Women's History Month is a great time to celebrate healthcare advances in Women's Health - and healthcare services for women at HHC hospitals and health centers.

1847 - Safer deliveries - New hygiene practices are introduced to improve the safety of infant deliveries. To prevent maternal death from "childbed fever," physicians began to consistently wash their hands before attending deliveries. Today mothers can welcome their new arrivals in state-of-the-art delivery facilities at HHC hospitals. Experienced medical teams attend mother and baby in cheerful, completely modernized birthing centers. Labor and Delivery Suites feature the latest medical technology to protect mother and baby during the birth process. Amenities include comfortable beds, computers, room for family members to share the occasion and even Jacuzzis at some facilities help to minimize labor pains.

1969 - Mammography Screening - The first x-ray units dedicated to breast imaging were introduced. By 1976 mammography was being used widely as a standard health practice to screen women for breast cancer, providing earlier detection and treatment of this potentially fatal disease. Women over 40 are encouraged to get annual mammograms. HHC has performed more than 300,000 mammograms over the previous four years. Between 2004 to 2008, the Corporation will have invested nearly $8 million to purchase seventeen (17) brand new digital mammography units, as well as one (1) digital mobile mammography unit. These new units are located at ten (10) HHC facilities - Bellevue, Coney Island, Elmhurst, Lincoln, Kings County, Jacobi, Metropolitan, North Central Bronx, Queens and Woodhull Hospitals. Of the total investment, $2.9 million was provided through appropriations from the Bronx Borough President and the City Council.

2006 - HPV Vaccine - The FDA approves the first vaccine developed to prevent cervical cancer caused by the human papilloma virus - HPV. The CDC estimates that about 6.2 million Americans become infected with genital HPV each year and over half of all sexually active men and women become infected at some time in their lives. The vaccine is available HHC facilities for all women and girls, aged 9 to 26, regardless of ability to pay.

March 2008