SANDY, Utah — Intermountain Health is inviting women to take a night for themselves — and their health — at a series of free “Ladies’ Night Out” events this fall.
“Ladies’ Night Out is a kind of a celebration of women and how best to take care of ourselves,” said Dr. Teresa Reading, an Intermountain Health surgeon who specializes in breast cancer surgery.
Organizers say the events are designed to help women focus on their own well-being, something many women neglect while caring for others. Research shows American women spend more than twice as much time as men on household responsibilities, across all ages, races and financial situations.
“I think that it’s just important to know that women’s health is important,” Reading said. “Just because you’re the caregiver for your family or your neighbors or whoever, you can’t really neglect your own health.”
Each event will offer opportunities to connect with women’s health providers, get questions answered, and learn about screenings and preventive care.
“You should be getting colonoscopies starting at age 45 as a woman,” Reading said. “You should be making sure your lipids are OK and your blood pressure is managed for your heart risk. You should really be doing mammograms starting at age 40. All of those things you kind of get a reminder and ask questions if you’re not sure if it really applies to you or not.”
Reading hopes the gatherings will spark more than just one evening of self-care.
“This is just one night a year where maybe you can say, hey, I’m going to focus on what I might need,” she said. “It’s a free way that you could go, have some snacks, hang out together, maybe get a little information, and then, yeah, you could plan your next one.”
The Ladies’ Night Out events are open to women of all ages, free of charge, and no registration is required. The upcoming schedule includes:
- Oct. 2 – Heber Valley Hospital, Heber City, and Riverton Hospital, Riverton
- Oct. 6 – Layton Hospital, Layton
- Oct. 7 – Intermountain Medical Center, Murray
- Oct. 8 – Sanpete Valley Hospital, Mt. Pleasant
- Oct. 9 – Utah Valley Hospital, Provo; LDS Hospital, Salt Lake City; and Cassia Regional Hospital, Burley, Idaho
- Oct. 23 – Logan Regional Hospital, Logan
- Nov. 6 – Park City Hospital, Park City
Click here for more information about Intermountain's Ladies' Night Out events near you.
