Women’s Health Working Group

AMWA has always placed Women’s Health Issues as a priority in its Mission Statement and Goals. Many of the prior Women’s Health projects of AMWA have made an impact on education and healthcare delivery in Women’ Health. From the AWHI international clinics to the Reproductive Health and Breast Care Curricula to the Women’s Health Textbook and CME courses of the 90’s, women’s health has been at the forefront in the AMWA mission. And AMWA has also been active in speaking out in the policy arena for Universal Healthcare as a Women’s Health issue.

Background

In 2006, President Claudia Morrissey rejuvenated AMWA’s Women’s Health focus by establishing the Womens’ Health Working Group (WHWG), and naming Dr. Janice Werbinski as chair of that group.

In the ensuing years, the group’s focus has been primarily in creating a web based repository of women’s health educational and curricular materials through the Sex and Gender Women’s Health Collaborative (formerly called the Advancing Women’s Health Initiative).

Committee Membership

This committee has been very popular, and currently has 24 members interested in working on these projects and goals. The current (2012) executive committee consists of:

• Jan Werbinski, MD
• Jodi Godfrey, RD, editor
• Kimberly Templeton, MD
• Marjorie Jenkins, MD
• Mary Kleinman, PhD, Sociology

Women’s Health Educational Goals

1. Implement specific gender science into AMWA educational presentations-done
2. Create a health disparities position paper ready to take to “Healthy People 2020”-done
3. Define elements of required training across disciplines (IM, FP, Peds, EM)-in process
4. Review existing curricula in Women’s Health
5. Create a Women’s Health Curriculum
6. Develop Teaching Tools (Kits) in Gender-Specific curricula -“Train the Trainers”
7. Create a unified source of information for “teachers” to access women’ health information:
   1. Patient Education
   2. Curriculum
   3. Networking
   4. Funding Resources
   5. Research
   6. Policy/Politics
8. Create competency “Certificates” (CAQ?) validating Women’s Health providers

Advocacy Goals

1. Increase the number of women deans at 125 American Medical Colleges
2. Increase the number of NIH Institutes headed by women
3. Exert influence to include Gender-Specific Curricula in: a. AMA CME b. AMWA CME c. RRC d. AACGME e. AAMC f. Require Gender-Specific competencies in all medical schools for accreditation
4. Gain the globalization of healthcare for women and concentrate on promoting women’s health in developing countries and continents regarding AMWA’s legacy
5. Liberate the $34M for UNFPA
6. End to the “Global Gag Rule”
7. Demand that Gender-Specific outcomes are listed in the quality goals of payors
8. Encourage programs like “Girls on the Run,” Girl Scouts of America
9. Advocate against harassment of abortion providers and women for “choice.”
10. Advocate against the Hyde Amendment
11. Advocate for use of more efficacious long-term reversible contraception
12. Advocate the use of misoprostol for post partum hemorrhage

Goals Included in Raising Women’s Voices Groups

1. Delineate a comprehensive definition of Women’s Health
2. Define health as a state of emotional, social, and physical well-being, enabling each of us to fully function in our relationships with each other and our communities.
3. Health care for all
4. Obtain guaranteed access to patient-centered preventive and curative care that is portable, evidence-, and sex-based.
5. Advocate for Women’s Health in the national administration
6. Advocate for equal access to high quality tailored healthcare that recognizes how women are different (unique)
7. Advocate for gender equity in employment benefits
8. Advocate for reproductive parity for insurance coverage
9. Organize Women’s Health leaders ready to meet with the administration
10. Lead coalitions to push for guaranteed access
11. Promote Gender-Specific medicine through Federal Funding
12. Promote collaboration with lay organizations and advocates
13. Promote collaboration with other Women’s Health medical advocates and educators

Join Us!

• All WHWG members must be members of AMWA.
• The Group hosts conference calls monthly and you are asked to participate in these discussions
• Indicate your interest on your AMWA application for membership, or contact AMWA Headquarters.