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United States National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health
National Institutes of HealthNational Library of Medicine
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Robert Mehnert • Kathy Cravedi
October 14, 2003(301) 496-6308 • publicinfo@nlm.nih.gov

National Institutes Opens Health Exhibition
"CHANGING THE FACE OF MEDICINE"
Honors Lives and Achievements of
Outstanding American Women Physicians

(Bethesda, MD)--There's never been a ribbon cutting quite like this one. On Tuesday, October 14, 2003 at 11:00 a.m., Tenley E. Albright, M.D. a Harvard-trained surgeon and first American woman to earn an Olympic gold medal in figure skating, donned a white jacket and scalpel, not to conduct a medical procedure but to inaugurate "Changing the Face of Medicine," an interactive, multimedia exhibition at the National Library of Medicine (NLM), an arm of the National Institutes of Health.

The exhibition features stories from a rich diversity of women physicians and a broad range of medicine that they practice in communities across the United States. Of the more than 300 physicians featured in the exhibition, some of those who were on hand for the ribbon cutting included:

"Changing the Face of Medicine" honors the lives and achievements of American women in medicine, past and present. Some have developed innovative medical procedures. Some have won the Nobel Prize. Others have brought attention to the health and well being of children. Many have reemphasized the art of healing and the roles of culture and spirituality in medicine.

"Women waged a lengthy battle to gain access to medical education and hospital training," noted Elizabeth Fee, Ph.D., Director of NLM's History of Medicine Division. "Since winning those struggles, women from diverse backgrounds have carved out successful careers in areas as diverse as sports medicine, space medicine, and surgery."

The contributions of these remarkable women are showcased in artifact, textile and digital-portrait galleries as well as in an "activity zone" with interactive installations.

The exhibition has a companion Web site at www.nlm.nih.gov/changingthefaceofmedicine. The site will let people around the world discover the history of America's women physicians, and learn more about educational and professional resources for those considering medicine as a career. For teachers there are lesson plans with ready-made classroom activities that incorporate the science of the exhibition's doctors and align with national learning standards. There is a section of the Web site called "Share Your Story," where people can add stories about outstanding woman physicians they know, whether they are family members, mentors, or their own doctors.

Coming soon to the exhibition is a gallery called "Local Legends" which will feature outstanding women physicians who have been nominated by Members of the U.S. Congress for their exceptional contributions in research and education, public health or military service, or patient care.

"Women have brought fresh perspectives to the medical profession," said Donald A.B. Lindberg, M.D., Director of the National Library of Medicine. "They have turned the spotlight on issues that had previously received little attention, such as the social and economic costs of illness and the low numbers of women and minorities entering medical school and practice."

"This exhibition will have the broadest possible appeal," Lindberg continued. "Although it focuses on the personal and professional triumphs of women in medicine, its lessons in persistence, dedication and excellence will speak to people in all professions-men, women, and young people alike."

"Changing the Face of Medicine," an exhibition developed by the National Library of Medicine with the support of the NIH Office of Research on Women's Health and the American Medical Women's Association (AMWA), will soon be available as an interactive, web- based DVD. Copies may be ordered through the Friends of the National Library of Medicine at: www.fnlm.org. In addition, the exhibition will tour the United States when it closes on the NIH campus in spring, 2005.

The National Library of Medicine, the world's largest medical library, is located on the campus of the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland. "Changing the Face of Medicine" is on the first floor of NIH Building 38, at Rockville Pike and Center Drive. The exhibition is open to the public and admission is free. Visiting hours are: 8:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m., Monday-Friday (and 5:00 .m.- 9:00 p.m., Thursdays between Labor Day and Memorial Day) and 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Saturday. NLM is closed Sundays and federal holidays. For directions, security information, and other visitor information, please consult the Library's Web site at www.nlm.nih.gov.

Editor's note: Additional photos of women physicians featured in the exhibition are available below.

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Special thanks to the exhibition production partners:

Riggs Ward Design (RWD). RWD is an interpretive design firm based in Richmond, Virginia. For over thirteen years, RWD's designers have created print materials, exhibits and various installations for museums and education associations including the Smithsonian Institution, the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, the Department of the Interior, the Virginia historical Society, the Library of Congress, the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Council and, most recently, the National Library of Medicine.

Second Story Interactive Studios. Second Story Interactive Studios is a leading creator of interactive educational entertainment. Its industry-learning partners and sponsors include National Geographic, The Museum of Modern Art, Theban Mapping Project, National Museum of American History, Eastman Kodak, Discovery, PBS, National Portrait Gallery and the Smithsonian Institution. The studio's pioneering work in blending interactive act, entertainment, and education has been recognized in every major interactive design competition and received more than one hundred awards, as well as being included in the Smithsonian's permanent research collection on information technology.

MacNeil/Lehrer Productions (MLP). MLP produces PBS' The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer, as well as other programs for public, commercial and cable television. In addition, MLP has a proven track record as a new media developer. In 1996, MLP added Online NewsHour Extra - a web destination for middle and high school students and teachers. In the spring of 2001, MLP released its first interactive Web-DVD and will soon release an interactive Web-DVD of "Changing the Face of Medicine."

Last updated: 19 March 2004
First published: 14 October 2003
Metadata| Permanence level: Permanence Not Guaranteed