Moving Forward with Women’s Health- BWH Bulletin - For and about the People of Brigham and Women's Hospital
Moving Forward with Women’s Health- BWH Bulletin - For and about the People of Brigham and Women's Hospital
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February 23, 2001
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In This Issue:
Simulating Emergency Scenarios
Moving Forward with Women’s Health
Set for launch
Volunteer of the Year Award
Pike Notes
Who’s News
Get Involved
AMMP African-American Entrepreneurial Day
New Lobby Display
Reach Out and Read at Brookside
Benefit Time Cash-Out Forms Due March 16
The Women’s Health Leadership Forum (WHLF), a standing committee of BWH’s Board of Trustees and originally the brainchild of the late former board chairman Robert Bretholtz, has made its mark on BWH and the community it serves. The WHLF is comprised of nearly 60 influential Boston-area opinion leaders in business, education, philanthropy, community service, communications, government, law and medicine. The Forum’s goals are to advance progress in women’s health through education, outreach, advocacy and networking. The forum has been successful in helping to heighten awareness of women’s health and bringing attention to important influencing factors such as public policy, clinical practice and research funding. “By regularly bringing together world renowned BWH clinicians and researchers, community leaders, government officials and a variety of other women who are all in positions to make a difference, WHLF has the capacity to positively influence the health and well-being of the women of Boston and throughout New England,” said BWH trustee Jackie O’Neill (pictured, left), who co-chairs the WHLF along with Andrea Dunaif, MD, chief of BWH’s Division of Women’s Health. According to O’Neill, great strides continue to be made since the Forum’s inception in 1998. Some of WHLF’s efforts include its annual Women’s Health Forum, which last year provided prevention screenings, health information, and outreach to more than 800 women in the community and was a draw to empowering speakers like Ann Richards, former governor of Texas and Susan Taylor, the editor-in-chief of Essence magazine; a luncheon honoring advocates of victims of domestic violence; the establishment of the Mary Horrigan Connors Award, which recognizes a member of the BWH community for his or her exceptional leadership in and contributions to a specific area of women’s health; and quarterly membership meetings involving presentations on the most topical of women’s health issues—examples include health care issues in the 2000 presidential campaign and the human genome project. “Since 70% of all family health care decisions are made by women, the Forum’s efforts are ultimately focused on helping women to become more informed consumers when seeking and making decisions about their medical care and that of their families,” said O’Neill. Currently, O’Neill and fellow BWH trustee and Forum member Fran Rodgers are leading the Forum’s collaboration with BWH leaders to finalize the hospital’s strategic plan for women’s health. Once BWH leaders complete the plan, WHLF will identify opportunities to carry out its goals. Look for future articles on the WHLF in upcoming issues of Bulletin .