CHCC launches WISEWOMAN Program

The Commonwealth Healthcare Corp. has launched the Well-Integrated Screening and Evaluation for Women Across the Nation Program in the CNMI through funding made available by the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

A woman’s risk of heart disease, also known as cardiovascular disease, increases with age. Cardiovascular disease remains a leading health concern in the CNMI. The 2016 Non-Communicable Diseases & Risk Factor Hybrid Surveillance Report estimated that about a fourth of adults in the CNMI reported having hypertension. The WISEWOMAN Program provides cardiovascular disease risk factor assessments and support for healthy lifestyle change among participants aged 35-64 to reduce the risk for heart disease and stroke. Participants are referred to services that reduce CVD risks through improved diet, physical activity, tobacco cessation, and medication adherence support. The program was launched on Saipan on Aug. 15, 2024, through the CHCC Mobile Clinic at the Chalan Kanoa Youth Center, and in Tinian at the Tinian Health Center on Aug. 19, 2024.The program is scheduled to be launched on Rota at the Rota Health Center on Sept. 24, 2024. CHCC is projecting to fully launch the WISEWOMAN Project in all CHCC clinic settings by January 2025.

The program provides eligible women preventative screenings for heart disease and stroke such as:

Body mass index assessments

Blood pressure checks

Tobacco use assessments

Labs for A1c, glucose, and cholesterol

Health coaching to manage hypertension

Weekly progress check-ins

Referrals to healthy behavior support services and community-based resources

Eligible women that sign up for the WISEWOMAN Program will receive a free Fitbit (while supplies last).

The CHCC Public Health Non- Communicable Disease Programs offer other health services such as:

Classes on how to better manage diabetes

Classes on how to quit vaping, smoking, chewing, or any nicotine use

Classes on how to manage or prevent Chronic Kidney Disease

Breast and cervical screening vouchers for free mammogram and pap tests

For more information on these services and the WISEWOMAN Program, contact the CHCC Public Health Non-Communicable Disease Programs at (670) 234-8951 ext. 2030. For more information follow us on social media @cnmichcc on Facebook and Instagram; visit https://www.chcc.health. (PR)