Hadassah Launches Coalition for Women's Health Equity with National Women's, Health, and Faith Organizations

NEW YORK, April 14, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Hadassah, The Women's Zionist Organization of America, Inc. (HWZOA), announces the launch of the Coalition for Women's Health Equity, which will work to address inequities in quality of care, funding and support, and gaps in women's health awareness, according to Hadassah National President Ellen Hershkin. The inaugural members of the Coalition include: American Association of University Women; American Heart Association; Black Women's Health Imperative; Breast Cancer Fund; Institute for Women's Health and Leadership of Drexel University College of Medicine; Jewish Women International; National Council of Jewish Women; National Organization for Women; National Partnership for Women & Families; National Women's Political Caucus; Society for Women's Health Research; Vision 2020; WomenAgainstAlzheimer's and WomenHeart: The National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease. 

Hadassah has convened this coalition in response to pervasive gender disparities throughout the healthcare system, with the mission to create a well-coordinated and unified force to advocate for women's health equity—from prevention and diagnosis, to treatment and cure. Coalition members represent a wide variety of the nation's most prominent organizations including those working towards female empowerment, equitable healthcare access, civil rights, and more. Membership in the Coalition is open and will continue to grow. 

Ellen Hershkin states, "This new collaborative effort amplifies our collective impact—combining the strength of Hadassah's 330,000 members, Associates and supporters with the heightened power of women's voices from around the country. For over a century, Hadassah—in the U.S. and Israel—has advocated for, as well as provided, the highest quality healthcare for women. Hadassah is thrilled to partner with such influential organizations that have long-standing reputations of expertise and service in women's issues. By engaging in direct advocacy, grassroots mobilization and the sharing of resources, the Coalition will make a lasting and powerful difference for women's health equity."

Women and men often present different symptoms for the same diseases and react differently to certain drugs, medical devices, and treatments. Gender disparities in medicine—among research subjects, and in health care access and delivery—put women at risk for misdiagnoses, ineffective treatments and compromised care.

Heart disease, for example, is the number one killer of women, and yet only one third of cardiac research subjects are women. Studies also show that medical providers are more likely to ascribe women's pain symptoms to stress or psychological causes, and men's symptoms to physical or neurological conditions. 

A lack of women's health equity not only impacts the well-being of the American woman now, but for generations to come. The Coalition for Women's Health Equity will publicly promote policies in support of gender equity in medical prevention, research and treatment, and raise awareness about how that lack of equity adversely affects women and families throughout the United States.

To learn more and hear from the members of the Coalition for Women's Health Equity visit hadassah.org/womenshealthequity.

Hadassah, The Women's Zionist Organization of America, Inc. (HWZOA) is the largest Jewish women's organization in the United States. With 330,000 members, associates and supporters across the country, Hadassah brings Jewish women together to effect change and advocate on critical issues such as medical care and research, women's empowerment, and the security of Israel. Through the Hadassah Medical Organization's (HMO) two hospitals, the world-renowned trauma center and the leading research facility in Jerusalem, Hadassah supports the delivery of exemplary patient care to over a million people every year. HMO serves without regard to race, religion or nationality and earned a Nobel Peace Prize Nomination in 2005 for building "bridges to peace" through equality in medical treatment. For more information, visit www.hadassah.org.

SOURCE Hadassah

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