Website: www.thewomensmuseum.org 

September 2000  -- The Women's Museum: An Institute for the Future, a unique national museum, established in association with the Smithsonian Institution, opens to the public on September 29 in Dallas, Texas. The museum celebrates the lives and accomplishments of American women. In recognizing the diverse and demanding roles women have played over the last 100 years, the Museum highlights mind, body and spirit of the women who have changed the future.

Decision-Makers, Caregivers and Consumers

One of the most far-reaching changes that women have experienced is in the area of health care. As decision-makers, caregivers and consumers, women have redefined women's health. Pathways to Health, an exhibit co-developed and sponsored by Johnson & Johnson, explores such critical women's issues as cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, aging, cancer, autoimmune disease and mental health through uniquely personal stories from women who have lived and are living through the experience.

"We have moved beyond thinking of women's health as reproductive health to addressing the differences in how a disease manifests itself in women and men, and to addressing the conditions women face as they live beyond menopause," said Phyllis Greenberger, executive director of the Society for Women's Health Research and a featured woman in the exhibit. "This exhibit recognizes and celebrates advancements in health care for women and the impact those advancements have had on all of us."

Pathways to Health

Six DVD-driven presentation stations showcase leading American health care professionals, researchers, advocates and survivors. The women featured provide snapshots of specific health conditions and diseases; explore such issues as growing up and older, the power of support, care giving and the doctor/patient relationship; and speak to overall disease prevention, reproductive health and wellness strategies.

Visitors to Pathways to Health will also have an opportunity to trace key milestones in women's health history on the illuminated historical timeline, brush up on women's health Q&As at the scrolling factoid monitor or learn more about a specific women's health topic in the object-based exhibit case.

Johnson & Johnson's contribution to the development of this exhibit included identifying and interviewing more than 25 women who share their unique backgrounds and experience in order to tell the story of women's health. From narratives detailing accomplishments in disease research and health care policy making, to intensely personal accounts of facing and overcoming life-altering, even life-threatening diseases, the women who share their stories in Pathways to Health personalize the face of women's health and bring meaning to this journey of understanding.

"At Johnson & Johnson, we are proud of the role we have played in creating this exhibit and proud of the women who have shared their personal stories as a moving tribute to the accomplishments of the past and promise of the future of women's health," said Bill Nielsen, corporate vice president, public affairs and corporate communications at Johnson & Johnson. "We hope that Pathways to Health will enlighten women - and men -- about the advances and information that will improve their lives and the lives of generations to come."

"We are delighted Johnson & Johnson has extended their commitment to health and well being to this important initiative," said Cathy Bonner, founder and president of the board of the Museum. "Their generous support demonstrates not only a commitment to improving the lives of women, but also an appreciation for how women have contributed to health care by celebrating the accomplishments of individuals who have positively affected the lives of millions through their efforts."

About Johnson & Johnson

Johnson & Johnson, with nearly 98,000 employees, is the world's most comprehensive and broadly based manufacturer of health care products, as well as a provider of related services, for the consumer, pharmaceutical and professional markets. Johnson & Johnson has 190 operating companies in 51 countries around the world, selling products in more than 175 countries. In 1999, the company recorded sales of $27.5 billion, of which approximately $3 billion directly related to women's health products.

A number of Johnson & Johnson affiliate companies are lending expertise and support to the Pathways to Health exhibit project, including Ethicon, Inc. (Gynecare Division); Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc.; Johnson & Johnson Consumer Products Company; McNeil Consumer Healthcare; Neutrogena Corporation; Ortho Biotech Inc.; Ortho-McNeil Pharmaceutical, Inc.; and Personal Products Company.

The Women's Museum: An Institute for the Future, established in association with the Smithsonian Institution, is a non-profit, educational foundation founded by the Foundation for Women's Resources in Austin, TX. Incorporated in 1973, the Foundation's mission is to improve the personal, economic and professional status of women and girls. For more information on The Women's Museum: An Institute for the Future, please visit the website at www.thewomensmuseum.org or call toll free (877) 915-0860. The Women's Museum: An Institute for the Future has been designated an official millennium project for the United States.

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