The Role of Federal Agencies in Supporting Women’s Bone Health Early and Often: A Policy Imperative
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October 31, 2023 @ 11:00 am - 12:00 pm EDT
Bone health is important for overall health. Bones protect the body’s organs from injury as well as store and release the body’s supply of calcium.
Bone fractures can lead to decreased mobility, physical function, independence, and quality of life – and they are costly. The estimated national cost of osteoporosis, the most common form of bone disease, and related fractures is $22 billion, and that number is expected to rise by more than $95 billion by 2040.
The U.S. government—through its programs and initiatives—has an important role to play in promoting the nation’s bone health and taking steps to improve bone health outcomes. This ranges from investing in federal research on bone health to conducting public health education and awareness campaigns about how Americans can maintain their bone health over the lifespan.
This October, as part of Bone and Joint Health Awareness Month, the Society for Women’s Health Research (SWHR) hosted a national webinar and congressional briefing about how federal agencies are contributing to improved bone health and health care for women across the lifespan and why investments in these programs and initiatives should continue to be prioritized.
Health Scientist, Public Health Analyst, United States Department of Health and Human Services
Beth A. Collins Sharp is Health Scientist in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office on Women’s Health (OWH). Previously, Dr. Collins Sharp was senior advisor for women’s health and gender research and senior advisor for nursing at the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). Earlier, she was director of the Evidence-based Practice Centers (EPC) program at AHRQ. Before joining federal service, Dr. Collins Sharp served on the faculty of the Medical University of South Carolina’s College of Medicine and as director of research for the obstetrics/gynecology department. She has taught at three large university schools of nursing and has served as nurse coordinator in the NIH-NICHD Maternal-Fetal Medicine Units Research Network. Dr. Collins Sharp has practiced in a community hospital’s general medicine and postpartum units, an obstetric emergency room, and a university mother-baby inpatient unit.
During the course of her career, she has served as a member of a university institutional review board, chair of a university’s general clinical research center scientific research committee, and president of the Southern Nursing Research Society. She was the science team leader for the development of evidence-based guidelines on cyclic perimenstrual pain and discomfort.
Public Health Analyst, United States Department of Health and Human Services
Gage Dalton is a Public Health Analyst in the Division of Policy and Performance Management at the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office on Women’s Health (OWH). Prior to this, he worked as a paramedic serving primarily rural populations while he completed his graduate coursework focusing on health behaviors. Gage also held an internship with the American Public Health Association during this period. Since joining federal service, Gage has led and developed several projects with a wide variety of topics, ranging from domestic violence, human trafficking, physical activity, hypertension, and sarcopenia.
Medical Officer, Center for Clinical Standards and Quality, Centers Medicare and Medicaid Services
Dr. Green is a board-certified Ob/Gyn. He graduated from Georgetown University School of Medicine and completed his residency in Ob/Gyn in 1992 at the University of Maryland. After residency, Dr. Green went on to do a fellowship in Advanced Operative Pelviscopy. In 1993, Dr. Green began private practice and practiced until April, 2007.
During his time in private practice, Dr. Green completed a program in the business of medicine, obtained his insurance license and co-developed an electronic medical record. He has lectured for many board preparation courses. Currently he is serving as a medical officer at CMS in the Quality Measurement Value-based IncentiveGroup serving as the quality team lead and the registry and qualified clinical data registry lead for the MIPS program (Merit based Incentive Program). He is also working on measure development, health equity and projects related to Women’s health care.
Health Scientist Administrator, Division of Geriatrics and Clinical Gerontology (DGCG), National Institute on Aging
Lyndon Joseph, Ph.D, an Exercise Physiologist, is a Program Officer at the National Institute on Aging’s Division of Geriatrics and Clinical Gerontology. Before joining the NIA team, Dr. Joseph was an Assistant Professor in the Division of Gerontology, Department of Medicine at the University of Maryland Baltimore with a joint Research Fellow appointment in the Geriatric Research, Education and Clinical Center (GRECC) at The Baltimore Veterans Affairs Medical Center. Dr. Joseph received his doctorate degree in Physiology (Interdisciplinary) from The Pennsylvania State University, Master’s degree in Clinical Exercise Physiology from Northeastern University, and bachelor’s degree in Biology from St. John Fisher College. He completed his Post-doctoral Fellowship at the University of Maryland, School of Medicine in the Division of Gerontology and his Cardiac Rehabilitation internship at Boston University Medical Center.
Director, Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity (DNPAO), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Dr. Ruth Petersen serves as the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity (DNPAO). The Division provides national leadership on nutrition, physical activity and obesity prevention through policy and guideline development, surveillance, epidemiological and behavioral research, and technical assistance to states and communities. Dr. Petersen has a breadth of experience and leadership from multiple settings including health care, local and state health departments, national advisory groups, academic settings, the private sector, and global health platforms. Her broad, deep and diverse experience with populations, partners and stakeholders are strong assets for leading DNPAO in its focused efforts that prevent chronic diseases and strengthen equity and well-being.
Dr. Petersen received her MD and MPH from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. After training in obstetrics and gynecology in Rochester, New York, she completed the UNC Preventive Medicine Residency and a post-doctoral fellowship in health services research. Throughout her career, she has drawn on her expertise in patient care, health system change, disease prevention and community engagement to develop and guide programs, research, and policy to improve health behaviors, reduce health disparities and reduce chronic disease.
SWHR’s Bone Health Policy program is supported by an educational sponsorship from Amgen and UCB. SWHR maintains independence and editorial control over program development, content, and work products.
