A Statewide Call to Action to Confront Preventable Maternal Deaths and Advance Meaningful Solutions

On March 26th, the Louisiana Center for Health Equity (LCHE) hosted a powerful Women’s History Month observance titled “Louisiana’s Maternal Crisis: Answer the Call to Action.”

The virtual event brought together community leaders, health experts, advocates, and residents from across the state to confront Louisiana’s persistently high maternal mortality rates and to mobilize collective action.

LCHE President and Founder Alma Stewart Allen opened the program by grounding the discussion in LCHE’s bold, transformative effort to move Louisiana into the top 40 states in overall health outcomes by the year 2030.

She emphasized that improving maternal health is essential to achieving this vision, noting that women must have access to safe, equitable, and respectful care beginning in preconception, throughout pregnancy, and extending well into the postpartum period.

Featured Speakers Included:

• Dr. Michelle Easton, New Orleans Citywide Coordinator, DREF Research Matters For All of Us, Moderator
• Alma C. Stewart Allen, RN, MS, CCHC, President and Founder, Louisiana Center for Health Equity, Host 
• Robin Gruenfeld, MPH, Director, March of Dimes
• Nicole Deggins, CNM, MSN, MPH, Founder, Sista Midwife Productions
• Dr. Rachel Bond, MD, FACC, Women's Heart Health & Prevention Specialist, Association of Black Cardiologists
• Kaitlyn Joshua, Co-Founder, Abortion in America
• Autumn Percival, Miss Louisiana Port City's Teen, Founder of Raising Kids for A Healthier Future

Each speaker shed light on the systemic challenges contributing to maternal mortality in Louisiana, the disproportionate impact on Black women, and the urgent need for coordinated policy and community-driven solutions.

A central theme during the program was the call for Louisiana to formally declare maternal mortality a public health emergency — a step that would elevate the issue, direct resources where they are most needed, and accelerate statewide action.

For those who were unable to attend — or who wish to revisit the powerful discussions — the full webinar recording is now available. https://vimeo.com/1177988442?fl=tl&fe=ec

Act Now: Show Your Support by Signing the Letter

Louisiana’s maternal mortality crisis requires immediate action. LCHE is urging state leaders to declare maternal mortality a public health emergency — and your voice can help make that happen.

You can join advocates across Louisiana in calling for urgent action. Every signature strengthens the movement and brings us closer to realizing LCHE’s vision of moving Louisiana into the top 40 states in overall health outcomes by the year 2030. — a healthier, more equitable Louisiana for all.

To sign the letter: https://forms.gle/AW38noWJKP3WkYbU8

Submitted by Angie Jackson Wilson
Chair Nominations
Bylaws & Resolutions

May is:

• ALS Awareness Month https://www.als.org/awareness
• Better Sleep Month https://www.sleepfoundation.org/
• Celiac Awareness Month https://tinyurl.com/5bj8uawt
• Cystic Fibrosis Awareness Month https://tinyurl.com/2xarprkc
• Lupus Awareness Month https://tinyurl.com/yzw7bu57
• Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month https://tinyurl.com/3fhwuw39
• Oncology Nurses Month https://tinyurl.com/4meu8e4r
• Skin Cancer Awareness Month https://www.skincancer.org/get-involved/skin-cancer-awareness-month/

We are almost halfway through the year and a lot has happened with your Health Committee already. In May of course we think of two holidays: Mother’s Day and Memorial Day. Mother’s Day is the most meaningful because when we were younger, it was (most often) our mother who took care of us when we were sick and made sure we stayed healthy.

For those of you like me, whose mom is no longer physically on Earth, we still have her caring and encouraging words in our hearts. I know that since my mother was an LPN nurse, when I have my own medical appointments, I always take a piece of her with me whether it is a shirt she wore that I now own, a little rosary, etc. It’s a nice way to have her spirit watch over me and make sure I’m getting the best care possible.

