Free Online CME on Preeclampsia and Heart Disease

Click here to go directly to the CME activity “Heart of a Woman: Pregnancy and Beyond”.  Please read on for further information on this new online CME.

Preeclampsia Foundation and University of Minnesota Present Professional Education Curriculum via Online Technology

Continuing Medical Education Credits Available for Education in Preeclampsia,
a Potentially Life-Threatening Condition of Pregnancy

Minneapolis, MN – Feb. 27, 2007 – The Preeclampsia Foundation and the University of MN Deborah E. Powell Center for Women’s Health have announced the online Continuing Medical Education (CME) activity “Heart of a Woman: Pregnancy and Beyond” will be available March 1, 2007.  This educational activity, focusing on preeclampsia, consists of three individual modules that offer continuing education credit for physicians such as obstetricians, gynecologists, cardiologists, and maternal-fetal medicine specialists, as well as certified nursing midwives, nurse practitioners, and registered nurses.  Participants may access the courses via the Preeclampsia Foundation or the University’s websites and is available at no cost.

Cardiovascular disease is the number one cause of death in women. New research findings link preeclampsia with subsequent development of heart disease in women. While Modules 1 and 2 focus on the diagnosis and management of preeclampsia, Module 3 provides in-depth information about heart disease prevention in preeclampsia survivors.

Module 1: Pathophysiology, Prediction and Prevention of Preeclampsia
This module is taught by Thomas Easterling, MD, who is a Professor of Maternal Fetal Medicine at the University of Washington.  Objectives of this module are to identify the latest research regarding the pathogenesis of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy and to review latest research regarding screening, prevention and prophylaxis for hypertensive disorders of pregnancy. Up to 1.25 AMA PRA Category 1 CME credits are available for physicians, and up to 1.5 Minnesota Board of Nursing contact hours are available for nurses.

Module 2: Management, Treatment and Case Study of Preeclampsia
This module is taught by Michael Katz, MD, who is an Associate Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of California, San Francisco, and practices at San Francisco Perinatal Associates, and California Pacific Medical Center.  Objectives of this module include identifying the current criteria to diagnose hypertensive disorders of pregnancy and summarizing the latest research related to the management of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy based on scientific evidence.  Up to 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 CME credits are available for physicians and up to 1.2 Minnesota Board of Nursing contact hours for nurses.

Module 3: Preeclampsia and Heart Disease
This module is taught by Tanya Melnik, MD, who is an Assistant Professor of the Department of Medicine at the University of Minnesota.  After this module, viewers should be able to recognize increased risk of cardiovascular morbidity following pregnancy complicated by hypertensive disorders and identify common risk factors in pathogenesis of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy and cardiovascular disease.  Up to 1.75 AMA PRA Category 1 CME credits are available for physicians and up to 2.1 Minnesota Board of Nursing contact hours for nurses.

“Heart of a Woman: Pregnancy and Beyond” can be found at www.preeclampsia.org and www.womenshealth.umn.edu or linked directly at http://www.cme.umn.edu/cme/online/.  This on-line CME is sponsored by the University of Minnesota Deborah E. Powell Center of Excellence in Women's Health and the Preeclampsia Foundation, and is made possible through a grant by Black River Minnesota. Online learning made possible through Breeze technology and PowerPoint Presentation with the voice of the presenter.

About Preeclampsia
Symptoms of preeclampsia include high blood pressure, swelling in the hands and face, and protein in the urine. If undetected or untreated, it can lead to stroke, kidney failure, liver failure and hemorrhage. It is responsible for 15 percent of all premature births. If the mother experiences seizures, it is called eclampsia. Both conditions can be disabling or fatal to mother and baby. By conservative estimates, these disorders are responsible for 76,000 maternal deaths each year worldwide; the number of infant deaths is nearly half a million.

About the Preeclampsia Foundation
The Preeclampsia Foundation is a U.S.-based 501(c)(3) non-profit organization established in the year 2000 to fund and drive research, raise public and professional awareness, and provide support and education for those whose lives have been touched by preeclampsia and other hypertensive disorders of pregnancy. Its mission is to stop preventable death and disability of mothers and babies by eliminating delays in diagnosis, implementing the best known practices, developing new practices, and helping women and their families through the impact of preeclampsia. More information can be found at www.preeclampsia.org or calling toll-free 1-800-665-9341.

About the Deborah E. Powell Center for Women’s Health
The Deborah E. Powell Center for Women’s Health was established in 2003 when the Department of Health and Human Services awarded the University of Minnesota the designation as a National Center of Excellence in Women’s Health.  The center is an engaged group of University faculty, researchers, health care providers, students, and community partners who share a dedication to women’s health.  As a National Center of Excellence, we are a recognized leader in the field of women’s health and serve as a catalyst for improving the health of women across their lifespan.  More information can be found at www.womenshealth.umn.edu.