Evidence of Success - Texas/Oklahoma AETC Service Area: Oklahoma and Texas

Texas Local Performance Site: Parkland Hospital

Illustration: Comprehensive Women's Health Symposium

Based on a needs assessment, the Parkland LPS provided a comprehensive women's health symposium which consisted of presentations related to 23 gender-specific topics. The conference was a two-and-a-half day event. The opening plenary was held at the Dallas Women's Museum. In conjunction with the plenary event, Parkland Hospital held a fund-raiser to benefit women infected with HIV.

The multidisciplinary planning committee included physicians from the Departments of Internal Medicine, Infectious Disease, Obstetrics-Gynecology, and Pediatrics. Nursing, case management, and social work were also represented on the planning committee. This inclusive representation resulted in a program that met discipline-specific needs. Health care professionals in Obstetrics-Gynecology, family practice, women's health care specialists, pediatrics, social work/case management were the focus of the conference.

At the conference, two interactive booths gathered data about minority provider learning needs and women and HIV workshop topic preferences. The latter was done via an interactive computer software program developed by a health-studies student.

E-mail messages were sent to the 79 participants one month after the conference. Of those who responded, many indicated that they had used information from the symposium either directly in the care and treatment of patients or had shared the information with others. Specific examples include using the information in patient education, revising systems or processes, and making appropriate referrals.

Outcomes

Immediate/Short-term

	Strengthened the knowledge of providers in the area of women's health.
	Utilized the information in patient education opportunities (13 participants).
	Revised systems or processes based on the information gained (3 participants).
	Made appropriate referrals based on knowledge gained (3 participants).