Empowering Women and Girls to Lead Healthy Lives

The purpose of this session is to describe the population at greatest risk, discuss the impact of healthcare reform on women and girls, illustrate how physicians and nurses can partner with women and girls to improve their overall health and wellness, and highlight how the community can be better engaged in creating healthier communities.

• Speakers:

• Eleanor Hinton Hoytt
• Kelly Swanson

Women’s Healthcare From a Global Perspective

The objective of this session is to describe the healthcare disparities experienced by women globally, discuss the leading causes of death for women throughout the world, confer on how physicians can impact the global health of women and/or describe current programs which involve physicians and highlight how nurses impact the global health of women, and describe current programs which involve nurses.

• Speakers:

• Beth Dehghan, BS
• Doris Paez, PhD

Access to Healthcare for Women in the United States: Effective, Affordable, Convenient?

This session offers participants insight into the challenges US women face in relationship to healthcare accessibility and its associated costs. It further explores the potential impact of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) and its pros and cons for the female population.

• Speakers:

• Pam Silberman, JD, DrPH

Luncheon: Tapestries of Hope

During this luncheon session, participants view an eight-minute vignette on child brides and the occurrence of HIV in Zimbabwe. Discussions on the health consequences of women and girls in Zimbabwe, as a result for the social mores and the use of education to improve the health of women and girls, will be held. Empowerment Villages and their impact on the health of women and girls and the process of changing high-risk behaviors that are part of tradition and culture will also be covered.

• Speakers:

• Cheryl Ingram
• Betty Makoni, BA
• Michealene Cristini Risley, BA

Cross-Cultural Barriers to Healthcare: The Global Experience for Women

Participants in this session describe how cultural beliefs result in increased/decreased use of medical services, how specific cultures view medicine, learn about poor health outcomes in girls and women that may be directly related to cultural mores and/or beliefs. Presenters also investigate how physicians and nurses can better understand the culturally different needs of patients and better address their healthcare needs.

• Speakers:

• Kathie Cho, MD
• Beth Dehghan, BS
• Evelyn L. Lewis, MD, MA, FAAFP
• Alex C. Vidaeff, MD, MPH

When Women Leave “Home”: Health Care Disparities for Migrant Women

Participation in this session allows you to learn about the migrant populations that exist around the world, hear about the health conditions of migrant women and girls in populations around the world, see how language barriers affect access to healthcare, discover how healthcare insurance plans around the world address and/or fail to address the needs of the migrant population, and expand your knowledge of the role of physicians and nurses in the care of migrant women and girls.

• Speakers:

• Candace Kugel, CRNP, CNM
• Elizabeth Freeman-Lambar, MSW, MPH
• Eva M. Moya, PhD, MSSW, BA

Cross-Cultural Differences: When Spirituality and Religion Influence Women’s Mental and Physical Health

This session investigates how religion result in the increased/decreased use of medical services, discusses how specific cultures view medicine, describes poor health outcomes in girls and women that may directly relate to religious or spiritual factors, and allows physicians and nurses to better understand the culturally different religions.

• Speakers:

• Safiya George Dalmida, PhD, APRN-BC
• M. Susan Dobyns, LCP, MDiv
• Sharon Engebretson, BA
• Patricia Baily Jones, DD

International Maternal and Child Mortality

The objective of this session is to discuss the incidence and prevalence of maternal and child mortality in the United States and Canada compared to Europe, Asia, and Africa. Presenters investigate the etiologies for maternal and infant deaths globally, discuss the role of physicians and nurses in improving the health outcomes of women and infants.

• Speakers:

• Holly A. Muir, MD
• Ann L. Smith, MSN, RN, NNP-BC

Public Policy and Advocacy for Women’s Health

This session's purpose is to discuss the current public polices that address the health and wellness of women worldwide and the role of advocacy in improving the health of women and girls globally. It helps participants to identify how international programs are partnering to address the need for education and public awareness of healthcare disparities for women and girls, while describing the physician and nursing advocacy programs that work to improve the health and wellness of women and girls around the world.

• Speakers:

• Grace Akallo, MA
• Melanie Herrera Bortz, MPA
• Daphne K. Sharpe RN, DNP, FNP-C

Women’s Cancer from a Global Perspective: Prevention, Diagnosis and Cure

Participants review the cancers that affect women most around the world and learn about the different incidence and prevalence of cancers seen in developed and developing countries. Accessibility and quality of diagnostic testing and current prevention programs seen in the United States and abroad will be discussed. Barriers to surgical care experienced by women around the world will investigated.

