![[ Roberta's Ramblings ]](/images/roberta_rambling.gif)
August 14, 1998
Hello OBGYN.netters,
Sorry I've been slow in the writing of my Ramblings lately. I guess I've been doing a little too much real time rambling that has kept me away from my keyboard. If you all thought I had run off to a tropical island and was sipping pina coladas under a palm tree, THINK AGAIN! I have been sweating away here in Texas (literally since the temperatures have stayed over 100 degrees for the last month) to clean out the OBGYN.net closets, get organized, and launch a new major Featured Section, OBGYN.net Birth and Obstetrics.
The facts and figures sometimes speak for themselves. Every month when we check our performance logs we see that one of the 10 top areas of interest for women and medical professionals on OBGYN.net has consistently been obstetrical information. Since we have been building Featured Sections for our wonderful sponsors on Endometriosis, Ultrasound, Minimally Invasive Surgery and Osteoporosis we have spent very little time expanding our OB resources. A fact that is about to change.
A quick look around the Internet reveals that there are a ton of sites catering to the pregnant woman audience. However, most if not all are doing it from the vantage point of naming baby, calculating due dates, and are quite broad but not very deep. We decided based on this observation that yes, OBGYN.net can fill an unmet need. What about the more medically complex aspects of birth? What about the women whose birth experiences were outside the norm? While we can certainly provide all the general information women and patients need we believe we are also uniquely suited to providing a more clinically focused level of resources.
The response from the OBGYN.net medical professionals has been wonderful. Once again doctors and medical professionals from around the world are rolling up their sleeves and volunteering to help women
get good, solid, evidenced based medical information on OBGYN.net. We are right now in the process of assembling our Editorial Advisory Board, which we will be announcing in the weeks to come. Chairing this panel will be Johannes Wilhelm 'Hans' van der Slikke, MD, PhD who also chairs the OBGYN.net International Council. Dr. Van der Slikke practices in The Netherlands where the maternal fetal morbidity rate is very low and the standard of care is high. The Netherlands has an extremely well integrated physician/midwife team approach to obstetrics. It is also highly focused on a family centered, natural approach to birth. "Dr. Hans", as we call him at OBGYN.net, is also personally committed to a global team approach to medical education and communication on the Internet. So you can see we are starting off in wonderful hands! Other Editorial Board members thus far include, Richard Chudacoff, MD, Josh Copel, MD, William F. von Almen, II, MD, Kelly Shanahan, MD, Garry Seigel, MD, and Joseph H. Cutchin MD. Please send an email to Barbara Nesbitt, our Editor if you would like to get involved too.
Dr van der Slikke
NOW FOR THE JUICY GOSSIP!!!
While planning this resource for women a company (who's name you will all recognize as a household word, and world leader in medical equipment related to Obstetrics) came forward and said, "If the doctors and medical professionals are willing to volunteer their time to providing educational resources for women we'd like to help by providing some funding that will help OBGYN.net provide resources for them too!". I said, "WAY COOL", or something intelligent like that, and now OBGYN.net Birth & Obstetrics is on the fast track shooting for that September 13th launch!Who is our marvelous benefactor you ask??? Well, the ink not yet being dry on the contract I have to hold my tongue for a few more weeks. But if you happen to run into me in the mean time, my guess is a few pina coladas would do the trick!
Seriously, as soon as I can I'll make the announcement...Your gonna love them! I do!
Fondest Regards,
Roberta
If you have any interesting news, ideas, or questions you would like to share please drop me a line at roberta.speyer@obgyn.net.
8/14/98
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