Having said that, I’d like to create a little conversation with you:

What health advice or tips did your mom have for you growing up and do you still do them now?

Let me know at health@nfbpwc.org and I’ll share any answers I receive in the June edition of the magazine.

Susan Oser

Chair Health health@nfbpwc.org

More Health and Wellness Information

• Emotional Well-Being via Sesame Street: Children who are healthy in mind, body, and heart can thrive in every way. Here we are reminded that mental health IS health! https://sesameworkshop.org/topics/mentalhealth/
• What’s YOUR Peak Productivity Time?: Take the Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire (MEQ) to find your chronotype and discover whether you're a morning person, night owl, or somewhere in between. https://tinyurl.com/4znzdhr3
• Experts Finally Agree on What “Mental Wellbeing” Actually Means: For decades, “mental wellbeing” has been a fuzzy, catch-all term that meant different things to different people. A landmark study has finally provided the world’s first international consensus. https://tinyurl.com/bdhsyj94

Healthy Diets

I am pleased to submit this contribution to the NFBPWC Magazine regarding Healthy diets and to write it on School Meals Day, which is celebrated annually on the second Thursday of March and which in 2026 was chosen on March 12th. This is an opportunity to invite organizations and individuals to unite in promoting nutritious meals for all students worldwide.

Increasingly, the guidelines of many international organizations, including the WHO and FAO, include recommendations for orienting the consumption of natural foods and diets low in ultra-processed products. Eating a variety of foods allows for a balanced intake of vitamins, minerals, proteins, carbohydrates, and fats (the recipe would be 45-60% carbohydrates; 20-35% fats; 10-20% proteins; and drinking 1.5 to 2 liters of water).

Recommended healthy diets include the Mediterranean Diet (olive oil, fruits and vegetables, fish, and grains), the DASH Diet (low-salt, high-vegetable diet to combat hypertension), and the Vegetarian Diet (excluding meat and fish but including dairy products and eggs).

Today, these recommendations are more important than ever to advance the importance of supporting healthy diets in schools and in vulnerable and conflict-affected areas.

Diets and Women

A healthy diet is a balanced diet model that provides the body with the necessary nutrients. Adopting a healthy diet means getting into the habit of choosing foods and cus-toms to maintain good health. And the contribution made by and for women, from the very young age must be studied, valued, and disseminated.

BPW International, with all its affiliated  federations, has a long history of active advocacy, working increasingly toward an integrated approach to health and education, starting with agriculture. This approach allows for the integration and evaluation of social policies (procurement farming, local and organic agricultural supplies) with education at various levels (gardening, cooking, food preservation, trade), and the need that this occurs through active community partnerships.

Healthy diet from the women’s point of view starts when you can choose which foods to buy, knowing what is available in the refrigerator, in the pantry. Is a habit that contributes to shaping eating habits but is also a way of taking care of oneself and one's family. Prevention, savings and sustainability come into play.

Nowadays, transforming food systems requires that human empowerment, especially that of women, be incorporated into project design from the outset, not just through volunteering or temporary staff in programs.

Good professional training enables the implementation and coordination of strategies that unify agriculture, healthcare, and social policy across all countries.

Increasing education for girls and women, who can learn how to choose and prepare foods while promoting traditional recipes, leads in the medium term to the creation of lifelong habits that are beneficial for people and nature.

Well-designed school meal programs, combined with general nutrition education, represent a positive element and a reliable source of socially beneficial change.

Children and students in general understand the message perfectly, and with them the community; they waste less, while local farmers also enjoy a stable market. The same is true for policies (local or national) to reduce healthcare costs associated with diet-related diseases.

Achieving good results obviously requires investments in public infrastructure, improved public transport, water, sanitation, and energy sustainability, to reduce the time women and girls in difficult contexts must spend on the daily routine of household chores.

With investments and strategies across agriculture, health, and social policies, lasting habits and harmonious coexistence are built and achieved.

