Institute for Health Protection Presents New Educational Series

WASHINGTON, April 10 /PRNewswire/ — The Institute for Health Protection, the premier national organization designed to turn evidence-based healthcare knowledge into everyday practice at the community level, is pleased to present the program, Meeting the Challenges of Prenatal Care in Minority Women: A Case Study Approach, on Wednesday, April 25, 2007 at 6:30 pm at the Westin Grand in Washington, DC. This Continuing Education program for healthcare professionals, which is one in a series of programs for physicians, nurses and public health professionals focused on the pre-natal health of minority women, will be a dinner presentation, led by John M. Thorp, Jr., MD, the Hugh McAllister Distinguished Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at The University of North Carolina School of Medicine. It is supported by an unrestricted educational grant from Talecris Biotherapeutics.

Following on its commitment to improving the health of women and minorities, the Institute for Health Protection initiated a program pilot on the management of pregnancy in minority women in 2006. Based on feedback from participants and the success of the program, IHP has updated the program and expanded the accreditation for continuing education for both nurses and physicians. Additional programs in this series are planned for major US cities, including New York City, Houston, Los Angeles and Miami. Each program will be facilitated by a key opinion leader in the area of women’s health (Obstetrics/Gynecology).

"Despite improved access to healthcare, advances in technology and an increase in public awareness, the rate of infant mortality is more than twofold higher in African-American women than in white women; and the rate among Puerto Rican woman is considerably higher than in other races/ethnicities," Dr. Thorp stated. "Through this presentation, we hope to continue to educate healthcare providers on the care of all pregnant women — particularly the unique issues and challenges faced when managing the care of pregnant minority women."

The goal of this educational program is to provide strategies for managing pregnancy in minority women, targeting specific racial and ethnic socio- cultural issues such as sexually transmitted diseases, bacterial vaginosis, rh incompatibility, low birth weight and gestational diabetes. Upon completion of this program, the participant should be better able to discuss the risk factors for suboptimal prenatal care and outcomes in minority women, list screening tests that should be conducted during prenatal care of the pregnant minority woman, describe components of culturally appropriate nutritional guidelines during pregnancy in minority women, describe measures to prevent maternal-neonatal transmission of hepatitis B virus, HIV, and to prevent hemolytic disease of the newborn and describe psychosocial issues that are more common in the pregnant minority woman and appropriate interventions.

"Factors including the rising number of minorities in the United States, high birth rates in minority women, lower proportion of minority women who receive early prenatal care, and higher infant mortality in minorities underscore the need for increased awareness among healthcare providers and improved care in minority women, beginning before conception," said Dr. Clyde Evans, Executive Director of The Institute for Health Protection. "The Institute’s work on this program advances our mission of addressing the needs of underserved patient communities."

IHP is the premier national organization designed to turn evidence-based healthcare knowledge into everyday practice at the community level. For each educational program, IHP utilizes its extensive network of relationships across a wide spectrum to bring together the right combination of individual and organizational stakeholders to achieve the common goal of improving healthcare outcomes in communities that need it most. To learn more about IHP, visit http://www.ihponline.net/.

Continuing education credit will be provided for both nurses and physicians by the University of Nebraska Medical Center. This program is free for all participants. To register or learn more about the program, call 888-541-9160.

The Institute for Health Protection

CONTACT: The Institute for Health Protection, +1-888-541-9160

Web site: http://www.ihponline.net/