2007 Empowerment Tour Ends with Focus on Depression and Mental Health

2007 Empowerment Tour Ends with Focus on Depression and Mental Health

PHILADELPHIA, Oct. 31 /PRNewswire/ -- Nearly 1,000 women recently attended the conference and concert finale of the 2007 Empowerment Tour for a Healthier Life, titled, "Finding Balance: Emotions, Depression, and Mental Well-being." The event was held at Enon Tabernacle Baptist Church, as a part of the 8th Annual Health Ministry Program for Women (HMPW) and was sponsored by the Health Ministry Program Coalition, Keystone Mercy Health Plan and Eli Lilly.

In a keynote presentation, Terrie M. Williams, inspirational author and mental health advocate, discussed the untold story of depression among African Americans, and her personal journey in overcoming the disease. Health and wellness experts were on board to discuss stress and depression and their impacts on chronic physical illness. During the conference, free health screenings were also administered.

According to a 2001 Surgeon General report on mental health, depression among black women is almost 50 percent higher than it is among white women. Additionally, only seven percent of black women who suffer from depression receive treatment, as compared with 20 percent of white women.

Different from the previous tour stops, the finale event of this year's Health Ministry Program featured a vignette about the stresses that everyday people encounter and the right and wrong ways to deal with them. It concluded with a live musical celebration with Rev. Alyn E. Waller and the Enon Tabernacle Mass Choir performing songs from Pastor Waller's new gospel album.

"The 2007 Empowerment tour provided our members and the community with an opportunity for a more in-depth look at their overall health needs, with a series of conferences that focused on prevention and intervention for specific chronic diseases. Then, at this finale event, we brought it all together with a discussion of the connection between mental health and physical health, focusing on stress and depression, and how to find balance in our lives," said Maria Pajil Battle, Senior Vice President of Public Affairs & Marketing at Keystone Mercy. "We were very encouraged by the response from the women who attended, and we look forward to continuing to bring great programs like this to the community in 2008."

This year's Health Ministry Program for Women included five community health conferences held at churches throughout the City. Since the program was launched in 1999, more than 60,000 women and young girls across the Delaware Valley region have participated in its many workshops, seminars and conferences, using the church as a forum to deliver health information and knowledge that has empowered women to make healthy lifestyle changes.

About the Health Ministry Program for Women

The Health Ministry Program for Women targets minority and underserved women of all ages and aims to equip them with the education, tools and resources to keep themselves healthy through all stages of life. The program's annual health conference utilizes a faith-based environment to provide wellness education to address health disparities among minority women in the Philadelphia community.

About Keystone Mercy Health Plan

Keystone Mercy Health Plan is Pennsylvania's largest Medical Assistance (Medicaid) managed care health plan serving more than more than 290,000 Medical Assistance recipients in southeastern Pennsylvania including Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, and Philadelphia counties. Headquartered in Philadelphia, Keystone Mercy Health Plan is a mission-driven, health care ministry of the Sisters of Mercy, with more than 20 years of experience. Its corporate parent partners are Mercy Health System and Keystone First, a subsidiary of Independence Blue Cross. Keystone Mercy's mission is to help people get care, stay well and build healthy communities. For more information about Keystone Mercy Health Plan, please visit http://www.keystonemercy.com/.

First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact:

Source: Keystone Mercy Health Plan

CONTACT: Melinda Wagner, +1-215-937-8598, or Rick Buck, +1-215-863-5102,
both of Keystone Mercy Health Plan; Natalie Dean of Millennium 3 Management
Inc., +1-215-922-7184, ndean@millennium3management.com

Web site: http://www.keystonemercy.com/

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