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Prime Time Sister Circles
A Life-Saving Program for African American Women from
Dr. Marilyn Gaston and Dr. Gayle Porter
African American women are dying at rates that are greater than any other group of women in the United States -- and most of these deaths are preventable.

That fact inspired Dr. Marilyn Gaston and Dr. Gayle Porter to write Prime Time: The African American Woman's Complete Guide to Midlife Health and Wellness in 2001. In 2003 they created Prime Time Sister Circles (PTSC)- part health course on exercise, nutrition, and stress - and part support group. Designed to change how women approach their own health, and thus the health of their families and communities, PTSC has drawn rave reviews around the USA for the way it helps women help themselves.

This program is made possible by...
Healthy Together Allegany Franciscan Ministries Children's Board Hillsborough County logo_stepsfl.pngTampa General Hospital
bcbsf_logo_sm.png

The Program

PTSC is a proven, evidence-based model designed specifically for African American women to help them learn how to control and manage their personal wellness. Developed by the former Assistant U.S. Surgeon General, Dr. Marilyn Gaston and her partner, the imminent clinical psychologist, Dr. Gayle Porter, the Sister Circles program uses esteem-building support groups to motivate participants to make changes critical in their personal lifestyle. The women participants range in age from 40-70 years of age and are the mothers, aunts and grandmothers who are charged with the care of the next generation.

PTSC has proven over and over to be a sustainable community program that takes place in neighborhood locations and encourages goal-setting, peer support, and empowerment. To date, 83% of the women who have participated across America have maintained their health improvements for more than a year.

On-going Research

(Read the article from the Journal of the National Medical Association.)

Healthy Together Brings Prime Time Sister Circles to Tampa Bay

Healthy Together is the organizing body for PTSC in Tampa Bay. We are most grateful to our Program Co-Chairs, who are working to involve the community and make this program a success:

  • Hon. Kathy Castor, US Representative
  • Estrella Clements, Nurse Practitioner
  • Chloe Coney, District Director for Congresswoman Kathy Castor
  • Gloria Elliot, Community Outreach Director, Tampa Family Health Centers
  • Ernest Hooper, St. Petersburg Times
  • Rev. Florence Howell, Northeast United Methodist Church
  • Hon. Gwen Miller, Tampa City Council
  • Hon. Betty Reed, Florida Representative
Our program for introducing the PTSC program is as follows:
June 20 - July 28
Application period for Leadership Trainees
August 4
Leadership Trainees Contacted and Confirmed
August 15 - 17
3-Day Leadership Training Workshop
August 21
PTSC Community Launch
August 28
Final Date for PTSC Qualification and Sign Up
Week of Sept. 8 through week of Dec. 1
12-Week Prime Time Sister Circle Program (3 Circles, each meeting weekly)
How it Works...
Public Launch

The PTSC Launch on Thursday, August 21 at the Blake High School Auditorium attracted almost 250 women to take charge of their health and wellness with medical screenings, dinner and a high-energy presentation by Drs. Gaston & Porter, complete with music and visuals, to educate and motivate the women to the challenges they face.  It is from this group of attendees that the participants for the Sister Circles will be chosen. Initially, 60 women participants will be carefully selected for the 12-week course based on their readiness to improve their lives. This program is only available to African American women 40 years of age and above.

Selecting the Leadership Trainees

Twelve women were selected for a 3-day leadership training workshop that took place on Friday-Sunday, August 15-17. Gaston & Porter and representatives who have led Sister Circles in other communities joined together prepare Tampa’s leadership trainees to facilitate 3 PTSCs, each with about 20 women participants.

Weekly Meetings

The three Prime Time SIster Circles begin meeting weekly in September at three different locations: Union Station, The Children's Board of Hillsborough County and the Central City YMCA.

These meetings are only open to the women who applied at the Community Launch.

Working from carefully prepared workbooks and journals, women learn to reframe their priorities and construct personalized health programs that empower their lives. Each week they spend 2 hours tackling new topics that blend aspects of their physical, mental and spiritual health. They learn about community health resources, nutritional cooking, fitness that fits their lifestyles and ways to prevent the most prevalent health threats. How to care for themselves, while modeling good behaviors for the next generation is a constant theme in the workshops.

Outcomes

Drs. Gaston & Porter gave an April 9 presentation that underscored their commitment to a scientific approach to recording the details of empowerment while protecting the personal process each family experienced. Outcomes are based on “before and after” physical and mental health metrics, designed to demonstrate the effectiveness of the program before, during, and even 3-months after it is completed.

Healthy Together's staff will record the findings and recommendations and convert them into a 2009 plan for moving forward. The HT staff has significant depth in social marketing and civic communications - and it is their intention to translate this data into a dynamic, sustainable program that can be replicated throughout the Tampa Bay region.

There will be a community outcomes report in February 2009.

Train the Trainer

One of the program objectives is to have women from the pilot project enroll themselves to become trainers for the next program - currently planned for April, May & June, 2009. It is hoped that the testimonials and health data generated by the first Sister Circles, will demonstrate why this program can help the broader community by changing the lives of women and their families. Elsewhere, PTSC has made a phenomenal difference – we believe it can do the same for Tampa Bay.

How You Can Be Involved

How You Can Be Involved

  • Join a Sister Circle

    Sister Circles are closed for the initial program, but a second program is scheduled for Spring, 2009. Be sure and watch for details. If you are interested insigning up now, email Dianne Blyler at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

  • Recruit Others

    Join us by spreading the word to African American women (age 40 or older)in your community who might benefit from the PTSC program. We need help engaging businesses, sororities, fraternities, etc. to support the program and get the word out to their contacts.

  • Promotion

    Help us spread the word about PTSC to the media and community channels.

  • Donate a Scholarship to support the ladies going through the program
    • Scholarships are needed for the women who are participating in the program to provide the materials and training. You or your group may sponsor a participant or an entire Prime Time Sister Circle by donating $250 for a scholarship or $5,000 for an entire Circle. Of course, any donation will go towards making the scholarships possible. Please call Dianne Blyler at (813) 514-1891 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .
  • Volunteer

    We will have an on-going need for volunteers to help with administrative chores, and organizing for the the program, and  to support the weekly PTSC leaders.

  • Financial Support

    We all know these are challenging financial times. For that reason, we are providing Prime Time Sister Circles as a free service to all participants. Your financial support will go a long way towards insuring the sustainability and growth of this program.

For more information, or to get involved, contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .