Gender Care Initiative Online Courses

On July 19, 2007, the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute released a new health information link to education modules that are meant to assist physicians, nurses, student nurses and interns in the assessment and timely diagnosis of women with heart disease. WHF applauds our government for investing in the clinical areas of women's cardiac health and for joining with the Women’s Heart Foundation and its Gender Care Initiative©®. Much work remains to be done and wellness needs to be established as a bona fide care model for women, addressing access to affordable wellness programs and quality of life issues. Now that the government has established a clinical base of support through its Centers of Excellence for Women's Health, a formal partnership with collaboration needs to take place with institutes for higher learning - nursing and medical schools - to begin the work of synthesizing the message for medical and nursing text books, for only then will the practice of evidence-based gender-specific medicine become the standard practice for all.

Get started today. The courses are free!

WHF modules with continuing education credits are now available online without charge. To enrich your educational experience and make the program be as "live" as possible, the WHF invested in the technology at the Univeristy of St. Francis Illinois. Educational credits are through the Robert Woood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick, New Jersey. To get started on your gender care education, simply click on the course module of interest to you.

1. Women and Heart Disease Gender Care Conference Series I: Understanding Gender-specific Healthcare (funded by the Women's Heart Foundation )
   
   
   Course Description:
   Gender care addresses biophysical differences, socio-cultural norms and experiences, values, psychosocial characteristics, behaviors and social roles - all of which impact a woman's care. The objective of this conference is to understand some the factors that affect quality of health care and services to women with heart disease and a call to practitioners to practice only evidence-based medicine.
   Featured Presenters
   - Keynote: Barbara Riegel, DNSc, RN, Assoc Professor, Univ of Pennsylvania School of Nursing. Dr. Riegel serves as an Editor for the Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing; former New Jersey Commissioner of Health Clifton R. Lacy, M.D, former First Lady of New Jersey, Dina Matos McGreevey, WHF advisor to the Gender Care Initiative Dolores Daly and Marianne Balay, RN, Assistant VP of Women’s Health Services at RWJUH.
   1.5 Contact Hours
   awarded to participants on completion and return of the program post tests and evaluation form to WHF, PO Box 7827, West Trenton, NJ 08628.
   Co-sponsored by the Office on Women’s Health, NJ Department of Health and Senior Services; Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital; and Women’s Wellness and Healthcare Connection
   
   click here to start course module.
   
   

2. Women and Heart Disease Gender Care Conference Series II: Bridging Communication to Promote Diagnosis of Women's Heart Disease (funded by the Women's Heart Foundation )
   
   
   Course Description:
   A lack of understanding about women's symptoms of heart disease and a woman's style of communicating symptoms results in a disconnect between patient and practitioner. The purpose of this program is to provide healthcare professionals with a systems approach to female-centered patient care to enhance the diagnostic model for women with heart disease. From hi-tech to lo-tech, learn about computerized cardiology resources that can assist with more rapid diagnosis and provide clinical support, best use of diagnostic tools for earlier diagnosis, and interview methods that work best for obtaining an accurate health history from a woman.
   Featured Presenters
   - Keynote: Nieca Goldberg, M.D., Author “Women are Not Small Men”, Lou-Anne Beauregard, MD, FACC; Linda Rojak, RN, Director of Cardiology Nursing Informatics, of Mt. Sinai Hospital
   3.6 Contact Hours
   awarded to participants on completion and return of the program post tests and evaluation form to WHF, PO Box 7827, West Trenton, NJ 08628.
   Co-sponsored by the Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital and Women’s Wellness and Healthcare Connection
   
   click here to start course module.

3. Ready to Use Instructional Materials on Women's Heart Disease from NIH
   A team of national experts from the National Centers of Excellence in Women’s Health and the National Community Centers of Excellence in Women’s Health of the HHS Office on Women’s Health, has developed a set of clinical education materials to use in training programs for medical and nursing students, physician assistants, and other practicing clinicians and includes

   • Lecture Materials and PowerPoint Slides (Evidence Based)

     Epidemiology
     Risk Factors
     Risk Assessment Tool
     Diagnosis
     Prognosis and Treatment Outcomes
     Update on Menopausal Hormone Therapy
     Evidence-Based Guidelines
     Behavioral Aspects of CVD Prevention in Women
     Presentation and Internet Resources
     Patient Interaction and Counseling Skills Instructional Materials - For Assessing Risk, Negotiating for Behavior Change, Respecting Culture

   • Problem-based Learning Classes for nursing and medical students

     Medical Student Case
     Nursing Student Case
     Mrs. Montoya: ECG and Dietary Recommendations - for use with problem-based learning cases above
     

   • Standardized Patient Case and DVD

     Student Tools
     Making it Easy: Tips for Teaching with Standardized Patients
     Order a F|R|E|E DVD demonstrating use of the case
     

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