GNC Honours First Year of Partnership with Women’s Health Collective Canada with Donation on International Women’s Day 2022

Company and consumers crowdsourced support for research and wellness across the provinces.

PITTSBURGH (March 8, 2022) – When Women’s Health Collective Canada (WHCC) was created in 2020 it centred on a core premise: to ensure Canadian healthcare is more inclusive and intentional about addressing the needs of women. This mindset resonated with GNC, whose mission is to motivate and support the desire to Live Well. GNC joined WHCC as a partner organization in May 2021 and immediately kicked off a campaign to address two pressing challenges: fundraising and research for women. And today, on International Women’s Day 2022, GNC is proudly donating more than $7,000 to WHCC to help the organization continue to advance its mission.

“We’re deeply grateful to GNC for their generosity and commitment to moving the dial forward in women’s health research,” said Sharlene Rutherford, President and CEO of Alberta Women’s Health Foundation and Foundation Partner, WHCC. “Partners like GNC are also setting a strong example by amplifying the knowledge that, sadly, women’s health research has long been far behind. It’s through these partnerships that we will close the historic gaps that have existed in women’s health research. Together, we’re changing outcomes. We’re changing the trajectory of care for Canadian women.”

Since partnering with WHCC, GNC has enabled consumers to make donations to the Collective at its 50 retail locations in Canada as well as online at GNC.ca. During each purchase shoppers can elect to round-up their final total to benefit WHCC or select a different donation amount altogether.

“We’re delighted to help build awareness of WHCC and how it is positively impacting women’s health initiatives in Canada,” said Nate Frazier, Chief Operating Officer, GNC. “Aligning ourselves with such a dedicated and purposeful organization is part of our mission to Live Well and we are committed to sustaining our partnership in 2022.”

Harnessing the shared influence of BC Women’s Health Foundation, Alberta Women’s Health Foundation and Women’s College Hospital Foundation – all of whom are founding partners of WHCC – the organization reaches and creates a positive impact throughout Canada.

To learn more about GNC, visit www.GNC.ca.

About GNC
GNC is a leading global health and wellness brand that provides high-quality, science-based products and solutions consumers need to live mighty, live fit and live well.

The brand touches consumers worldwide by providing its products and services through company-owned retail locations, domestic and international franchise locations, digital commerce and strong wholesale and retail partnerships across the globe. GNC’s diversified, multi-channel business model has worldwide reach and a well-recognized, trusted brand. By combining exceptional innovation, product development capabilities and an extensive global distribution network, GNC manages a best-in-class product portfolio. www.gnc.com.

About Women’s Health Collective Canada

Women’s Health Collective Canada (WHCC) is a strategic alliance founded by three of the country’s leading women’s health and hospital foundations to raise awareness and funds for equity in women’s health research through unified advocacy across Canada.

Through intentional collaboration, our foundations are bringing resources and fundraising together to address the wider gaps we can’t tackle on our own.

Follow @WHCCanada on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

For further information, please email nicoleh@acteam.ca.

WHCC Launches #WhyCare Fundraising Campaign to Raise Awareness of Health Inequities in Canada

(Toronto, ON. November 30, 2021) Today Women’s Health Collective Canada (WHCC) launches #WhyCare, a campaign to raise funds and awareness for health issues affecting women.

Due to a legacy of inequity in the healthcare process, women’s unique health needs continue to be misdiagnosed, misrepresented and misunderstood. Through initiatives such as #WhyCare WHCC is working to change this by funding groundbreaking research and leading a call for public support for more research and awareness of the health issues affecting women.

The #WhyCare campaign will use omni-channel marketing (social media, traditional media, and owned content) to draw attention to the gender health gap in Canada, while calling on individuals and organizations to donate to WHCC.

The campaign kicks off today with the #WhyCare Challenge, a social media initiative which asks Canadians to share images of the women that inspire them to care about women’s health, donate, and tag others to do the same.

THE #WHYCARE CHALLENGE

TIMING: November 30 (9 am) – Onward

HOW IT WORKS:

Post a photo of a woman who inspires you to care about women’s health using the hashtag #WhyCare.

This could be a mother, sister, friend, colleague or community member who motivates you to care about women’s health.
Tell us why she inspires you to care.

