Walk with a Doc Event in Lake County, Illinois

Women and families came to the YWCA of Lake County in Gurnee, IL to take part in the inaugural Lake County chapter of Walk With A Doc. Dr. Josephine Nguyen from the James A. Lovell Federal Health Care Center and Dr. Neelum Aggarwal from the Rush Heart Center for Women, spoke about the signs and symptoms of stroke, what immediate action to take if someone is suspected of having a stroke, and the ways walking can decrease the risk of stroke. After the brief informational session, representatives from the YWCA, students from the Chicago Medical School AMWA chapter, the volunteer physicians, and a group of 30 participants walked for 45 minutes. The majority of the participants were Hispanic, predominantly spoke Spanish as their preferred language, and of broad age groups ranging from young children to elderly. The common frustration amongst participants of not having access to physically active opportunities such as a walking program nor having accessible walking areas were the major motivations for these women and men to attend Walk with a Doc. With this great success, we are excited to continue and expand the Walk with a Doc Lake County chapter.