Center of Excellence for Women’s Health established here

The UW has been selected as one of six new National Centers of Excellence in Women’s Health by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Women’s Health.

The highly competitive contract was awarded to the UW Academic Medical Center with the goal of linking the outstanding programs of clinical care, education, community outreach and women’s health research that currently exist at various sites.

The Center of Excellence this year will focus specifically on addressing the health care needs of underserved and minority women in the Northwest, including ethnic minorities, rural populations, sexual minorities and poor women.

An additional goal is to develop an Academic Women in Medicine Leadership Plan, to foster careers of students from undergraduate through postdoctoral levels.

The main clinical site will be at the Women’s Health Care Center at UW Medical Center-Roosevelt. Other clinical sites will be the Women’s Clinic at Harborview Medical Center and the Maternal and Infant Care Center at UW Medical Center.

The research effort will be based at the School of Nursing’s Center for Women’s Health Research, which will coordinate research activities in women’s health.

The project will be led by an executive council that includes center director Dr. Emily Wong, assistant professor of medicine and associate director of the Women’s Health Care Center; co-directors Dr. Steven Gabbe, professor and chair of obstetrics and gynecology, and Dr. Wylie Burke, associate professor of medicine and director of the Women’s Health Care Center; research director Dr. Marcia Killien, professor of family and child nursing; curriculum director Dr. Mary Laya, assistant professor of medicine; and clinical services director Dr. Susan Reed, assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology.

An advisory council will be co-chaired by Karen Matsuda, federal Region X Women’s Health Coordinator, and Dr. Christina Surawicz, professor of medicine and chair of the School of Medicine’s Issues of Women Faculty Committee.

“This initiative provides an important opportunity to integrate and coordinate our many innovative programs in women’s health research, education and clinical care,” said Dr. Paul G. Ramsey, vice president for medical affairs and dean of medicine. “This is an exciting opportunity because of our particular interest in outreach to underserved populations.”

“This designation furthers the UW’s national recognition as a leader in women’s health scholarship, education and clinical care,” said Dr. Nancy Woods, dean of the UW School of Nursing and former director of the Center for Women’s Health Research, who was instrumental in urging that the UW apply for the program.

“Our vision is to develop a multidisciplinary team of professionals and community representatives who share a deep commitment to collaborate on issues relevant to underserved women,” said Wong. To that end, one of the initiatives will be to develop a Northwest Women’s Health Network, to provide linkage among the Center of Excellence, regional agencies and consumer groups.

Other new Centers of Excellence will be located at Harvard University in Boston, Tulane/Xavier University in New Orleans, the University of Illinois at Chicago, the University of Puerto Rico, and the University of Wisconsin at Madison.

The six centers will share $1 million in funding annually for two years, with the option to extend for two additional years. The six join 12 other centers selected in the previous two years. ¶

Laurie McHale