The Harvard Medical School National Center of Excellence in Women's Health will be led by Andrea Dunaif, chief of the Division of Women's Health at Brigham and Women's Hospital, as director, and Benjamin Sachs, chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, as co-director. Dunaif and Sachs also co-direct the Harvard Center for Women's Health, which was established in 1998 to bring together Harvard Medical School faculty at the affiliated hospitals interested in developing excellent clinical, academic, and research programs in women's health. Appointment specialists will inform callers of participating institutions and ask where they prefer to receive care. For those who do not have a preference, referrals will alternate between institutions. Minority women have unique health concerns.
Black women have the highest rates of death from cerebrovascular disease.
While breast cancer death rates have declined among white women, they have increased for black women. American Indian, black, and hispanic women have the highest rates of cervical cancer in the country. This initiative allows the very best public health programs, such as the WELL program, a mid-life program for women who are uninsured that emphasizes screening and preventive health care, to be shared by other Harvard hospitals. Patients will have a much broader spectrum of options to choose from should they need specialized women s health care. The Harvard Medical School National Center of Excellence in Women's Health is one of six third-generation model centers awarded contracts this year.