Visit WHCC.ca to donate

Make a life changing donation – and encourage your followers to do the same – which will go to improving health outcomes for Canadian women.

Nominate three others

Nominate three other people in your life to join the movement by posting a photo of someone who inspires them to care.

DOWNLOAD social media assets HERE.

WHCC also launched a new website and refreshed visual identity this month to coincide with the campaign. Visit the new whcc.ca.

Jennifer Bernard, President & CEO of Women’s College Hospital Foundation is available as a spokesperson for this campaign upon request.

ABOUT WHCC

Women’s Health Collective Canada (WHCC) was created by three of Canada’s leading women’s health and hospital foundations – BC Women’s Health Foundation, Alberta Women’s Health Foundation, and Women’s College Hospital Foundation – to break the barriers holding us back from providing women with the knowledge and care they deserve. Through intentional collaboration, WHCC brings resources, fundraising, and some of the brightest minds in science and healthcare together to address the wider gaps we can’t tackle on our own.

Women’s Health Collective Canada Announces Collaboration With TD Bank Group Through TD Banks’ Funding Of The Obix Perinatal Interface System And Cervixcheck Programs

TORONTO, EDMONTON, and VANCOUVER: Oct. 8, 2021 – Today, Women’s Health Collective Canada (WHCC) has announced that TD Bank Group is collaborating with Alberta Women’s Health Foundation and BC Women’s Health Foundation over the next two years.

Funding will be directed to both the OBIX Perinatal Interface System and CervixCheck programs run by two of WHCC’s founding hospital foundations – Alberta Women’s Health Foundation (AWHF) and BC Women’s Health Foundation (BCWHF). Support is being provided through the TD Ready Commitment, the Bank’s global corporate citizenship platform, and will help to accelerate progress towards elimination of cervical cancer and reduce the gap in perinatal care in Canada.

“We are very excited to announce this collaboration with TD,” said Sharlene Rutherford, President and Chief Executive Officer at Alberta Women’s Health Foundation Health Foundation and founding partner of WHCC. “Their support helps us fulfill our mission to build a more equitable and inclusive future for women’s healthcare in Canada.”

“TD’s collaboration with WHCC is a testament towards their dedication to women’s health in Canada,” said Genesa Greening, President + CEO at BC Women’s Health Foundation and founding partner of WHCC. “We look forward to having TD as a supporter for the next two years.”

The OBIX Perinatal Interface System is state-of-the-art technology designed to integrate a mother’s medical documentation with fetal surveillance. OBIX helps clinicians deliver integrated and informed care to all patients, whether they are in or out of the hospital. OBIX integrates seamlessly with Connect Care, the electronic medical record platform currently being implemented province-wide by AHS. This integration will allow medical teams to see the patient’s complete medical history as well as monitor fetal activity simultaneously on one screen.

With the support from TD, this program will impact the lives of thousands of women and children by creating a virtual and accessible bridge to the specialized medical care team and services at Lois Hole Hospital for Women (LHHW).

CervixCheck is a digital health initiative being piloted within the ACE (Accelerating Elimination of Cervical Cancer in Canada) program. CervixCheck offers self-collected HPV-based screening to women who are under screened with the goal to improve access to screening. Through CervixCheck, people due for cervix screening are informed of this service by their health care provider and invited to register through the online platform. They then receive a cervix screening kit in the mail and easily and safely complete self-collected cervix screening at home and return the kit in the mail to the testing laboratory. Women who test positive for high-risk (cancer causing) strains of HPV are contacted and referred for further management and follow-up.

This support from TD will expand the reach of CervixCheck to underserved women, helping to bridge the gap to the lifesaving screening they need.

Three of Canada’s Leading Women’s Health Foundations Launch the Women’s Health Collective Canada with National Survey

TORONTO, EDMONTON, AB and VANCOUVER, BC, Jan. 19, 2021 /CNW/ – Three of Canada’s leading women’s health foundations – BC Women’s Health Foundation, Alberta Women’s Health Foundation, and Women’s College Hospital Foundation – have launched the Women’s Health Collective Canada (WHCC) with a national survey that underscores the need for increased awareness around women’s health. Survey results show what those in the medical community have known for years: that lack of knowledge and public understanding of women’s health parallels a history of gender inequality in the research process.

