Pennington Biomedical’s Wellness Day for Women Celebrates 25 Years

February 20, 2025 · Baton Rouge, LA

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Commemorating 25 years of supporting women’s health, the annual wellness day welcomes hundreds of women from greater Baton Rouge for screenings, exercises and demonstrations  

The Irene W. Pennington Wellness Day for Women celebrates its 25th anniversary in 2025 as it returns to Pennington Biomedical on Saturday, March 8, from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. The event features a wide array of health screenings, services and other activities to participants from across the Capital region. Registration is open now and can be accessed on the Pennington Biomedical website.  

“We’re excited to celebrate 25 years of the Wellness Day for Women, and we encourage women from across Baton Rouge to celebrate this silver jubilee,” said Dr. Leanne Redman, Pennington Biomedical Associate Executive Director for Scientific Education. “Since 2001, this event has become a tradition in Baton Rouge, so what better way to commemorate this milestone than by opening our doors and encouraging health screenings and education courses to the women in our community.”  

Body wellness and mental health and wellbeing will again be a primary theme of the event. With four out of 10 women reporting feelings of stress, the event will address emotional and mental wellbeing with heart and blood pressure screenings, as well as an introductory class of Chair Yoga for all fitness levels, presented by Woman’s Center for Wellness. 

“When we launched the Irene W. Pennington Wellness Day for Women, we had a feeling it would be a success, as the women of this community have shown year after year that they want to take care of their health and wellbeing,” said Dr. Catherine Champagne, Professor of Dietary Assessment and Nutrition Counseling and Nutritional Epidemiology at Pennington Biomedical, and one of the original founders of the Wellness Day for Women. “And now, 25 years later, we have seen how this event has sustained participation and grown in scope, welcoming new and returning participants every year. This milestone proves that our trajectory is strong, and the future of this program is bright.”   

Additional education session topics include heart disease, hormones, and precision nutrition. Following the educational sessions, a hands-only CPR demonstration will be provided by the American Heart Association. The Mobile Blood Donation Center from Our Lady of the Lake will be on site to collect blood donations, and participants are encouraged to donate, as all blood types are needed.  

Mammograms will be offered by Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center by appointment only, and participants are encouraged to register online. For the blood glucose screenings provided, fasting is not required, but eating or drinking nine to 12 hours prior to the screening can affect the accuracy of results.  

All participants of ages 18 and older will receive a Passport to Wellness Card upon arrival and will be able to collect stamps on their cards throughout the day as they participate in activities, with prizes distributed for completed cards. 

We are grateful for all the sponsors who are helping us celebrate this incredible 25-year milestone,” said Dr. John Kirwan, Pennington Biomedical Executive Director. “At Pennington Biomedical, we are committed to putting science to work for our community and all of Louisiana, and events like this help to provide opportunities for easy access to vital resources and health screenings. From cells to society, we are working to improve the health people here and around the world, and we are proud to deliver the results of our research to Baton Rouge.” 

Sponsors for this year’s Irene W. Pennington Wellness Day for Women include hosting sponsors Pennington Biomedical Research Center and Pennington Biomedical Research Foundation; presenting sponsor Our Lady of the Lake; Associate sponsors Blue Cross and Blue Shield Louisiana and Primary Care Plus; and in-kind sponsors Baton Rouge Cardiology Center, Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center, Woman’s Hospital, Team Blue, Our Lady of the Lake Cancer Institute, and Jason’s Deli.