surgically. Cesarean delivery is required for the

second group as well, to prevent the stresses of

the birth process from damaging the infant’s

spinal column. All infants born to women in

the study will be evaluated at 12 and 30

months of age, and the study scientists will

carefully observe the development of the two

groups of children, looking specifically at

whether a shunt is needed, and at bladder and

motor function. The impact of the prenatal

surgery on the women will also be evaluated.

To determine whether they are eligible for

the study, women who wish to volunteer will

undergo a preliminary evaluation by the George

Washington University Biostatistics Center,

which will coordinate the study. Women who

are eligible for the study will be referred to one

of the three participating MOMS Centers for

further screening and evaluation:

• Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia

• Vanderbilt University Medical Center

• University of California at San Francisco

The three institutions participating in the

study have undertaken preliminary studies of

the new technique on more than 230 patients.

It remains unknown, however, whether this

surgical technique is more effective than the

traditional therapy to close the spinal column

after birth. The study is currently recruiting.

Further information about the study is avail-

able at 1-866-ASK-MOMS and online at

www.spinabifidamoms.com.

Nurse Practitioners Sought forEvery Woman Health Lectures

AWHONN is seeking advanced practice

nurses from Boston to LA, Seattle to

Florida who have a strong desire to help women

learn about how to stay healthy and live well.

Sponsored by GE, the GE Women’s Health

and Wellness Exhibition will feature

“Conversations for Every Woman!” drawn

from the pages of AWHONN’s leading

women’s health guide, Every Woman: The

Essential Guide for Healthy Living.

Brief lectures followed by a question-and-

answer period will be presented by AWHONN

nurse practitioners to women participating in

various events scheduled throughout the coun-

try. AWHONN advanced-practice nurses are

being asked to apply to join this project and

present these predefined lectures on various

topics addressed in Every Woman.

The tour runs from summer through the

end of December. Stops include golf tourna-

ments, marathons and health fairs. At each

stop, a team of two NPs will present 20-minute

lectures followed by 10 minutes of questions

and answers to event attendees on subjects

ranging from heart health to osteoporosis pre-

vention. Using outlines prepared by

AWHONN, nurses will speak from a stage set

up as an integral part of the touring GE

Women’s Health and Wellness Exhibition. Most

tour stops are on weekends, and each APRN

lecturer must commit to at least one full lec-

ture day to participate. Criteria for presenters

include

• Experience presenting to audiences of at least

100 consumers and professionals alike

• Certification and/or licensure as an

advanced-practice nurse (nurse practitioners

and nurse-midwives)

• Active practice in women’s health or primary

care settings, seeing at least 500 women

annually

• Strong desire to help women make quality

health care decisions

Those selected will:

• Receive a daily honoraria for the lectures

(speaking for about 15 to 20 minutes up to

eight times a day)

• Have the opportunity to give a professional-

practice card to women who ask for such

Qualified individuals should submit a

required application and CV to Claudia Reid

Ravin, associate director, Women’s Health Pro-

grams, (800) 673-8499 (U.S.) or (800) 245-

0231 (Canada), ext. 2416 or claudiar@

awhonn.org. Copies of the required applica-

tion are also available from Ravin or at

www.awhonn.org.

2004 AWHONN ConventionRelocated to Tampa

AWHONN’s Board of Directors has

announced a change in location for the

2004 AWHONN Convention from Kansas City

to Tampa, FL.

Spina bifida is a

complex, often

severe birth defect of

the spinal cord that

affects one of every

1,000 pregnancies

in the U.S.

356 AWHONN Lifelines Volume 7 Issue 4

The

2004 Convention

will be held in

Tampa June 26-30,

2004, at the Tampa

Convention Center. The

headquarters hotel will be

the Marriott Tampa

Waterside Hotel and Marina. In

making this announcement, Kathleen

Campbell, AWHONN President, con-

veyed the Board’s excitement about all

Tampa has to offer, noting the water-

front location will provide a restful

and energizing venue for AWHONN

members and their families. The

change in location is in no way a

reflection on the wonderful conven-

tion center and hotel facilities available

in Kansas City and, in fact,

AWHONN’s Board plans to consider

Kansas City as a host city in the future.

The 2004 AWHONN Program

Committee, under the leadership of

Leith Mullaly, 1999 President, and

Claudia Reid Ravin, associate director,

Women’s Health Programs, has devel-

oped a world-class array of stimulating

topics and speakers. For more infor-

mation about this exciting upcoming

convention, go to www.awhonn.org.

Seeking Research Grant Proposals

AWHONN is now accepting

research grant proposals for

funding later this year. Designed for

novice researchers, priority is given to

studies that are clinically relevant and

outcome-based. AWHONN member-

ship must be current at the time of

application and selection/funding; a

membership application may accom-

pany the proposal. If there are multiple

investigators, the individual named as

principal investigator must be a mem-

ber. Researchers who are currently

principal investigators on a federally

funded grant or who have already

received an AWHONN-funded

research grant are not eligible.

The following grants are available

for the 2004 funding cycle:

• Hill Rom Maternal-Child Nursing

Award: $10,000; award granted with

preference to studies about maternal

child nursing

• Johnson & Johnson Marshall Klaus

Mother Baby Nursing Award:

$5,000; award to honor Marshall

Klaus and to extend his work in

maternal child care

• Ohmeda Neonatal Microenviron-

ment Nursing Research Grant

Award: $3,000; award to study the

effect of the microenvironment

on neonates and nursing care

• Philips Medical Advancing

Health for Women and New-

borns With Technology; two

awards: the first of up to

$10,000 and the second of

up to $5,000 supporting

nurses who conduct

research using technol-

ogy as a tool to facili-

tate or measure

patient outcomes for

newborns

• Wyeth Women’s

Health Research Award: $10,000.

Granted to nurse investigators with

preference to studies on contracep-

tion or the perimenopausal and

menopausal health care needs of

women

To apply for these grants, go to

www.awhonn.org or contact Daniella

McCarthy at (800) 673-8499, ext. 2434

or daniellam@awhonn.org.

Web-Based Exhibiton Genetics ResearchNow Available

An online exhibit on genetics

research, sponsored by the

Office of NIH History, is now available

on the World Wide Web at http://

history.nih.gov/exhibits/genetics/. The

exhibit answers important questions

about genetics research and features

cartoons to increase children’s interest

in genetics. A physical version of the

exhibit is also on display at the NIH

Clinical Center.

Titled “Revolution in Progress:

Human Genetics and Medical

Research,” the exhibit looks specifically

at how this research will help in the

prevention and treatment of disease. It

also provides information on what

DNA, genes and chromosomes do in

our bodies; explains how basic

research has led to a better under-

standing of genetic research and dis-

cusses the scope, purpose, and tech-

niques of the Human Genome

Project to map and

decode

our genes.

The exhibit poses such

questions as, How do genes cause dis-

ease? Can gene therapy work? How do

we manipulate genes and should we?

Nominees Sought for 2003 ChildbirthNursing Award

AWHONN and JOHNSON’S®

share a commitment to pro-

mote and recognize excellence in

practice by childbirth nurses. The

Johnson’s® Childbirth Nursing Award

provides nurses with a unique oppor-

tunity to recognize each other for

their outstanding professional contri-

butions.

August | September 2003 AWHONN Lifelines 357