The backbone of wellness: Spine health for women at every age

Community members are invited to attend the 10th annual Sisisky-Kleppinger Lecture for Women’s Health on Tuesday, April 15, 2025, from 5:30 – 8 pm. Lyerly Neurosurgery and Baptist Primary Care physicians will come together in an expert panel to discuss the importance of maintaining spine health throughout your lifetime and how to prevent or manage back pain.

According to the World Health Organization, lower back pain is one of the leading causes of disability worldwide and is more prevalent among women. Maintaining spine health through proper posture, regular exercise and preventive care can help reduce pain and improve overall well-being at every stage of life.

To provide education about spine health and preventative care, panelists will lead a discussion and answer audience questions. The discussion will be moderated by Nicole B. Thomas, FACHE, hospital president of Baptist Medical Center Jacksonville, and panelists include:

• Tra’Chella Johnson Foy, MD, family physician
• Andrew Shaw, MD, neurosurgeon
• Ashutosh Pradhan, MD, neurosurgeon
• Adam Polifka, MD, neurosurgeon

The event will take place at WJCT Studios (100 Festival Park Avenue, Jacksonville, Florida 32202).

• 5:30 – 6:15 pm: Reception
• 6:15 – 6:30 pm: Welcome & Panelist Introductions
• 6:30 – 8 pm: Panel Discussion & Audience Questions

There is no cost to attend the event. Attendees are asked to pre-register at WomensSpineHealth.eventbrite.com.

Panelists are available for media interviews. Please reach out to Wesley.Roberts@bmcjax.com if you would like to schedule an interview.

A decade of the Sisisky-Kleppinger Lecture for Women’s Health

The annual Sisisky-Kleppinger Lecture for Women's Health is made possible by the generous endowment from Richard and Kimberly Sisisky and their family. Since its inception in 2015, the lecture has highlighted unique, relevant topics in women's health, including perinatal mood disorders, brain aneurysms, breast cancer, fertility, heart disease and more.

This year marks a decade of delivering health and wellness information to both the community and patients, while also offering continuing medical education to healthcare providers. The lecture has reached over 2,000 individuals and has featured nearly 50 physicians and experts from Baptist Health.

The endowment honors the memory of Drs. Richard and Dorothea Kleppinger, a husband-and-wife physician team who dedicated their lives to serving others, with a passion in women’s health. In the 1950s, Richard, an OB-GYN, and Dorothea, a general practitioner, cared for their patients and educated various student and community groups. Their legacy lives on each year through the Sisisky-Kleppinger Lecture for Women's Health.