Empowering Women’s Health: Annual Wellness Day Returns to Pennington Biomedical March 7

February 20, 2026 · Baton Rouge, LA

The Irene W. Pennington Wellness Day for Women welcomes women from greater Baton Rouge for screenings, exercises and demonstrations

BATON ROUGE, La. – The Irene W. Pennington Wellness Day for Women returns to Pennington Biomedical Research Center on Saturday, March 7, from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m., featuring a day of health screenings, services and other activities for participants from across the capital region. Registration is now open and can be accessed on the Pennington Biomedical website. 

This year, the event focuses on mind and body wellness, and it will feature popular health screenings along with a wide array of great activities. Upon entering the event, participants ages 18 and older will receive a Passport to Wellness Card, to be stamped after participation in various activities. Completed passport cards will be entered into a drawing for prize gift packages.

“Pennington Biomedical is proud to once again welcome the Baton Rouge community to the 26th annual Wellness Day for Women,” said Dr. Corby Martin, Associate Executive Director for Scientific Education at Pennington Biomedical. “In addition to being a wonderful way to honor the legacy of one of our founders, Irene W. Pennington, this event provides a free opportunity for the women of Baton Rouge to access screenings and learn more about their health from leading researchers and physicians. This day has become a hallmark offering for our community, but it would not be possible without the generosity and participation of our sponsors.”

The sponsors for this year’s program include Pennington Biomedical and the Pennington Biomedical Research Foundation as host sponsors, FMOL Health | Our Lady of the Lake as presenting sponsor, Louisiana Blue and Primary Care Plus as associate sponsors, and Baton Rouge Cardiology Center, Mary Bird Perkins, Woman’s Hospital, Team Blue Volunteers, Our Lady of the Lake Cancer Institute, Walgreens, Lamar Advertising, MacLaff Inc., Southside Produce and Trio Eyecare as in-kind sponsors, along with Jason’s Deli, which is providing boxed lunches. 

The day will begin with a session of chair yoga, provided by Grace Yoga + Pilates, and continue with a variety of educational sessions and screenings. Additionally, the American Heart Association will provide a CPR demonstration. This year’s educational sessions include “Alzheimer’s Disease and Brain Health: What’s in Your Control,” led by Dr. R. Mark Sayes of Primary Care Plus and “Ask the Experts: Diet, Wellness and Open Panel with Experts from Pennington Biomedical,” featuring Dr. Neil Johannsen, Dr. Jacob Mey and Dr. Prachi Singh.

“On behalf of Pennington Biomedical, I am proud to be part of the ‘Ask the Experts’ panel and share our latest insights into health with our community,” said Dr. Singh, who is the director of the Sleep and Cardiometabolic Health Laboratory at Pennington Biomedical. “Our mission is to ‘deliver solutions from cells to society,’ and by sharing some of our nearly four decades of research with women from across Baton Rouge, we are delivering on our promise to transform our insights into proactive advice and guidance for better health.”

Among the associated health screenings provided are blood pressure, body mass index, EKGs, hepatitis C, skin cancer, stroke risk assessment and a total lipid panel. Colorectal cancer screening kits will also be distributed. Mammograms will be provided by appointment only, with registration available at pogo.marybird.com. Blood glucose screenings are provided as well. Fasting is not required for the blood glucose screenings, but eating or drinking nine to 12 hours prior to the screening can affect the accuracy of results. Our Lady of the Lake Mobile Blood Donation Center will be on-site to collect blood donations for all types.