MERRILLVILLE | Valerie Willis urged women on Thursday to rely on one another, whether sister, friend, mother or business colleague.

"Because we have each other, we don't have to be out there by ourselves trying to do it all," said Willis, a keynote speaker at the 2008 Speaking of Women's Health conference at the Radisson Hotel at Star Plaza.

The conference attracted more than 850 women to a daylong series of health screenings and information sessions in a fund-raiser event for Lakeshore Public Television.

In its seventh year, the conference is expected to raise $270,000 this year for the television station, spokeswoman Megan Ciszewski said.

"It serves as a fund-raiser and it impacts the lives of all our attendees,' Ciszewski said. "We want them to be strong, to be healthy and to be in charge. "All of our venues are teaching women to do that."

Screenings for blood pressure, bone density and other health measures attracted hundreds of women. Others opted for beauty consultations or a stress-relieving oxygen bar.

Schererville plastic surgeon Gustavo Galante told about a dozen women in a session on cosmetic medicine that "knowledge is power" when it comes to choosing a procedure.

Those considering surgery should "do their homework," Galante said, including making sure a surgeon is board certified.