Women’s Heart Days in Privas (Ardèche): strengthening access to care for women in precarious situations

THE Privas-Ardèche hospital center (Ardèche) organizes Tuesday 1^er and next Wednesday, October 2, the first edition of the “Women’s Heart Days” “. This event follows the previous screening operation “Act for women’s hearts” supported by the association of the same name, which was organized in the Privadois region in recent years and which had supported nearly 400 women to date.

A large-scale project to provide a comprehensive response to prevention issues for populations far removed from the healthcare system

Led by the Privas hospital center, this project aims to respond to a situation of health and social insecurity identified in particular in terms of cardiovascular or gynecological diseases in the Privas basin (central Ardèche).

In collaboration with numerous local partners (CCAS, Town Hall, CPAM, MSA, local associations) involved in this local prevention dynamic with vulnerable groups, the objective is to propose a new format of annual appointment which combines screening and awareness on different issues related to women’s health (cardiovascular, metabolic, gynecological risks) in the spirit of the “Heart Bus” system.

Nearly 400 women have already benefited from free cardiovascular and gynecological screenings since 2022 in Privas on the occasion of the “Acting for Women’s Hearts” days. This event will mainly target women who are far from care, aged over 50, residing primarily in the city’s political districts.

The event which will be held in the Pôle Maurice Gounon in Privas on the 1st^er and October 2 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. will notably offer an screening course in 6 steps in collaboration with health professionals and associative partners including:

• Welcome: presentation of the course and awareness documents. Presentation of the screening booklet
• Cardiovascular risk assessment (blood pressure measurement, identification of cardiovascular warning symptoms)
• Identification of metabolic risks (height, weight, abdominal circumference, blood sugar measurement, lipid profile, proteinuria)
• Performing an electrocardiogram if necessary
• Gyneco-obstetrical assessment:
• Summary by a doctor: delivery of the screening booklet and proposal of a treatment plan if necessary with letter to the attending physician or making an appointment for additional examination, particularly at the Privas-Ardèche CH

In parallel, a “health village” will allow participants to benefit from additional information throughout the two days.

The objective this year is to raise awareness and screen at least 200 women, with personalized monitoring. Shuttles set up with health mediation stakeholders will also be offered during the two days.

A local project supported within the framework of the National Health Reconstruction Council (CNR)

This The “Women’s Heart Days” project is part of the dynamics of the National Council for Rebuilding Health (CNR) launched in 2022 to improve access to care on a territorial scale. In this context, the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Regional Health Agency (ARS) has certified this project and supported the organization of this local event to strengthen the local dynamics initiated around numerous partners, highlight the interest of this global prevention approach and participate in the cross-disciplinary research work dedicated to the specificities of women’s cardiovascular health carried out during these events. A financial support of €10,000 was provided to the event by ARS Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes.