The Office of Research on Women’s Health (ORWH) is pleased to commemorate National Women’s Health Week (NWHW), recognized from May 14-20, 2023. This year’s theme is titled, “Women’s Health, Whole Health: Prevention, Care and Wellbeing.” For more information, visit: www.womenshealth.gov/

In recognition of NWHW, ORWH will host the 7^th Annual Vivian W. Pinn Symposium on Tuesday, May 16 from 10 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. EDT. The title of this year’s symposium is “Menopause and Optimizing Midlife Health of Women.” The symposium will discuss menopausal transition, accumulation of morbidity after menopause, menopause in special populations, social determinants of health, menopausal hormonal therapy, and interventions to promote healthy aging. Register at http://bit.ly/3ILCPoA. Follow live tweeting at #7thAnnualVPS.

ORWH’S NEW OFFICE OF AUTOIMMUNE DISEASE RESEARCH

On April 12, 2023, Dr. Clayton announced the establishment of the NIH Office of Autoimmune Disease Research (OADR-ORWH), which will provide greater coordination across NIH regarding autoimmune disease efforts. Read more about OADR-ORWH and some related funding opportunities, including:

• NOSI: EXposome in Autoimmune Disease Collaborating Teams PLANning Awards (EXACT-PLAN) (Clinical Trials Not Allowed) (NOT-OD-23-112) Application due date: June 16, 2023

SEX, GENDER, & INTERSECTIONALITY  

NIH is still seeking applicants for the following opportunity:

• Galvanizing Health Equity Through Novel and Diverse Educational Resources (GENDER) Research Education R25 (R25 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) (RFA-OD-22-015) Application due date: June 27, 2023

MATERNAL MORBIDITY & MORTALITY (MMM)

Many pregnant women feel overwhelmed, anxious, or sad during or after pregnancy. This Maternal Mental Health Month, share the Health Resources & Services Administration’s National Maternal Mental Health Hotline, which provides free, confidential support for those who are struggling. Learn more. See more MMM resources:

• Translational Research in Maternal and Pediatric Pharmacology and Therapeutics (R01 Clinical Trial Optional) (PAR-23-130) Earliest submission date: May 5, 2023; Final application due date: June 5, 2023
• Multisite Clinical Research: Leveraging Network Infrastructure to Advance Research for Women, Children, Pregnant and Lactating Individuals, and Persons with Disabilities (U01 Clinical Trial Optional) (PAR-23-037) Earliest submission date: May 5, 2023; Final application due date: June 5, 2023
• Translational Research in Maternal and Pediatric Pharmacology and Therapeutics (R21 Clinical Trial Optional) (PAR-23-131) Earliest submission date: May 16, 2023; Final application due date: June 16, 2023
• NOSI: Research to Improve Pre-Pregnancy Care and Enhance Healthy Birth Intervals

(NOT-HD-23-003) Earliest submission date: June 5, 2023; Subsequent receipt dates through May 8, 2024

• Maternal Health Research Collaborative for Minority-Serving Institutions (MH-RC-MSI) Research Centers (RCs) (HRSA-23-112; Sort by “Opportunity Status: Posted”) Application due date: June 12, 2023  

CAREERS

• Advancing Gender Inclusive Excellence (AGIE) – Coordinating Center (U24 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) (RFA-OD-23-004) Letter of intent due date: April 28, 2023; Earliest submission date: May 1, 2023; Final application due date: May 31, 2023
• RFI: Improving NRSA Fellowship Review: The request is a part of NIH’s continual efforts to improve the peer review process. Learn more and comment through June 23, 2023.
• #FaceOfScience Campaign: Check out the NIH-funded #FaceOfScience Campaign, which celebrates the scientific research community.   

FUNDING OPPORTUNITY RESOURCES

Learn about NIH’s new campaign “FOA or NOFO - It’s all about Funding.” ORWH invites you to read the May 5 issue of Funding Friday. To receive the bimonthly email, sign up for ORWH email updates and select ‘funding opportunities. Some opportunities with upcoming deadlines include:

• The Research With Activities Related to Diversity (ReWARD) (R01 Clinical Trial Optional): Submissions due by June 5, 2023

• Understanding Chronic Conditions Understudied Among Women (R01 Clinical Trial Optional -Research Project Grant) and (R21 Clinical Trial Optional): Submissions due by June 20, 2023

• Maternal Health Research Collaborative for Minority-Serving Institutions (MH-RC-MSI) Coordinating Center (CC) (HRSA-23-113; Sort by “Opportunity Status: Posted”)

Application due date: June 12, 2023  

SAVE THE DATE

• Diverse Voices: Intersectional Approaches to Substance Use and Misuse 

July 27, 2023, 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM EDT 

ICYMI

• April Joint Blog – ORWH/NICHD/NINR: Addressing Inequities to IMPROVE Maternal Health for All 
• NIH IMPROVE Innovative Approaches to Improve Maternal Health Workshop
• 58th Meeting of the NIH Advisory Committee on Research on Women's Health

ADDITIONAL OBSERVANCES

ORWH is recognizing a few additional health observances, including: 

• Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Month – In commemoration NIH’s theme for this year, “Reclaiming My Identity,” is inspired by the uniqueness and diversity that encompasses AA and NHPI communities which complements the national theme, “Visible Together”
• Clinical Trials Day (May 20) - For information on clinical trials and to see NIH policies on inclusion, visit https://bit.ly/3mNLRKK
• Older Americans Month – Celebrate the 60^th anniversary of the observance, with the theme Aging Unbound. For resources visit: https://bit.ly/3NNhZsS
• Mental Health Month - Visit ORWH’s new web page on sex and gender in health in disease to learn more about how sex and gender influence mental health and view our March Diverse Voices: Intersectional Stigma and Mental Health video. Check out the National Institute of Mental Health’s digital toolkit and funding opportunity.
• Healthy Vision Month - See the National Eye Institute’s new Healthy Vision Month Spanish-language resources for families. Plus, watch this video with ORWH Director Janine A. Clayton, M.D., FARVO and Prevent Blindness President and CEO Jeff Todd as they discuss women’s eye health and safety, sex and gender differences in eye health, and more. 

Enduring Consensus Cervical Cancer Screening and Management Guidelines

Draft recommendations for use of p16/ki-67 Dual Stain (CINtec-plus)

See the Enduring Guidelines Dual Stain Summary for Public Comments and submit your comment here before June 1, 2023.

AHRQ invites public comment in response to a Request for Information (RFI) about a potential Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS^®) survey to assess patients’ prenatal and childbirth care experiences in ambulatory and inpatient care settings.

Accordingly, this RFI seeks comments about such topics as:

• Priority areas for measuring prenatal and childbirth care experiences in healthcare settings, such as communication with providers, respect, access to services, and patients’ perceptions of bias in receiving care
• Settings of care for which patient experience of care should be developed
• Existing surveys or survey items currently being used to assess patients’ prenatal and childbirth care experiences
• Special considerations or concerns associated with the collection of such information

This RFI will help inform the development of scientifically sound survey(s) to potentially measure patients’ prenatal and childbirth care experience.

Comments in response to this notice must be received by May 5, 2023. Please submit comments electronically to CAHPS1@westat.com with the subject line “Prenatal and Childbirth Care Experience Survey RFI.”

APAOG's Board Nominations are now OPEN! Consider nominating someone you know who may be a great fit or nominate yourself as a candidate if you're interested in being part of the group leading the way for PAs working in OBGYN. We have a few key positions open and look forward to having either returning or new faces join our leadership team. If you have any questions, please reach out to our administrative office! Remember, all positions come with guidance and support to ensure success.

