SEMRHI will host its annual Free Women’s Check-Up Day in observance of National Women’s Health Week (NWHW) on Wednesday, May 15, at the Women’s Health Center located at 62 Old Airport Road, Hattiesburg, MS, from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Free health screenings will also be provided at SEMRHI clinic locations in Beaumont, Brooklyn, Lumberton, New Augusta, Picayune, Seminary, and Sumrall ALL WEEK, May 13-17.

NWHW is led by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office on Women’s Health to encourage all women to be as healthy as possible. According to the Mississippi State Department of Health, more than 700,000 Mississippi adults have high blood pressure (hypertension), and thousands more may be at risk. High blood pressure increases a person’s risk of heart disease and stroke, two of the leading causes of death in the United States. It can also lead to kidney disease, blindness, and mental impairment.

As a community of health centers and clinics, SEMRHI is deeply rooted in grassroots efforts to reduce health disparities. Though preventive healthcare is often overlooked, it is the key to preventing the onset of many chronic conditions that plague Mississippians, such as diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease. For this reason, SEMRHI has reached out to numerous local and community partners to promote the event in hopes of attracting the medically underserved.