Women Are Worthy health expo set for May 14 at Mirian Worthy Womens Health Center

ALBANY — An annual event in Albany meant to promote women’s health is coming back for a fourth year.

The Women are Worthy Women’s Health Expo is set for 9 a.m.-1 p.m. on Thursday at the Mirian Worthy Women’s Health Center, a clinic with Albany Area Primary Health Care (AAPHC). Held during National Women’s Health Week, the goal is to reach out to the community in order to promote healthy lifestyles for women of all ages.

At the event, there will be items donated from Albany area businesses raffled off. There will also be free refreshments, as well as 30 vendors from throughout the community there to talk about the services they offer.

“We will (also) have different tables from different services we provide (at the women’s clinic),” said Brook Shivers, case manager for the Mirian Worthy Center.

A behavioral health program was recently brought into AAPHC, which people will have an opportunity to learn about at the expo.

“We will have a table for that new program,” Shivers said.

Some of the items expected to be raffled off will include gift cards for Red Lobster, Pizza Hut and Flint RiverQuarium, as well as a family membership for Chehaw. Unique Accessories on Dawson Road has also donated some items, Shivers said.

Among the vendors expected to be there will include ICM Group Fitness Center, Lily Pad Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner Center, Affinis Hospice, Girls Inc., Georgia Vocational Rehabilitation Agency, SOWEGA Council on Aging, Pregnancy Resource Center of Lee County, Albany Technical College, Carlton Breast Health Center, Phoebe Network of Trust, West Albany Dental and Medical Center, Alpha Pregnancy Center, Amerigroup, American Cancer Society, Right from the Start Medicaid Program, Aspire Behavioral Health and Development Disability Services, Parent to Parent of Georgia, National Alliance on Mental Illness, Goodwill and Fyzical Therapy and Balance Center.

West Albany Dental and Medical Center is another clinic connected to AAPHC.

Shivers said Dr. Francis Kwarteng, clinical director at the Mirian Worthy center, will be addressing the attendees at 10 a.m. to talk about the services it offers. Dr. Barbara Johnson, a dentist with AAPHC, is expected to be there to provide some education.

Refreshments are set to be provided at 11 a.m. Music will also be there at the event, which is free and open to the public.

Shivers said the event has grown in terms of vendor count from year to year, going up from 24 last year to 30 this year. There were 100 attendees last year, and coordinators said they are hoping to top that.

“I would like to see at least 150 this year … I’ve seen it grow every year, which is great,” she said. “Education is key, and I feel by educating the community about different services that Albany Area Primary Health Care offers, it’s an opportunity to promote healthy lifestyles for women.”

Among the ways the clinic has sought to do that, Shivers said, is by encouraging annual well-woman visits, blood pressure checks, healthy eating, a healthy weight, exercise, tobacco cessation, limitation of alcohol use and mammograms.

Mirian Worthy is located at 401 S. Madison St. For more information, call (229) 888-3636.

Women Are Worthy health expo set for May 14 at Mirian Worthy Womens Health Center