APAOG 2023 Board Positions Available:

• President
• Treasurer
• Director-At-Large
• Student Representative (2)
• Non-PA Board Member

APAOG 2023 Nominations/Elections Timeline:

• May 1 – Call for Nominations Opens
• May 20 – Call for Nominations Closes
• May 22 – Nominating Committee/Board reviews nominations and approves final slate of candidates
• June 1 – Electronic Elections Open
  - Eligible voters include APAOG Fellow Members and APAOG Student Representatives
  - Elections open until June 16th
• June 20 – Announcement of Election Results
• July 1 – New Board Positions Begin Term

Nominate Here Board Description

April is National Minority Health Month, an observance that highlights the importance of improving the health of racial and ethnic minority and American Indian/Alaska Native communities and reducing health disparities. This year’s theme is “Better Health Through Better Understanding,” a goal that AHRQ supports through investments in research and resources that improve health literacy. Examples of agency resources that help achieve better outcomes for minority populations include the Spanish-language version of AHRQ’s QuestionBuilder app. The tool helps patients prepare and organize questions before medical appointments so they better understand their conditions and treatment options.

This is Black Maternal Health Week (April 11—17), which brings attention to preventing pregnancy-related deaths and improving maternal health outcomes. Stay tuned for tomorrow’s blog post on ways NIH is addressing maternal health inequities by leadership of the Implementing a Maternal health and PRegancy Outcomes Vision for Everyone (IMPROVE) initiative.  We also invite you to review the NIH Maternal Morbidity & Mortality Web Portal and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ resources on Strengthening Maternal Health.  

WASHINGTON, DC, April 3, 2023 – Advocates for individuals in need of breast reconstruction surgery delivered a letter and petition to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) today, urging them to reinstate a procedure code that is essential for access to deep inferior epigastric perforator (DIEP) flap breast reconstruction surgery. More than 4,600 individuals from across the country signed the petition. The letter to CMS was signed by 34 patient advocacy organizations, 12 medical professional societies, and 231 health care professionals, including hospitals, practices, and individual health care providers.

Breast reconstruction following a mastectomy can significantly affect a person’s body image, self-esteem, and quality of life. Reconstruction also provides individuals with a choice and some sense of control, allowing them to work with their health care providers to choose the type of breast reconstruction best suited for them. In 2020, 137,000 individuals had breast reconstruction surgery; of those, 25,000 received DIEP flap breast reconstruction.

View Full Press Release | View Group Letter

PAEA | March 6, 2023

Prenatal care can be a challenge for PA programs, but one experienced doctor has made some materials available that she believes will be helpful.

Susan E. White, MD, program director for the PA program and assistant profession of ObGyn Medicine at the Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, presented the Prenatal Care Workshop at the 2009 PAEA Education Forum.

The information was well received, and White has had many requests to share the curriculum. There have been updates to that 2009 material, some as recently as this year. The most recent curriculum materials are now available in the PAEA Digital Learning Hub for PAEA members to access.

The complete materials include the following: 

The obstetrical cases illustrate care such as miscarriage, premature rupture of membranes, uncertain dates, and pre-eclampsia. They can be used individually or in a group discussion.

White said some “outside-the-box” thinking was needed to get the data used to create the curriculum. When she was on faculty at a New Hampshire PA program, where she did early work on the learning tools, the state had the lowest birth rate in the country.

“We needed to be creative. We recruited pregnant patients so that students could take a history and do a prenatal exam using the mock medical forms provided,” White said.

White said she hoped the information would help other providers and their maternal patients.

“I am grateful to the Association of Physician Associates in Obstetrics and Gynecology (APAOG) for hosting this curriculum on their website. I hope my PAEA colleagues find these resources to be valuable,” she said.

View article.

The awards process is the single most important means that APAOG has for recognizing PAs who have made significant contributions in women's health. See below for information on submitting new nominations and visit our website to view past award winners.

The call for nominations for 2023 award nominees will be open Monday, March 27-Friday, April 14. The APAOG Board of Directors will begin reviewing the submissions on April 17. Award winners will be announced on April 24. If you are interested in reviewing our award details, click here!

AWARD WEBPAGE NOMINATE HERE

Free the Pill | March 16, 2023

HRA Pharma has submitted an application to the FDA for an over the counter (OTC) progestin-only birth control pill (POP). If approved, Opill would be the first OTC birth control pill available in the United States. This research summary highlights the safety and efficacy of POPs, experiences with and interest in using them, and the challenges and barriers to accessing birth control pills in the current prescription-only environment.

Read more.