As we celebrate Women’s History Month this March, we think of the many women in our lives – our mothers, grandmoms, aunts, cousins, siblings, sorority sisters, colleagues, and friends. Women play important roles in our lives every day. Today, we SALUTE THE WOMEN OF THE ALL OF US RESEARCH PROGRAM at the Medical College of Wisconsin and its esteemed community partners.
The number seven has beguiled us for centuries: The seven seas, the seven wonders of the world, the seven colors of the rainbow. God created the world and rested on the seventh day. Over the past three years we have heard the voices and read the words of SEVEN extraordinary women. In the pages of Milwaukee’s black newspapers and Black Women 50+ Health and Lifestyles Magazine, over the airwaves of WNOV 860 Brands radio, and at community events across the city, the SUPER SEVEN have been educating and inspiring each of us to become ONE IN A MILLION by joining the All of Us Research Program.
The story behind All of Us is one of inclusiveness, righting past wrongs, and engaging members of black and brown communities as EMPOWERED PARTNERS in health research. We shoulder a disproportionate burden from diseases like diabetes, cancer, hypertension, colorectal disease, heart disease, stroke, and infectious diseases like COVID-19. The women of All of Us want to know why – and what can be done about it.
The SUPER SEVEN have described how sharing our unique health stories with researchers and getting information back about our DNA may help reduce the disparities that plague our communities. They have been shouting it from the rooftops: ENROLL TODAY! Visit JoinAllofUs.org/MKE or call 414-955-2689. They have shared the message through direct investment in the community.
We owe them APPLAUSE AND RECOGNITION FOR THE JOB they continue to do. We know that HEALTH IS A UNIVERSAL SUBJECT and the All of Us Research Program wants EVERYONE – not just women – to take part. Doug Kelley, Vice President of WNOV 860 Brands, has included Drs. Zeno Franco, Jeff Whittle, and Kevin Izard on radio shows and live panel discussions to advocate for the program and answer tough questions from the public. In a recent video, Doug Kelley showed us how easy it is to enroll. Now he can receive valuable information from the program about his ancestry, traits, disease risk, and medication response, and share this with his sons.
Learning about one’s DNA can be exciting. You may discover that you and your children have Native American, Irish, and West African blood running through your veins. That is ROOTS 2023. And while some of us have genes that make us dislike certain foods or tolerate statins better, we are MORE ALIKE than we are different. Our SUPER SEVEN remind us daily that we are ALL members of THE HUMAN FAMILY.
This Women’s History Month, we thank the WOMEN of ALL OF US for the work they do every day to ensure a healthier future for everyone.
