Providers from Valley View Hospital will host a free women’s health series beginning Jan. 16. 

“There’s a lot of interest within the community about the various topics that affect women,” said Dr. Katie Mang-Smith, a trained OB/GYN at Valley View’s Women’s Health. “I think it’s a great way for some of our providers to get some time with the community and talk about issues that are important to them and give them some background on those issues.”

The series of free, hour-long Zoom sessions kick off with “Women’s Health and Weight Loss” at noon on Thursday, Jan 16. Mang-Smith will discuss the impacts of obesity on women’s health and the benefits of weight loss. 

“I feel very strongly about the obesity epidemic that we’re in,” Mang-Smith said. “I think it’s probably the most important health issue facing our country and many parts of the world over the next many years. It impacts every facet of women’s lives in terms of their overall health, increased risk of heart disease, cancer, mental health, all of those things.”

Followed by an open question and answer session, Mang-Smith will discuss realistic, long-term treatments for obesity, including medications and lifestyle changes. 

“My goal is to help women feel empowered and get out of this guilt cycle that women often get into about their weight, where they’re always feeling bad about themselves in one way or another,” Mang-Smith said. “There’s more that goes into it than just personal parts of it and that there are ways to get better and hope.”

The next webinar, “Bladder Issues and Treatment for Women 101” is presented by Dr. Jamie Lowe, a urologist at Valley View’s Rocky Mountain Urology Center, at noon on Thursday, Jan. 23. Lowe will discuss female urology, including bladder control issues and urinary tract infections. 

“Dr. Lowe’s presentation about bladder health is really important,” Mang-Smith said. “As a female provider. I know that bladder issues are very common in women, but nobody wants to talk about them and they have a hard time bringing it up. 

“Teaching women that they’re not the only ones going through these problems, that there are ways to improve it and to treat it, and they just need to take care and just learn about those things, all those topics are very important,” she added. 

“Heart Health for Women” presented by Katrina Metcalf, nurse practitioner at Valley View’s heart and Vascular Center, is at noon on Feb. 6. The final webinar, “Menopause Explained,” is presented by Dr. Elizabeth Cruse, a board-certified internist at Valley View’s Internal Medicine, at noon on Feb. 27.

“We’re excited to have this opportunity and hope that people get a lot of information that’s useful and helpful to them,” Mang-Smith said.

Visit vvh.org/WomensHealthSeries for more information or to RSVP to each webinar.