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 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...
     
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:
Our program for introducing the PTSC program is as follows:
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
For more information, or to get involved, contact
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