FOLEY, Ala. — Baldwin Health is bringing back its Healthy Women program with a new tradition: the first annual Healthy Women Luncheon, set for Wednesday, Oct. 7, at The Bohemian event venue in Downtown OWA.
The Foley-based health system says the relaunched program is meant to build a vibrant, supportive community of women focused on lifelong wellness and empowerment. The luncheon will pair a curated lunch with an interactive panel discussion featuring four Baldwin Health clinicians, each tackling a different area of women’s health.
Healthy Women Luncheon at a Glance
- What: First annual Healthy Women Luncheon and panel discussion, marking the relaunch of Baldwin Health’s Healthy Women program
- When: Wednesday, Oct. 7, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
- Where: The Bohemian, 100 South OWA Boulevard, Foley
- Format: Lunch plus an interactive panel with a gastroenterologist, a general surgeon, a nurse practitioner and an obstetrician-gynecologist
- Topics: Gut health, breast health and preventive surgical care, hormonal balance and routine wellness, and reproductive, prenatal and postnatal care
- More information: Contact Baldwin Health for registration details
Meet the Panel
Baldwin Health has lined up clinicians from four different specialties, giving attendees direct access to experts they might otherwise see only in separate appointments. According to the health system, the panelists and their topics are:
Dr. Amy Woods, gastroenterology
Woods, a gastroenterologist, will focus on demystifying gut health and digestion, including the link between the health of the microbiome and overall wellness. The microbiome, the vast community of bacteria and other microorganisms living in the digestive tract, has become one of the most closely watched areas of medical research in recent years, with scientists studying its connections to digestion, immunity and chronic disease.
Gastroenterology also plays a major role in cancer prevention. The American Cancer Society and the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force both recommend that adults at average risk begin colorectal cancer screening at age 45, a threshold lowered from 50 in recent years as rates of the disease have climbed among younger adults.
Dr. Kaci Simson, general surgery
Simson, a general surgeon, will speak about preventive surgical care, breast health and modern minimally invasive techniques. Minimally invasive surgery, performed through small incisions using cameras and specialized instruments, often allows for less pain, smaller scars and shorter recovery times than traditional open procedures.
Breast health is a timely subject heading into October, which is recognized nationally as Breast Cancer Awareness Month. In 2024, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force updated its guidance to recommend that women at average risk get a screening mammogram every other year starting at age 40, rather than 50, and continuing through age 74. Women with a family history or other risk factors may need to begin earlier or screen more often, which is a conversation to have with a provider.
Martha Eskridge, nurse practitioner
Eskridge, a nurse practitioner, will address routine wellness, hormonal balance and personalized care strategies for every stage of life. Hormonal changes shape women’s health from adolescence through pregnancy, perimenopause and menopause, affecting sleep, mood, weight, bone density and heart health along the way.
Routine wellness visits are often the first place those changes are noticed and managed. An annual checkup is also an opportunity to track blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar, and to stay current on vaccines and age-appropriate screenings.
Dr. Mehgan Lazenby, obstetrics and gynecology
Lazenby, an obstetrician and gynecologist, will discuss reproductive health, prenatal and postnatal care and holistic wellness for women. Lazenby joined Baldwin Health’s medical staff earlier this year. Before earning her medical degree, she worked as an intensive care and acute care nurse and as a nurse practitioner, a background that gives her an unusual view of patient care from both sides of the bedside.
Prenatal and postpartum care has drawn increasing national attention as health officials work to reduce pregnancy-related complications and deaths. The postpartum period in particular, the weeks and months after delivery, is now widely recognized as a critical time for follow-up care, not simply a brief checkup six weeks after birth.
Why Women’s Health Deserves Its Own Conversation
Many health conditions affect women differently than men, or affect women exclusively, which is one reason health systems create programs specifically for them.
Heart disease is a prime example. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, heart disease is the leading cause of death for women in the United States, yet many women do not see themselves as at risk. The CDC also notes that women are somewhat more likely than men to experience less typical heart attack symptoms, such as unusual tiredness, nausea or vomiting, alongside or instead of chest pain.
Women also make many of the health care decisions for their families, from scheduling children’s checkups to helping aging parents manage medications. Programs that give women time and space to focus on their own health, and ask questions of specialists in a relaxed setting, are designed to help close that gap.
A Growing Health System in South Baldwin
Baldwin Health is the name the former South Baldwin Regional Medical Center adopted in October 2024, when it unveiled a 185,000-square-foot expansion of its Foley campus. That addition included new surgical facilities with a dedicated outpatient surgery center, doubled intensive care capacity, additional inpatient beds and a dedicated women’s and children’s unit.
At the time of the rebrand, hospital leaders said the organization had been operating as a health system for some time and wanted a name that reflected its growing network of more than 25 locations across Baldwin County. Its physician group was renamed Baldwin Health Medical Group.
The system has continued to add specialists in 2026, including a gastroenterologist and Lazenby in obstetrics and gynecology, expanding services for one of the fastest-growing counties in Alabama. Relaunching the Healthy Women program fits into that broader push to connect residents with the specialists now practicing closer to home.
About the Venue
The Bohemian is an event venue in Downtown OWA, the shopping, dining and entertainment district that anchors the OWA Parks & Resort development in Foley. The venue offers flexible spaces ranging from roughly 1,763 to 4,637 square feet and hosts everything from family reunions and business retreats to fundraisers and celebrations, with catering on site.
Downtown OWA sits just off the Foley Beach Express, making it an easy drive for residents of Foley, Gulf Shores, Orange Beach, Summerdale, Robertsdale and other south Baldwin communities.
A Screening Checklist Worth Knowing
Events like the luncheon are also a good reminder to check whether routine screenings are up to date. National guidelines from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force for women at average risk include:
- Cervical cancer: Screening from age 21 through 65, with the test and interval depending on age
- Breast cancer: A mammogram every other year from age 40 through 74
- Colorectal cancer: Screening from age 45 through 75, using one of several approved test options
- Osteoporosis: Bone density screening beginning at age 65, and earlier for postmenopausal women with risk factors
- Blood pressure: Regular checks for all adults
Women with a personal or family history of certain conditions may need different schedules, so the best plan is one made with a provider who knows their history.
Questions to Bring to the Panel
Because the panel is designed to be interactive, attendees may want to arrive with questions. Some topics women commonly raise with providers include:
- When should I start, or stop, specific cancer screenings based on my age and family history?
- What digestive symptoms are normal, and which ones should be checked out?
- How can I tell whether changes in sleep, mood or energy are related to hormones?
- What should I know about recovery from minimally invasive procedures?
- What care should I expect after having a baby, and for how long?
General information shared at a community event is not a substitute for a personal medical visit, and panelists will likely encourage attendees to follow up with their own providers about individual concerns.
How to Attend
The luncheon runs from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Oct. 7 at The Bohemian, 100 South OWA Boulevard in Foley. Women interested in attending should contact Baldwin Health or check the health system’s website and social media channels for registration information and any seating limits.
As the first annual event, the luncheon is intended to be the start of a continuing tradition, and the relaunched Healthy Women program is expected to offer the community ongoing opportunities to learn about wellness and connect with one another.