October, 2003

Focusing on women's health

Women's heart disease shows itself the same as heart disease in men, right? And the same for diabetes? Not so, according to those practicing in women's health care.

"Sometimes diseases in women don't present with the typical symptoms," said Sarah Freeman, Ph.D., ARNP, FAANP and director of the Family and Women's Health Nurse Practitioner programs at the Emory University Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing.

"For years, women were not included in research studies; the gender differences are just starting to be examined." Full Article

Computer system expected to improve quality and safety of health care

Keeping records, notating charts and deciphering handwriting has just gotten easier for health care workers at Piedmont Medical Center and Piedmont's Fayette Community Hospital. The hospitals have begun phasing in online medical records and systemwide accessibility for providers.

Only 5 percent of the hospitals in the United States currently have an integrated program accessible and used for daily care of patients that includes online charting, orders and medical test review.

"This is about patient safety and effective health care delivery," said Colleen O'Connell, director of the QUEST project at Piedmont Medical Center. She cited a study conducted several years ago by The Leapfrog Group, an organization of nearly 150 public and private groups that provide health care benefits. The study reported that tens of thousands of deaths each year in the health care arena are preventable. Full Article

in this issue

• Making women's health a priority
• Putting byte into patient records
• Student-run group fights for uninsured
• Class helps dispel fear of breast cancer surgery
• Program helps African-American women stop smoking
• Focusing on women's health
• State organization advocates for women
• Life of a public health nurse is challenging, rewarding
• Watching for signs of gynecologic cancer
• Exec gives $2.5 million to GSU nursing school
• Judith Plawecki named dean CSU School of Health Sciences
• DeKalb Medical screening targets depression
• Study examines long-term use of schizophrenia drugs
• Conference to focus on women's health issues