About SSWICH

The Southern Seven Women’s Initiative for Cardiovascular Health (SSWICH) is a program that focuses on improving the cardiovascular health of women and their families living in the seven southernmost counties in Illinois.

SSWICH is being implemented through a collaboration between the University of Illinois at Chicago Center of Excellence in Women’s Health, the Southern Seven Health Department, Cooper Institute, and the Illinois Department of Public Health Office of Women’s Health.

There are nearly 30,000 women living in Alexander, Hardin, Johnson, Massac, Pope, Pulaski, and Union counties. By extension to the immediate families of these women, the program has the .potential to touch the lives of 71,000 women, men, and children.

The Southern Seven counties have among the highest rates of heart disease, hypertension, obesity and diabetes in Illinois and have identified cardiovascular health as a top priority for the region. The rural counties are nestled in, or adjacent to, the Shawnee National Forest. The region’s location, as well as its socio-economic conditions, indicate the real need for a cardiovascular-focused program.

The goal of improving the cardiovascular health of women is being achieved using three strategies:

1. Offering Heart Smart for Women, a 12 week physical activity and nutrition lifestyle change program to women in the Southern Seven counties.
2. Training graduates of the Heart Smart for Women program as volunteer health educators through a program called Heart-to-Heart. Health educators will spread program messages to friends, family and the community at large.
3. Implementing a community based media campaign that uses conventional media outlets as well as grass-roots methods to target women and their families using the same health messages as the Heart Smart for Women program.

For more information about these programs, please Contact Us.

Awareness and knowledge are the keys to the success of SSWICH. SSWICH uses creative and innovative education methods to encourage physical activity and improve nutrition habits, and thus reduce the risk for cardiovascular disease.

The foundation for SSWICH is found in “Healthy People 2010”, a US Department of Health and Human Services initiative. Healthy People 2010 is a set of goals for the nation for increasing the quality and years of life of Americans and eliminating health disparities between different segments of populations. “Healthy People 2010” challenges individuals and communities to take steps toward ensuring good health so that all individuals can live long, healthy lives.