September 11, 2008 (Charleston, SC) – At the 29th Annual Scientific Meeting of the American Urogynecologic Society (AUGS) held recently in Chicago, Holly Richter, PhD, MD, was named by the National Association For Continence (NAFC) as its latest Continence Care Champion (CCC).  The award, established in 2000, recognizes healthcare professionals who demonstrate leadership in the field of continence care by means of their contributions in research, the enrichment of clinical practice, and education.  The recognition, sponsored by Pfizer Global Pharmaceuticals, seeks to set the bar for other providers, in the hopes that the hurdle of expectations in performance will be at the highest standard achievable. 

NAFC Executive Director, Nancy Muller, in presenting the award stated, “This year’s Continence Care Champion embodies that same intensity of caring, achievement, and leadership as those recognized in the past by NAFC.”  She noted that NAFC deserves to be the entity to recognize such achievers because of the primary calling of NAFC “as leading consumer advocate and public health educator.”

Dr. Richter, having earned her PhD in molecular biology at University of Manitoba, Canada, and her medical degree from the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) School of Medicine, is a full professor of Women’s Pelvic Medicine & Reconstructive Surgery at UAB, heralding two additional NAFC Continence Care Champions named in past years, Dr. Patty Goode and Dr. Kathryn Burgio.  UAB now ties the University of Michigan in enjoying such a distinction.

Dr. Richter is also Director of Research and Associate Scientist in both Minority Health and in the Center for Aging.  In the last 12 months alone, she has served actively on no fewer than a dozen councils, committees and boards, including the National Kidney & Urology Diseases Information Clearinghouse Coordinating Panel (NKUDIC), the American Geriatrics Society as the 2010 Section Program Chair, and the Expert Panel of AHRQ’s Evidence and Practice Center on Overactive Bladder.  In addition, Dr. Richter has volunteered time to perform obstetrical fistula repair in Africa.  She also was selected to represent AUGS and SGS at a World Health Organization conference in Geneva in April, 2008, in preparation for a multinational prospective study on fistula repairs. 

“Holly Richter embodies the essence of exemplary professional aspiration and clinical achievement.   She is an accomplished team player and an outstanding role model to others deserving of her inspiration and encouragement,” comments AUGS President, Kris Strohbehn, MD.

Although this award focuses on a notable member of AUGS, other distinguished medical societies have been recognized by NAFC’s CCC awards program as well.  These organizations include:  American Academy of Family Physicians, Society of Urologic Nurses and Associates, Nurse Practitioners in Women’s Health, Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses, American Geriatrics Society, American Physical Therapy Association, Society for Urodynamics and Female Urology, Society of Women in Urology, and the Wound, Ostomy and Continence Nurses Society.

About the National Association For Continence (NAFC):

The National Association For Continence is a 501 (c) 3 corporation whose mission is threefold:  1) to educate the public about the causes, diagnosis categories, treatment options, and management alternatives for bladder and bowel control problems, nocturnal enuresis, voiding dysfunction, and related pelvic floor disorders; 2) to network with other organizations and agencies to elevate visibility and priority given to these health concerns; and 3) to advocate on behalf of consumers who suffer from symptoms as a result of disease or other illness, obstetrical, surgical or other trauma, or deterioration due to the aging process itself.  NAFC is broadly funded by consumers, healthcare professionals and industry.  It is the world’s largest and most prolific consumer advocacy organization devoted exclusively to this field.

About the American Urogynecologic Society (AUGS):

The mission of AUGS is to represent healthcare professionals dedicated to improving the lives of women with pelvic floor disorders, such as pelvic prolapse and bowel and bladder control problems. By encouraging research and education, AUGS will promote the highest standards of practice in the prevention and treatment of these disorders in an ethical, safe, and effective manner.