“For so long, women’s specific health needs have been largely ignored, under-researched, and underfunded. In fact, it takes 17 years for clinical research to filter down to medical practice, but women have only been included in trials for the past 20 years,” says Jennifer Bernard, President and CEO of Women’s College Hospital Foundation and Foundation Partner, WHCC. “Dedicated research and increased funding are both needed for women’s health to catch up, as the majority of our most common prescriptions and therapies today did not include the female experience in their development.”

Canadian adults across the country were surveyed using a proportionate sampling method to ensure a representative sample was achieved. Results highlighting Canadians’ misinformation around women’s health include:

89% of Canadians don’t know that women are more likely than men to experience an adverse reaction to prescription medications
83% of Canadians don’t know that over 30% of women suffer from periods severe enough to interfere with daily activities
Only 20% of Canadians know that heart disease kills more women than men each year

“Our survey clearly demonstrates the need for increased awareness of women’s health issues,” explains Sharlene Rutherford, President and CEO of Alberta Women’s Health Foundation and Foundation Partner, WHCC. “It also illustrates the legacy of inequality in research that has led to women being misunderstood and misdiagnosed. There is still so much we don’t know about half of our population’s health.”

In a plan to close this health gap, WHCC is united in funding medical research that addresses the unique needs of women, building awareness of how healthy women create a healthier Canada, broadening the scope and reach of world-class women’s health programs, and ultimately creating higher standards of care for every woman across the country.

“Now more than ever, we see the need for this type of national organization. Research studies on previous epidemics and pandemics have shown that women are disproportionately affected, and we know that when women are unhealthy, our economy and communities both suffer,” says Genesa Greening, President and CEO of BC Women’s Health Foundation and Foundation Partner, WHCC. “The creation of the WHCC ensures that women’s health is kept at the forefront of the conversation around COVID-19 recovery and beyond.”

Individuals and corporate sponsors can help make a difference in the lives of all Canadians by donating to the WHCC. Please visit whcc.ca for more information.

ABOUT WOMEN’S HEALTH COLLECTIVE CANADA

Through intentional collaboration, our foundations are bringing resources and fundraising together to address the wider gaps we can’t tackle on our own.

Follow @WHCCanada on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

ABOUT BC WOMEN’S HEALTH FOUNDATION

The BC Women’s Health Foundation is BC’s largest non-profit organization dedicated to advancing the full spectrum of women’s health. They ensure women have equitable access to the highest quality healthcare when, where, and how they need it.

As the funding partner for the BC Women’s Hospital + Health Centre, the only women’s hospital in BC, the organization works closely with hospital leadership and staff to support advances in healthcare for women in British Columbia. Through the Foundation’s partnership with the Women’s Health Research Institute, they are able to accelerate changes across the landscape of women’s health in BC and beyond.

ABOUT ALBERTA WOMEN’S HEALTH FOUNDATION

The Alberta Women’s Health Foundation is a pan-provincial, healthcare charity supporting the advancement of care and research in women’s health.

As a provincial extension to the Royal Alexandra Hospital Foundation, the Alberta Women’s Health Foundation is proud to foster equity in women’s health; close gaps in research, connecting pathways from lab to life; and advance clinical care at the Lois Hole Hospital for Women, Alberta’s only dedicated women’s hospital.

ABOUT WOMEN’S COLLEGE HOSPITAL FOUNDATION

Women’s College Hospital Foundation works to bring healthcare equity to the diverse communities in which we live and serve by connecting donors, partners, advocates and volunteers to the mission of Women’s College Hospital – Canada’s leader in advancing health for women and a global leader in conducting ground-breaking women’s health research.

As the first and only fully independent hospital focused on women, Women’s is building on its 100+ year history as a trailblazer in identifying and addressing women’s health gaps and delivering pioneering firsts for women, the vulnerable and the underserved and delivering against its provincial mandate to improve the health system for all people.

SOURCE Women’s Health Collective Canada

For further information: Full survey findings, media interviews, and assets are available by request; please email nicoleh@acteam.ca for more information.