FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Connecticut Department of Public Health
June 16, 2011 Contact: William Gerrish
(860) 509-7270
Hartford – Stay In The Game CT is back with a new campaign focused on three of the most common health threats faced by Connecticut women: breast cancer, cervical cancer and heart disease.
“Stay In The Game CT is based on the idea that the best defense is a good offense. This idea is true when it comes to sports, and it’s also true when it comes to early detection of breast and cervical cancers and heart disease,” stated Department of Public Health (DPH) Commissioner Dr. Jewel Mullen. “Through the Stay In The Game CT campaign, we hope to encourage women ages 40 to 64 to get screened for these diseases.”
The campaign features the Connecticut Public Television (CPTV) original program Women’s Health: A Live Town Hall Meeting, which will air on June 21 at 8 p.m., with an encore presentation airing on Monday, June 27 at 11:00 p.m. This town meeting special will focus on the critical need for women to make time in their busy schedules for check-ups, screenings, and healthy lifestyle choices. It will discuss the fact that women – including mothers, wives, daughters, sisters, aunts, nieces and girlfriends – must nurture their own health so that they can continue to nurture others.
The public is encouraged to tune in for this interactive panel discussion and find out why regular mammograms, Pap tests and other screenings to detect heart disease are so important. During the program, viewers will be able to contribute their questions and comments to the live discussion by calling 800-842-2788 or e-mailing stayinthegame@cptv.org.
The campaign will also spread its message through public service announcements airing via television and radio throughout the state. These announcements feature the faces and voices of Jen Rizzotti, Head Coach of the University of Hartford Hawks and former UConn Women’s Basketball point guard; Dr. Andrea Silber, Cancer Specialist at St. Raphael’s Hospital in New Haven; and former UConn teammates Tina Charles and Renee Montgomery, both current players for Connecticut Sun.
Residents can visit www.StayInTheGameCT.com at any time for information as well. This website provides a comprehensive source of valuable information on breast and cervical cancers and heart disease. It features a directory of where women in Connecticut can get screened for these diseases, and includes details about free and low-cost screening programs offered by the Connecticut Department of Public Health.
So tune into CPTV on Tuesday, June 21st at 8 p.m. for Stay In The Game CT, and find out why early detection can help you to “stay in the game” – the game of life.
The Stay In The Game CT campaign is funded by the Connecticut Department of Public Health Comprehensive Cancer Control Program with additional in-kind support from United Way 2-1-1. The media partners are Comcast and My Community Access Radio.
The Connecticut Department of Public Health is the state’s leader in public health policy and advocacy with a mission to protect and promote the health and safety of the people of our state. To contact the department, please visit its website at www.ct.gov/dph or call (860) 509-7270.
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