• Speakers:

• Sharon S. Gentry, RN, MSN, AOCN, CBCN 
• Elizabeth Skinner, MD
• Cyrene Wright, MD

Obstetrical Complications: Cross Cultural Perspectives on Fistulas and Genital Cutting

This session discusses the types of genital cutting most frequently experienced by women; the incidence of genital cutting globally; the medical, social and political rationale often used to determine when women and girls should undergo genital cutting. Also the the short and long-term consequences of genital cutting, as well the United Nations efforts to address genital cutting will be explored.

Additionally, attendees will discuss the incidence of obstetrical fistulas, and the occurrence in girls and women will be covered. The need for physician and nurse education regarding obstetrical fistulas as women migrate from one place to another will be discussed.

• Speakers:

• Jessica L. McKinney, PT, MS
• L. Lewis Wall, MD, D.Phil., M.Bioeth

Luncheon: The Perils of Refugee Camps for Women and Children: A Lunch Time Speaker & Discussion

During this luncheon panel, we will review a brief video vignette (short film) on the healthcare needs of female refugees and discuss the different conditions faced by women and girls depending on the location of the refugee camp. The work of nurses and physicians to address the healthcare needs of girls and women in, and who escapes refugee camps will be highlighted.

• Speakers:

• Patricia Bailey-Jones, DD 
• Zoeann Murphy, BFA
• Maura Busch Nsonwu, PhD, MSW, LCSW
• Shirley Thoms

The Biology of Gender

Participants will discuss the biology of gender and how differences between men and women impact nursing and physician care, disease states which disproportionately affect women and disease states that present differently in women.

• Speakers:

• Jane Reckelhoff, PhD
• Dhananjay Vaidya, PhD, MPH, MBBS

Global Feast or Famine: How Obesity and Malnutrition Impact Women’s Health

This session describes the incidence and prevalence of malnutrition globally, discusses how malnutrition affects the health of women and girls in developed and developing countries, describes the obesity in the United Sates and the impact on the health of women and girls. The session also addresses increasing concerns regarding the rate of increase in obesity seen in underdeveloped and developing countries. Participants will learn about the increase in the incidence of chronic disease in countries which previously had less obesity and the short and long-term consequences of malnutrition and obesity as they affect health, social status, productivity and body image esteem for women and girls.

• Speakers:

• Oyinlola T. Babatunde, PhD, MPH, RD
• Carley Lovell, MSN, MA, WHNP-BC, RN
• Cynthia Y. Paige, MD

Human Trafficking and Violence Against Women: A Dilemma for Healthcare Providers

This session describes the prevalence of human trafficking globally and the legal rights of women and girls who are trafficked. Speakers plan to discuss the medical problems that result from human trafficking, the violence experienced by women and girls  and the impact on their mental and physical health. They also plan to explore similarities and differences of domestic violence versus trafficking violence against women and girls. Ways to improve nursing and physician practice to identify victims of both domestic and human trafficking violence and ways to address will also be covered.

• Speakers:

• Kathryn Bolkovac
• Nancy Glass, PhD, MPH, RN
• Barbara Glickstein, RN, MPH, MS
• Denise Scotto, BFA, MA, JD
• Imani Walker

Media and Women’s Health: Can Women Trust Television, Print and Radio

Presenters will discuss the various types of information available to women regarding health and explore the validity, accuracy and reliability of the information. They will also discuss how this information can change physician and nursing practices.

• Moderator:

• Denise Franklin, MBA

• Speakers:

• Paul Cuadros, BA, MA
• Cindy Farmer, BS
• Laura Gilkey, RN
• Carol Hanner, BA
• Margaret Johnson, BS
• Tracy McCain, MA, BA

Public Policy and Advocacy for Women’s Health: The World of Internet and Social Media

Participants will learn more about the various types of information available to women as well as regarding health, the validity, accuracy and reliability of the information and how this information should change physician and nursing practices.

• Moderator:

• Denise Franklin, MBA

• Speakers:

• Linda Higdon, BFA
• Fay Cobb Payton, PhD
• B. Robert Zawrotney, JD

A Network of Resources: Using Innovation to Improve the Lives of Women

Participants will learn more about the various types of information available to women as well as regarding health, the validity, accuracy and reliability of the information and how this information should change physician and nursing practices.

• Speakers:

• Louise Allen
• Matthew J. Gymer, DM