ST. FRANICS HELPS WOMEN 'SPRING INTO HEALTH'

Tours of the new obstetrics unit and screening for cholesterol were popular Saturday at Saint Francis Medical Center's "Spring into Health," a half-day event for women.

About 200 people received a variety of information on issues related to women's health, said Maria Swan, public relations coordinator for the hospital.

The crowd toured the hospital's obstetrics unit, scheduled for completion this fall.

"They were amazed at the difference compared to when they were having children," said Jane Stuart, director of maternal child health services.

Lorine Palisch spent the whole morning listening to presentations. A discussion about how certain herbs interact with prescription drugs caught her attention. "A lot of people are afraid to tell their doctors they're taking herbs," Palisch said. "But I heard that could be dangerous."