October 29, 2007 (Charleston, SC) — The honor is based on contributions in the field of incontinence towards research, education, and advances in clinical practice. Individuals are nominated by members of the society and an award recipient is then selected by representatives of NAFC’s Board of Directors.

Angela Joseph, MSN, is a urologic nurse at the VA San Diego Health Care System in La Jolla, California. She spends her time promoting her famous “nurse-run” bladder behavior clinic for post-prostatectomy patients of which she played a key role in developing. For years Ms. Joseph has spearheaded research on a number of critical treatments for bladder and bowel dysfunction. One of these is the neurostimulator implant, which now gives spinal cord injury patients the ability to regain meaningful levels of bladder and bowel control.

Since receiving a Masters of Nursing in Community Health from San Diego State University (SDSU) fifteen years ago, Ms. Joseph has more than proven to be devoted to her career. She serves on the SDSU Center on Aging advisory panel for fall prevention and continence care and continues to complete research that is appreciated and published by leading medical journals, such as: Urologic Nursing, Journal of Urology, Neurology and Urodynamics, Journal of Gerontology, American Journal of Nursing, and the Spinal Cord Injury Journal. Tamara Dickinson, CURN CCCN BCIA-PMDB, the President of SUNA, stated, “I was tickled but not at all surprised” when she learned that Ms. Joseph received this honor.  She is one of the most enthusiastic people I have ever met. Her hard work has allowed thousands of people restore their quality of life and believe in the power of education.”

This award is sponsored by Pfizer, the makers of DetrolLA.