Women's Health Program acclaimed

Excellence is no stranger to the University Health System, a program that prides itself on being among the leaders and the best in health care.

True to the University's winning tradition, the Women's Health Program was recognized as a National Center of Excellence in women's health last November by the U.S. Public Health Service's Office on Women's Health.

"Michigan is now one of 12 (health centers) that has received this recognition," said Public Health Prof. Carol Weisman. "It's really a great honor."

The Women's Health Program was established in 1993 and has grown exponentially ever since.

"We have a program that is the future of where women's health is going," said Juilet Rogers, deputy director of the Center of Excellence.

JOHN KRAFT/Daily University alumna Valerie Press and LSA sophomore Julie Herst are among the staffers at the Women's Resource Center at University Hospitals.

The Women's Health Resource Center is a source of information that has served people as far away as Israel and as close to home as Ann Arbor, Rogers said.

"Our goal is when women around the country think of women's health, they think of the University of Michigan," said Timothy Johnson, chair of the obstetrics and gynecology department.

The recognition includes a $1.2 million grant to "supplement programs that we couldn't fund internally," Johnson said.

"We hope that this award will stimulate cross-collaborational research," Weisman said. "The award is supposed to be building research, clinical activities, and collaborative efforts across medical fields."

The multi-disciplinary approach of women's health to the University is not only appealing to researchers with similar interests, but it also is a goal for other medical centers.

In the past, medical knowledge and research has been "male-focused, with little gender differentiation," Johnson said.

But current issues such as breast cancer, family planning, domestic violence, sexual harassment and menopause are all topics expected to receive greater research attention in the future.

The funding and recognition will affect the Women's Health Program in a number of ways.

"I think we're going to be able to expand many of our outreach efforts," Rogers said.

Funding will "expand opportunities for new research," Rogers said. "Since it's a national designation, it will help U of M research to get recognized more."

Women's health researches said they hope funding may be obtained from additional outside sources as a result of the current notoriety of the program.

Faculty from various University departments are working to tie women's health into curriculum, research, and service planning, Rogers said.

"We're trying to offer more courses and career experience in women's health," said Valerie Press, research coordinator for the Center of Excellence.

The recognition demonstrated that the University has "a step up on the coordination of women's health," Press said.

Future related events include a community wide women's health day, scheduled to take place on May 27.

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