April 6, 2011 (CHARLESTON, SC) - The National Association For Continence (NAFC) presented Tamara Dickinson, RN, CURN, CCCN, BCB-PMD, with its Rodney Appell Continence Care Champion Award at the Society of Urologic Nurses and Associates (SUNA) luncheon on March 11, held during the 2011 SUNA Annual Symposium in New Orleans. Meghan Hansen, fund development manager of NAFC, presented the award. Pfizer Global Pharmaceuticals sponsored both the award and the luncheon.

Dickinson, senior research nurse in urology at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas since 2002, has earned many accomplishments throughout her 18 years in this field. She currently serves on the Continence Promotion Committee and the Urodynamics Committee for the International Continence Society (ICS), formed to standardize and improve training for health care professionals worldwide who treat patients with bladder disorders and pelvic floor dysfunction. As the SUNA urodynamics course director, Dickinson displays her experience in urodynamics, voiding dysfunction and pelvic floor therapy including biofeedback, behavioral management and pessary use. She frequently speaks on these topics on a national level.

A past president of SUNA, Dickinson has been recognized as a health care professional who is passionate and dedicated to her profession. She is the recipient of the President's Trophy for Outstanding Contributions to SUNA and the 2006 Past President's Lectureship Award. "We at the UT Southwestern Department of Urology are delighted in the selection of Tamara Dickinson as the Continence Care Champion. Her knowledge, empathy and expertise go well above and beyond what is expected and we are truly grateful for the level of experience that she brings to our clinic. In addition, her commitment to the urodynamic training of nurses demonstrates her true passion for education. We are immensely proud of Tamara and are fortunate to have her as a part of our team in Urology at UT Southwestern, " stated Gary Lemack, MD, professor of urology and neurology at UT Southwestern.

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 UT Southwestern Medical Center
UT Southwestern, one of the premier medical centers in the nation, integrates pioneering biomedical research with exceptional clinical care and education. Its faculty has many distinguished members, including four who have been awarded Nobel Prizes since 1985. Numbering more than 2,700, the faculty is responsible for groundbreaking medial advances and is committed to translating science-driven research quickly to new clinical treatments. UT Southwestern physicians provide medical care in 40 specialties to nearly 100,000 hospitalized patients and oversee 1.9 million outpatient visits a year. Three degree-granting institutions - UT Southwestern Medical School, UT Southwestern Graduate School of Biomedical Science and UT Southwestern School of Health Professionals - train nearly 4,400 students, residents and fellows each year. UT Southwestern researchers undertake more than 3,500 research projects annually, totaling almost $406 million.