(see our BPW International Triennium theme)

The successes of the School Meals programs adopted are shared in 22 European countries. Since 2009, FAO has a Unit that examines and promotes coordination between the School Food and Nutrition approach, which is directly linked to the Agency's strategic objectives and the 2030 Agenda.

To conclude this brief contribution to stimulate the interest of NFBPWC sisters and friends, I would like to mention the success of a program created in Bhutan, launched between the government and FAO in 2025, called One Child - One Egg, which has reached 343 schools. It also represents a vital contribution to social protection.

The inclusion of one egg a day in students' meals (in this case several thousand) provides an important, low-cost nutritional supplement, to the satisfaction of suppliers and local communities, considering that school lunch in many parts of the world, and in such a challenging time of conflict and environmental crises, is the only healthy food students receive each day.

To learn more:

FAO School Food and Nutrition Framework https://openknowledge.fao.org/server/api/core/bitstreams/6f3162ea-1c1f-4699-a4b1-59a041e5f113/content

One Child -One egg Bhutan https://fb.watch/FTX-jS2eVs/

Christina Gorajski Visconti
IFBPW Standing Committee Chair Agriculture
2024-2027
bpwagriculture@gmail.com

Hello and Happy April to you!

It’s happy for me because it’s my birthday on April 4th, and my father’s on April 11th. The first weekend is Easter (also known as Ostara—celebration of the spring equinox—in the Pagan and Wiccan religions).

Hopefully by the time you read this, the weather has become a bit more stable, and you will be able to enjoy a little walk or some fresh air no matter where you are.

I am happy that this month, we have a contributor from the IFBPW Agriculture Committee. I’d love to see more entries from our sisters around the world because they are part of the BPW family as well.

In addition, if you were at CSW and attended any of the forums related to health and well-being, please send me an email about your experience. I’d love to feature it in this section of the magazine.

This past month, we had a discussion on Women in Medicine and Health and how Women’s medicine has changed over the years in honor of Women’s History Month. Our small discussions are a lot of fun and I encourage you to attend.

As of this writing, our next meeting will focus on any necessary business we need to talk about. We can also address any ideas for the future of the Health Committee.

Since Mother’s Day is in May, I hope we can encourage a discussion on mothers in our lives, whether we are a mother or not.

June is a month before the General Assembly so final preparations will be undertaken.

Susan Oser
Chair Health
health@nfbpwc.org

On February 6th, I had the honor of attending the Heart of a Woman Conference, hosted by Houston Methodist in partnership with NFBPWC, a powerful event focused on women’s cardiovascular health.

One message stood out clearly: heart disease remains the #1 killer of women, yet many of us are still unaware of our unique risk factors and symptoms.

The conference brought together healthcare professionals, researchers, advocates, and women leaders to translate scientific knowledge into practical strategies for prevention and empowerment. Experts highlighted key contributors to cardiovascular disease in women, including diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol, obesity, smoking, chronic stress, genetic predisposition, and age. Many of these risks are preventable or manageable through early detection, healthy lifestyle choices, and appropriate medical care.

The theme that caught my attention was the link between stress and heart health. The presenter showed that chronic emotional stress can trigger biological changes that increase inflammation and damage blood vessels, raising the risk of heart attack and heart failure, meaning, effective stress management is an essential component of prevention.

A central message throughout the conference was that awareness saves lives. Educating women about symptoms, risk factors, and preventive actions empowers them to take control of their health and seek timely care.

The Heart of a Woman Conference underscored that improving women’s cardiovascular outcomes requires a comprehensive approach that combines medical science, education, advocacy, and community engagement. Through partnerships like that between Houston Methodist and NFBPWC, meaningful progress can be made toward helping women live healthier, longer lives.

Know your risk. Prioritize prevention. Protect your heart.

