BLOOMINGTON — Minority women in McLean County are less likely to seek care for dental problems, high blood pressure, diabetes, asthma and mental illness than white women, and about 50 people gathered Thursday to consider what to do about it.
“We want this to be the beginning of a conversation,” said Brenda Lessen, associate professor of nursing at Illinois Wesleyan University.
Lessen moderated a panel discussion — “Health Needs of Minority Women” — at OSF St. Joseph Medical Center’s Center for Healthy Lifestyles in Bloomington. The discussion was hosted by Women Empowered, an OSF St. Joseph Foundation program that raises awareness of women’s health issues and money for women’s health services.
