UF plans first national conference on women's health research
A leading official with the National Institutes of Health will present a national agenda of women's health research needs as keynote speaker at the first-ever conference on women's health research, education and care hosted by the University of Florida Health Science Center Feb. 16-17.
Dr. Vivian W. Pinn, associate director of the Office for Research on Women's Health at NIH, developed the agenda at the request of the U.S. Congress. She plans to present the proceedings of the conference to legislators upon return to Washington.
UF's Health Science Center is taking a leadership role in creating a unified coalition of women's health experts whom policymakers and legislators can look to for information and direction, said UF scientist Dr. Leilani Doty.
"We believe that a national coalition is the infrastructure needed to make major progress in women's health," said Doty, associate scientist in the department of neurology at UF's College of Medicine. "We want this conference to set the pace for a comprehensive focus on the health of women and their families."
"Women's Health and Research: Applying The National Agenda," to be held at the University Centre Hotel, will provide an opportunity for experts to network, exchange information on program development and form a group that can provide information and leadership on women's health issues.
Grant support has been provided by the Health Science Center, UF's Office of Research, Technology and Graduate Education, Shands Hospital at UF, the Florida Foundation for the Advancement of Medical Research, the College of Medicine Women Faculty Association, pharmaceutical companies and individual donors.
The conference is a collaborative effort of the College of Medicine Women Faculty Association, the Association for Academic Women, and the Center for Women's Studies and Gender Research. The UF Institute of Gerontology and the UF Health Science Center/Jacksonville also have helped in planning.
"I think this is a wonderful opportunity for the many researchers at UF interested in women's health issues to take their work to a national audience without leaving town," said Dr. Nancy S. Hardt, associate professor of pathology and ob-gyn at UF's College of Medicine.
A poster session will highlight women's health studies and offer an opportunity for researchers in similar or overlapping areas to become acquainted and initiate collaborative projects. UF researchers interested in a poster presentation should contact Dr. Marian Limacher's office immediately, at 376-1611, ext. 6130.
Other conference highlights include:
*applying research findings to patient care
*presenting current, unique models of women's health care delivery
*identifying gaps in women's health research, education and care, and forming national collaborative relationships
*co-editing the September 1996 Journal of the Florida Medical Association as a special issue on women's health
Scholars participating in the conference will include Dr. Jean A. Hamilton, the Betty Cohen Professor of Women's Health at the Medical College of Pennsylvania/Hahnemann University (MCP/HU), the first endowed chair in women's health research in the United States. She will address issues in women's health medical education.
Janet Bickel, M.A., associate vice president of institutional planning and development at the Association of American Medical Colleges, will discuss national medical education issues and the impact of health-care reform on women's health medical education. Dr. Glenda D. Donoghue, vice provost of the MCP/HU, will overview the model of the National Academy on Women's Health Medical Education and emphasize the importance of collaboration in medical education.
Dr. Janet Henrich, from Yale University, will present the results of her NIH survey regarding the model curriculum in women's health medical education. Dr. Sue Rosser, UF's new director of women's studies, will discuss gaps in women's health research.
A panel of academic and legal experts will present different perspectives on funding opportunities. The final conference session will involve planning for future directions of women's health care. From this session a national network of women's health care leaders will be formed.
The registration fee is $135, with a special rate of $75 for UF participants. The registration fee includes handout materials, reception, meals, snacks and CME or CEU certificate.
For more information or to register by the Jan. 31 deadline, call the Health Science Center's Office of Continuing Medical Education at (904) 395-8081.