Nicole Mpouli
Chair Lifelong Leadership
& Learning
L3Chair@nfbpwc.org

Houston Methodist Hospital proudly hosted the Heart of a Woman: Strategies for Treating and Preventing Heart Disease in Women conference on Friday, February 6, 2026, bringing together clinicians and leaders committed to advancing women’s cardiovascular health.

This hybrid event welcomed over 180 learners, underscoring a growing national focus on sex specific cardiovascular care. The conference, envisioned and launched by Dr. Karla Kurrelmeyer eight years ago, continues to flourish today.

The program was led by Course Director Dr. Karla M. Kurrelmeyer and Co Directors Drs. Bindu Chebrolu, Valeria Duarte, and Nadeen Faza, whose vision shaped a comprehensive curriculum highlighting risk factor awareness, diagnostic nuances, and treatment strategies unique to women.

The conference opened with a welcome and remarks from Nicole Mpouli, presenting on behalf of NFBPWC President Barbara Bozeman, reflecting the strong partnership between Houston Methodist and the National Federation of Business and Professional Women’s Clubs.

With 17 faculty spanning cardiology, obstetrics and gynecology, maternal-fetal medicine, endocrinology, and cardiac surgery, the conference highlighted the collaborative expertise required to advance women’s heart health.

In addition to education, the event aligned with National Go Red for Women Day, bringing participants together—many dressed in red—for a vibrant photo booth experience celebrating community, advocacy, and the mission of reducing heart disease in women.

Houston Methodist and NFBPWC also highlighted ongoing efforts to expand women’s cardiovascular research and community outreach, including a project currently under consideration for the Alpha Phi Foundation grant, aimed at elevating heart health education and access for women.

Article by Dr. Valeria Duarte and Dr. Karla Kurrelmeyer of Houston Methodist Hospital.

Many thanks to Nicole Mpouli for attending and contributing to our successful Heart of a Woman event at Houston Methodist Hospital. She represented not only the committee but our organization well. Please read her article on pX.).

Participants from Houston Methodist hospital contributed pictures and a brief overview of the event. Please read Part 1 (pX) and watch for Part 2 in April. We greatly appreciate their partnership with us on this important event.

We want to welcome Sujata Tiwari, the new Gender-Based Violence Committee Chair, who will be contributing monthly articles. (This month’s is on pX.) We appreciate her contributions and look forward to learning about this essential element of women’s health from her each month.

In honor of Women’s History Month, at our next meeting (March 23rd), we will discuss women in the history of medicine or the medical field as well as how women’s health has changed over the years. Format, open forum or a speaker. Either way, all are welcome to join.

Susan Oser
Chair Health
health@nfbpwc.org

MARCH IS ALSO:

• American Red Cross Month or Red Cross Month https://www.redcross.org/
• Brain Injury Awareness Month https://biausa.org/public-affairs/public-awareness/ brain-injury-awareness
• Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month https://nacdd.org/ddam1/
• Endometriosis Month https://endomarch.org/
• National Breast Implant Awareness Month https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/march-national-breast-implant-awareness-month-kantor-kantor-llp/m
• Transgender Month of Action for Healthcare Equality https://transequality.org/

By the time you read this, Heart of a Woman will be only a few days away (February 6th). Information is now available here.

The event will be held in Houston. Nicole Mpouli will serve as the ambassador for NFBPWC and will present the opening address on our behalf. If you are in the area or plan to visit, don’t be afraid to connect for good representation.

If you are a nurse, or someone that needs credits for your nursing or other medical degrees, this is the perfect event to attend, and you can learn a lot of things whether you’re in the medical field or not.

Go Red for Women Day is February 6th.
Women’s Heart Health week is February 1-4.

Make sure to spread your message on women’s heart health and to get your own heart checked.

If you have a heart disease story, share it. Just send it to me to include in my article, or directly to our magazine editor (magazine@nfbpwc.com) Your story could save another’s life.

Your Health Committee Chair recently wrote an article for The Angelwriter Spiritual Realm on how to keep your sanity in these crazy times.

