WHITE PLAINS, N.Y., – SEPT. 18, 2007 – Lynn Clark Callister, R.N., Ph.D., FAAN, a professor of nursing at Brigham Young University, has joined the March of Dimes National Nurse Advisory Council, a group of nationally and internationally recognized nursing leaders who give direction and counsel to March of Dimes nursing education programs.
“March of Dimes Nurse Advisory Council members represent the finest maternal-child health nurses in the country. We are thrilled that Dr. Callister has agreed to join this distinguished group of volunteers,” said Dr. Jennifer L. Howse, president of the March of Dimes.
Dr. Callister's research over the past two decades has enhanced nurses' ability to provide culturally sensitive health services to childbearing women. In particular, Dr. Callister's work has addressed the “Mexican paradox”: the longer an immigrant Mexican woman lives in the United States, the more likely she is to have a low birth-weight baby. She also has worked with the St. Petersburg State Medical Academy in Russia to help improve maternal-infant health care in that country.
She is a fellow in the American Academy of Nursing and serves as the vice-chair of its Expert Panel on Global Health and Nursing. She writes the Global Health and Nursing column for MCN: The American Journal of Maternal Child Nursing. In 2007, she received the AWHONN Distinguished Professional Service Award for her outstanding contributions to maternal and child health.
“Dr. Callister brings a unique perspective to the Council. She has tremendous international experience and is clearly committed to improving the health of women and infants,” said Janis Biermann, senior vice rresident of Education and Health Promotion at the March of Dimes.
Dr. Callister holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing from Brigham Young University, a Master's degree in Nursing from Wichita State University, and a Ph.D. in Parent/Child Nursing from the University of Utah. She is a Professor at the College of Nursing at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah.
The March of Dimes Nurse Advisory Council provides guidance on print and online nursing modules, nursing grand rounds and graduate nursing scholarships. The members meet annually to review existing March of Dimes programs and suggest new directions.
The March of Dimes is a national voluntary health agency whose mission is to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth, and infant mortality. Founded in 1938, the March of Dimes funds programs of research, community services, education, and advocacy to save babies and in 2003 launched a campaign to address the increasing rate of premature birth. For more information, visit the March of Dimes Web site at marchofdimes.com or its Spanish language Web site at nacersano.org.
