Endometriosis/Expert Profile

Expertise

Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Surgery Program & Education Director - Center for Endometriosis Care | Senior Voting Member, Executive Board - Endometriosis Research Center | Former Director of Clinical Education - Endometriosis Foundation | Board Member, American Society for Reproductive Medicine's Women's Council | Extensively published female reproductive health writer/consultant.

Experience in the area

Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Surgery Program & Education Director for the Center for Endometriosis Care, a 25 year old specialty practice serving the global endometriosis population. Senior voting Director on the Executive Board of the Endometriosis Research Center, an international non-profit. Former Director of Scientific, Medical & Industry Education for the Endometriosis Foundation, a non-profit organization founded by celebrity Padma Lakshmi and her physician. More than 2 decades spent collaborating with and working for various industry clientele, including the world's leading biotech, medical device and clinical research corporations. Diverse works include successful planning and execution of core scientific programs for endometriosis surgery and biomedical research; health coaching and patient advocacy; extensive authorship of CME programming and content, monographs, case studies and much more; strategic planning and patient relationship optimization; implementation and administration of novel programs designed to improve delivery of patient-centric women’s healthcare; planning and oversight of educational outreach endeavors including those designed specifically for nurses, physicians, students, legislators and the general public; and more. Have authored countless endometriosis and woman’s health materials in the consumer and professional sectors, and been a featured guest and consultant for multiple segments on national radio health programs, within leading health magazines, within the legislative sector, and across many professional symposia. NOTE: This service is provided for information purposes ONLY. It is not, under any circumstances, to be misconstrued as medical advice or serve as a replacement for your personal physician/patient relationship. If you are experiencing a medical emergency or require medical advice, please contact your private healthcare provider immediately.

Organizations

Endometriosis Research Center; American Society for Reproductive Medicine; Society of Laparoendoscopic Surgeons; Association of American Gynecologic Laparoendoscopists; Association of Operating Room Nurses; Association of Reproductive Health Professionals; World Endometriosis Society; World Endometriosis Research Foundation.

Publications

Journal of Gynecologic & Obstetric Investigation; APGO; AAGL; proceedings of the 9th World Congress on Endometriosis; Journal of Informed Medicine; Insider Reports; Life Tools for Women; Bella Gynecology; OBGYN.net; America Online's Health Network; Galaxy of Health; Discovery Health TV; the Health Channel; Association of Professors of Gynecology & Obstetrics; Valeo Medical; Jespersen Associates; Women with Disabilities Task Force; Covidien Corporation; ValleyLab; Cytyc Corporation; PortaScience; MammoSite; MedPond; Dr. Jennifer Ritchie-Goodline; Endometriosis Research Center; Associated Content; Comcast Media; Thrive@Health; Health Frontier; New South Wales Endometriosis Association of Australia; National Women's Health Information Center; Menses United Kingdom; Equus Sanctuary; Season Magazine; RedBook Magazine; Cosmopolitan Magazine; Pregnancy Today; Nurses World; Coping with Endometriosis" by Glenda Motta, RN, MPH and Robert Phillips, Ph.D.; "Living well With Endometriosis" by Kerry-Ann Morris; "Endometriosis: 100 Questions & Answers" by David Redwine, MD; the "Letter from Survivors" (a poignant insight into the life of the Endo patient which has received international acclaim and been extensively reprinted in innumerable resources and presented on the steps of the Lincoln Monument in Washington, DC); "Real People, Real Stories: How the Internet is Touching Lives;" Times Herald Record; much more.

Education/Credentials

Association of PeriOperative Registered Nurses-AORN Certified: Perioperative Standards & Recommended Practices, Certified, Operating Room Protocols. Certified, Exposure to Bloodbourne Pathogens Standards (OSHA). Rutgers University, School of Continuing Adult Ed-Certified: Women's Health Educator, Med-Surg/Operating Techniques, Certified, Anatomy & Physiology, Certified, Patient Exam Techniques. Columbia University, School of Professional Continuing Education-Certified: Journalism for Business, Certification/Professional Writing, Certification/Creative Writing & Marketing. Sacramento State, College of Continuing Education-Certified: Healthcare Management.

Awards and Honors

20th edition of "Who’s Who among American Women" 12-term judge by invitation for National Health Information Resource Centers "World Wide Web Health Awards" Program Invited Presenter & Co-Chair, Second Annual Women in Government Health Summit, Washington, DC

Past/Present Clients

Proprietary and confidential.

What do you like about this subject?

The opportunity to help others become empowered and live well in spite of endometriosis and chronic pelvic pain challenges.

What do you still hope to achieve/learn in this field?

The lack of accurate information concerning endometriosis is staggering. My goal is to educate, inform and support women and girls through their experiences, so they do not have to suffer as so many others have before them. Options DO exist, and endometriosis does not have to mean endless pain or infertility.

Something interesting about this subject that others may not know:

Endometriosis is not cancer, but it does share certain epigenetic processes with specific cancerous conditions. It can also - rarely - undergo malignant shift. In addition, it places certain women at an increased risk of specific malignancies and other disorders. Endometriosis has also been found in the autopsies of infants and a handful of men undergoing hormone treatments.

Something controversial or provocative about this subject

Endometriosis is not cured by hysterectomy, medical suppression like Lupron(R), menopause, or pregnancy, despite old wive's tales that persist to the contrary. There is no absolute cure - but there is help.