The most important thing is self-care and that includes doing what makes you happy. While the world wants you to worry, it’s not good for you in general to stress out all the time and it’s specifically bad for your heart. Read the whole article here.

Crispy Sweet Potato Mash

A simple, nourishing recipe that turns a single sweet potato into a satisfying, high-fiber meal or snack.

Sweet potatoes excel at something many carbs don’t: keeping you full. Their combination of soluble and insoluble fiber slows digestion and stabilizes blood sugar, leading to steadier energy instead of spikes and crashes. That makes them a simple tool for appetite control and better workouts.

This recipe can be a standalone snack, meal, or side and can easily be doubled or tripled to share.

Ingredients (Serves 1)

• 1 medium sweet potato
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• Pinch of salt
• Dash of cinnamon (optional)

Optional toppings: Greek yogurt, fried egg

Instructions

1. Cook the Sweet Potato: Pierce the sweet potato several times with a fork. Microwave on high for 6 minutes or until fully softened. (Alternatively, if you’re patient, bake at
2. Mash: Carefully cut the (very hot!) sweet potato open and scoop the flesh into a bowl. Mash with a fork, then mix in salt, drizzle of olive oil, and cinnamon (if
3. Crisp in a Skillet: Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat with a light brush of olive oil. Spread the mashed sweet potato into an even layer, pressing gently. Cook for 2–3 minutes per side, until golden and crisped.
4. Finish & Serve: Slide onto a plate.

For extra protein, top with Greek yogurt or a fried egg.

Source: https://tinyurl.com/5692y57m

JANUARY IS:

Birth Defects Month https://www.cdc.gov/birth-defects/awareness-month/index.html Cervical Health Awareness Month https://www.nccc-online.org/

National Codependency Awareness Month https://www.dianejellen.com/national-codependency-awareness-month/

National Volunteer Blood Donor Month https://tinyurl.com/4x65a78x

Thyroid Awareness Month https://www.thyroid.org/january-thyroid-awareness/

Goals for 2026 and Heart of a Woman

Greetings! I hope that all of you are having a great holiday season.

The health committee took some time off to not only take care of ourselves, but also to enjoy time with our loved ones. I call it a nice little reset that we needed after our busy and productive 2025.

With 2026 upon us, the goals of the committee are going to change a little bit. Each month, we will have a theme to talk about as well as a possible special guest related to that theme. In between, we will have planning meetings to keep ourselves on track with other tasks that were neglected during the holiday break.

This month, we will focus on the Heart of a Woman event (see page 42) and then begin on the rest of the year. The theme of the event is Women’s Heart Health. Information on possible trips to the event if you’d like to attend in person is coming soon. Whether you want to be there in person or attend online, you can register at https://attend.houstonmethodist.org/ event/HOW-2026

As next month’s magazine’s theme is Heart of a Women, the health article for next month will be on the health of those hearts.

This committee is always looking to collaborate with other committees for special events, presentations, and more. Please contact me if you are interested and we would be happy to collaborate.

Moving forward, we know the General Assembly will be upon us this summer and already a few ideas are floating around on what we will contribute. Some stretching exercises to keep us awake during meetings? Maybe a health quiz as part of a workshop? If you have suggestions, we want to hear them.

Hope that all of you have a good 2026 and looking forward to the months and weeks ahead with NFBPWC.

Susan Oser
Health Chair

ARTICLES RELATED TO THE THEME OF WOMEN’S LEADERSHIP AND VISION

The Woman Who Warmed Up Our Winter Driving Woes https://tinyurl.com/4rkanea7

Indigenous cradles: https://tinyurl.com/mv4npb2t

US health director stood up for science — and was fired https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-03838-3

Scientist found a new trick of the immune system by digging through cellular rubbish https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-03846-3

Giant step forward’ for Huntington’s: the scientist behind the first gene therapy https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-03842-7