University of Illinois at Chicago

University of Illinois at Chicago
820 S. Wood Street
Chicago, IL 60612

Stacie Geller, Ph.D.
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology
(MC 808)
College of Medicine
Director, Center of Excellence in Women's Health
Associate Director,
Center for Research on Women and Gender
Phone: (312) 355-0467
Fax: (312) 996-4238
E-mail: sgeller@uic.edu

Clinical Services Contact: 1-800-UIC-1002

UIC's National Center of Excellence in Women's Health is located on the campus of an urban land-grant research university, the largest institution of higher learning in the Chicago area. The campus includes the site of the original Jane Addams Hull House, and has a long history of women's health activities. UIC's National Center of Excellence is unique in representing collaborative efforts across our six health professional colleges, as well as other programs within the University, such as Women's Studies, the Great Cities Institute, the University Library, and the Colleges of Social Work and Education. Our major goals include:

• implementing a strategic multidisciplinary research agenda relevant to informing health care delivery,

• training research scientists for proficiency in multidisciplinary women's health research,

• expanding multidisplinary care for women in a onestop shopping model as the Women's Care Center moves to the newly constructed Outpatient Care Center (summer 1999),

• reducing barriers to care for underserved urban women,

• ongoing evaluation of services,

• building on existing women's health curriculum with collaboration across disciplines,

• promoting leadership for women in medicine,

• educating and training community women for health roles,

• promoting dialogue with women from diverse communities,

• disseminating health information,

• participating in policy discussions at all levels.

Our program is designed to integrate biomedical expertise with the grass roots women's health vision, and emphasizes partnership: across disciplines and professions, academic with community, and health care provider with patient. Gender-based biology is a key component of our women's health model; it has become clear that women's health cannot be based on extrapolations from studies of men. Attention to gender in social context is also necessary because gender has so many consequences that are not biologically based, including social expectations and access to resources. Understanding health needs that may differ across groups will also lead to more effective interventions, and we have a strong commitment to addressing the needs of underserved groups of women. We know that race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, age, or (dis)ability, all can have an impact on health and well-being. Our model recognizes many dimensions of women's health, from "killer" diseases to chronic conditions more prevalent in women, to health behaviors, environmental/occupational health, mental health, and women's health policy.

From the myriad of possible topics we have identified three initial areas for focus across research, clinical, education, and community aspects of the UIC National Center of Excellence: cancer, osteoporosis, and obesity. We have convened multidisciplinary research roundtables in these focus areas, and we are building collaborative networks to offer screening and referral, clinical services, educational programs, and opportunities to participate in research or clinical trials. Additional topics will be selected each year for development. We have established a Women's Health Partnership, and we welcome participation from groups who would like to work with us to improve the health of women in Chicago and other communities throughout Illinois.