October 14, 2010 (CHARLESTON, SC) –The National Association For Continence (NAFC) awarded Ingrid Nygaard, MD, with the Rodney Appell Continence Care Champion Award at the American Urogynecologic Society (AUGS) Awards Luncheon on October 2, held during the AUGS Annual Scientific Meeting, in Long Beach, CA. The award, presented by Nancy Muller, executive director of NAFC, is sponsored by Pfizer Global Pharmaceuticals.

Originally from Norway, Dr. Nygaard graduated from the University of Missouri Columbia School of Medicine, completed her residency at the University of Michigan and fulfilled a fellowship in advanced gynecologic surgery at the Mayo Clinic. She is currently professor of urogynecology and pelvic reconstructive surgery at the University of Utah School of Medicine and practices with University of Utah Health Care, a major regional referral health system whose hospitals and clinics log more than 920,000 inpatient and outpatient visits annually.

A highly regarded researcher, publishing over 75 papers in peer-reviewed journals, Dr. Nygaard has served as president for AUGS and currently serves as vice-chair of the Institutional Review Board. She serves as a reviewer for 13 peer-reviewed journals, the likes of which include The Lancet, Journal of the American Medical Association, Urology and Archives of Internal Medicine.

Established in 2000 to recognize healthcare providers who serve as role models to others for outstanding contributions in research, education and clinical practice, NAFC’s Continence Care Champion Award raises awareness among a variety of professional societies and elevates the importance of addressing incontinence. A listing of all past award recipients can be found on NAFC’s website, in the Hall of Fame.

About the University of Utah Health Care

University of Utah Health Care is the only academic health care system in the Intermountain West. The system and its physicians offer services in more than 200 specialties and its hospitals and clinics are currently ranked the No. 1 academic health care system in the nation by the University HealthSystem Consortium for quality and accountability. The system provides care for Utahns and residents of five surrounding states in a referral area encompassing more than 10 percent of the continental United States. The system receives more than 900,000 outpatient visits and more than 26,000 inpatient admissions annually.

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