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Diane Spatz: Award of Excellence in Research

caption: Diane SpatzPenn Nursing’s Diane L. Spatz was recently given the Award of Excellence in Research by the Association of Women’s Health, Obstetrics and Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN). This award recognizes members who have exemplified the highest standards of service to nursing.

Dr. Spatz is professor of perinatal nursing and the Helen M. Shearer Professor of Nutrition at Penn Nursing, sharing a joint appointment as a nurse researcher and director of the lactation program at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) and the clinical coordinator of the CHOP Mothers’ Milk Bank. In the University portion of her job, she teaches a semester-long course on breastfeeding and human lactation to undergraduate nursing students, and in the hospital portion of her job she developed the breastfeeding resource nurse program.

In 2004, Dr. Spatz developed her 10-step model for human milk and breastfeeding in vulnerable infants. This model has been implemented in NICUs throughout the United States and other countries worldwide. She has been named a prestigious Edge Runner for the American Academy of Nursing related to the development and outcomes of her model.

Dr. Spatz is an active researcher, clinician and educator who is internationally recognized for her work surrounding the use of human milk and breastfeeding, particularly in vulnerable populations.

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