As CEO of NPWH, I welcome you to the first issue of Women’s Healthcare: A Clinical Journal for NPs, the official journal of the National Association of Nurse Practitioners in Women’s Health. NPWH is excited to launch this brand-new online resource for every nurse practitioner who provides care for women. Our goal is to offer professional articles and departments that you will enjoy reading and will find helpful and relevant in your practice.
At NPWH, we strive to provide you with up-to-date information in women’s health, meaningful continuing education programs, dynamic policy initiatives, and constructive practice recommendations. We are proud to offer this journal as a new venue for easy online access to our offerings.
We recognize that you work diligently every day to provide high-quality, compassionate healthcare to your patients, while also teaching and mentoring new NP students. That is why we aim to provide information you can trust. Our commitment to you is as strong as your commitment to providing excellent healthcare for women. Over the past few years, NPWH has increased its national visibility and its collaboration with other organizations that share this same passion. The power of collaboration has helped form policy that provides a sound foundation for general NP practice.
However, NPWH is the only NP organization that focuses on women’s health throughout the lifespan. Therefore, we invite advanced practice nurses who care for women in their practice and who teach NPs to join us. If you are already an NPWH member, please encourage your colleagues to become part of this growing and vibrant organization. Great things are happening at NPWH, with much more to come in 2014!
We just returned from our 16th Annual NPWH Premier Women’s Healthcare Conference in San Diego, California. The conference was a great success and the largest to date! We received so many compliments about the informative content, the engaging speakers, and, of course, the beautiful location.
Every year, TEVA Women’s Health provides a grant for the NPWH/TEVA Inspiration in Women’s Health Award. The grant covers conference registration; transportation to and from the conference; lodging, food, beverages, and expenses associated with traveling and while at the conference; a cash award; and trophies.
It is always a great pleasure to present this award to three deserving nurse practitioners. This year’s award finalists include Gail Miller, CRNP, who has served the healthcare needs of the residents of southern Ohio for almost three decades. Gail started a family planning clinic; was a founding member of a county drug task force; volunteers with Fight Cancer Saves Lives, which provides free monthly cancer screening for the uninsured; and precepts numerous graduate students who will go on to become NPs, PAs, or nurse midwives.
The second finalist is CDR Rosemary Johnson, APRN, who is the only nurse practitioner at the Federal Correctional Institution, a low-security prison for female inmates in Danbury, Connecticut. Rosemary maintains and coordinates the care of 500+ female offenders with a variety of healthcare needs. She has reduced the need for emergency department visits and/or hospitalization by 85% in the past 7 years. Rosemary is also a Commander in the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps and spent 2 weeks in Texas aiding survivors devastated by Hurricane Katrina.
The winner of the 2013 Inspiration in Women’s Health Award is Trisha Farrell, CAPT NC USN (RET), MS, WHNP-BC, CNM, RNC-OB. Trisha led the Female Wellness Division of BHC 1523, acted as the Directorate Head of Fleet Medicine, and served as one of the Command’s Senior Nurse Corps officers. She led three NPs, one PA, and seven support staff in the care of more than 30,000 patients over the course of 3 years. Working at the Navy’s only in-processing clinic for enlisted sailors, Trisha has been an advocate for female recruits with regard to early access to contra­ceptives, especially long-acting reversible contra­ceptives (LARC), while undergoing basic training. Her persistence in providing the best possible care led to an increase of 370% in the use of LARC and to 80% of all LARC prescribed for Navy and Marine Corps women around the world. Her unbridled passion and dedication are an inspiration to her peers and subordinates. Trisha treats every patient as if she were a member of her family. She is an outstanding role model, mentor, and women’s health advocate.
On hand to present the awards along with me were Tim Glennon, ParaGard Product Manager, TEVA Women’s Health; Bev Parson, Senior Manager, Patient Advocacy and Professional Relations, TEVA Women’s Health; and Jill DeSimone, Senior Vice President of Global Women’s Health, TEVA.
The next issue of Women’s Healthcare: A Clinical Journal for NPs will be published in February 2014. So, I wish all of you Happy Holidays! I hope that you enjoy reading your new clinical journal!
Gay Johnson
Chief Executive Officer, NPWH