focus on women’s issues.   Next month’s cover features Stacy Patterson a six-month pregnant mother-to-be posing on top of a North Padre Island dune.   The article helps expectant moms feel more confident for the big day and offers information on childbirth, breast-feeding, and infant CPR classes.
 
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, women use more health care than men, in part because of their need for reproductive services.  Women are also more likely to be the primary decision maker for the family as well as the caregiver when a family member falls ill.  
 
Therefore, women need adequate knowledge and tools to satisfy their multiple roles as decision makers and consumers of health care, Kiser said.  That’s where CHRISTUS Spohn and its innovative new publication LiveWell can help by serving as a valuable resource.
 
This data from the United States Department of Labor confirms women are the major health care consumers:
 
Women make approximately 80 percent of health care decisions for their families and are more likely to be the caregivers when a family member falls ill.

Women use more health care than men, in part because of their need for reproductive services.

Females of all ages accounted for 60% of all expenses incurred at doctors’ offices in 2004.

Approximately 81% of women age 18-64 had health insurance in 2005. The remaining 19%, which translates into 17 million women, had no health benefit coverage.

Fifteen percent of women obtained insurance from public programs, including Medicaid, Medicare, and CHAMPUS. Seventy-one percent had private insurance.

Private insurance was obtained mainly through employment-based plans. Sixty-four percent of all women had such coverage, either in their own names or as dependents, 49% through private-sector jobs and 15% through government jobs.