Two months ago, Legacy Health Endowment launched a health program aimed at bringing comprehensive care to area women.

The Women’s Health 360 initiative provides local women with a team of experts to help guide them through health challenges, such as heart disease, cancer care, mental health, reproductive health and menopause, and when medication is needed, it will only cost participants $2.

"LHE is launching Women’s Health 360 (WH360), collaborating with five women's health specialists across the Central Valley, to make women's healthcare accessible and affordable," said Jeffrey Lewis, the nonprofit's president and CEO. "Women's health is about comprehensive care; no single issue can define it. Our goal is to give women access to health care providers who can address everything from primary care to perimenopause to dementia."

LHE emphasized the health challenges women face today, including:

• Heart disease is the leading killer of women in the U.S., yet rural women are less likely to receive preventive screenings for blood pressure, cholesterol, and diabetes;
• Cancer care is a similar story. Mammograms and Pap smears save lives, but rural women face long drives, limited appointment slots, and fewer specialists. Delayed detection means higher mortality;
• Rural women also experience elevated rates of depression and anxiety, yet behavioral health providers are scarce, and stigma remains entrenched;
• Reproductive autonomy is another blind spot. Contraceptive access in rural California is patchy, with pharmacy deserts and clinic closures that leave women without reliable options;
• The #1 perimenopause symptom affecting 65.43% of women is joint and muscular discomfort, validating that mysterious aches are hormonally driven. Perimenopause, sometimes referred to as the menopausal transition, can affect women as early as their 30s or as late as their 50s.

Dr. Carla Perissinotto, a Professor of Medicine at UCSF who from 2017-2021 served as first associate chief for geriatrics clinical programs there, will be part of LHE’s Women’s Health 360 initiative as one of six specialists making healthcare more accessible and affordable to women in the region.

“We are thrilled that Dr. Perissinotto has joined us in the important work of bringing much-needed geriatric care to Stanislaus and Merced counties,” said Lewis. “She is truly one of the leaders in her field, and we are fortunate that our proximity to the Bay Area makes this association possible.”

“I will be coming to the Central Valley to see patients,” said Dr. Perissinotto, the child of a Mexican American mother and Italian American father who grew up speaking Spanish as her first language. “Traveling to where patients are fits my overall vision of healthcare: people should not have to travel to a major academic medical center to receive expert care.”

Born and raised in Santa Barbara, Dr. Perissinotto earned her bachelor’s degree in anthropology from Barnard College in New York City, then a master’s in public health from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, and a medical degree from Tufts University in Boston. She completed her residency and fellowship in internal medicine and geriatrics at UCSF.

Dr. Perissinotto sees a wide range of patients and cherishes what she calls “the beauty and complexity of aging.”

“A lot of people ask themselves, ‘When do I need to see a geriatrician?’” said Dr. Perissinotto, who is board certified in geriatrics, internal medicine, and palliative medicine. “The easy answer would be once you’re over 65. However, there just aren’t enough geriatricians, and there are various types of patients that I see. Some are healthy-aging and want to continue to age well and extend a healthy lifespan. Others have a limited life expectancy.

“I’ve seen patients in their 40s who have serious, complex illnesses, and I’ve had one patient as old as 110,” she continued. “I have a patient who is 102 years old and living independently. And within that range, there is so much wisdom and knowledge and life experience. That is what I mean when I say, ‘the beauty of aging.’”

Other WH 360 team members include:

• Alicia Conway, physician assistant and co-founder at The Kind Clinic in Turlock;
• Dr. RaeLeigh Payanes, MD, co-founder of All in Health in Modesto;
• Dr. Karen Rayos, MD, co-founder of All in Health in Modesto;
• Dr. Kristina (Tina) Sogocio, MD, founder of Merced ObGyn Care, Inc., in Merced;
• Lavender Psychiatry, a telehealth therapy platform founded and staffed by psychiatric nurse practitioners;
• Tower Pharmacy in Turlock.

"We are incredibly proud of the healthcare heroes we have brought together and humbled that they have chosen to work with us," said Lewis. "The program has four specific goals: removing cost as a barrier to care, increasing access to women's primary and preventive care specialists, access to midlife health experts focused on perimenopause and menopause, and access to mental health care."

Women’s Health 360 will provide up to 200 local women with access to the healthcare providers listed above at no cost for 12 months beginning April 1. To be eligible, women must be at least 30 years old, not enrolled in Medi-Cal, Medicare or TRICARE, and live in one of the following local areas: Atwater, Buhach, Ballico, Ceres, Crows Landing, Delhi, Denair, Montpelier, Gustine, Santa Nella, Hilmar, Irwin, Keyes, Livingston, Arena, West Modesto, Bret Harte, Newman, Hills Ferry, Patterson, Diablo Grande, Grayson, Westley, Stevinson, Turlock, Cortez, Winton or Cressey.

"LHE already has a $2 medication program in place with Tower Pharmacy in Turlock," added Lewis. "All of the providers participating in the WH360 have submitted their most often prescribed medications, and those are now part of this $2 program. This includes Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) medications for any patient addressing perimenopause or menopause."

Additionally, the WH360 will cover up to $250 for any required diagnostic testing. Telehealth and bilingual services are available.

For more information about WH360, call 209-250-2315.