The College will begin a Women's Health program, a special department at Dick's House, to educate the community onwomen's health issues and provide health services for female students.
The new department, which will open next week, was announced Tuesday at a forum on sex and women's health issues sponsored by the Panhellenic Council.
The College has set aside $78,975 for the new department for the current fiscal year, which started last month, according to the Dean of Students Office.
Dick's House pushed for the program due to the increased importance and demand of women's health service at the College, according to Dr. Nield Mercer, the assistant director for clinical affairs at the College health service.
The College hired nurse practicioner Janice Sundnas to head the program. Physician's Assistant Frances Uptegrove, a current staff member of Dick's House, will assist in running the center.
The department's purpose will be twofold. It will tackle educational issues related to women's health and offer women's health care.
"In the past, [women's health] was part of primary care and preventive medicine," Mercer said. "We decided it was not appropriate not to have a separate woman's health program."
At the seminar on Tuesday evening, Sundnas said she plans to deal with such issues as sex and sexuality, sexually transmitted diseases, sexual assault, nutrition, counseling, education and drugs and alcohol.
Sundnas said she has worked for 20 years with women of various socio-economic and etnic backgrounds. "I have worked with homeless, indigenous, gay and affluent women," she said.
She plans to interface with the Health Resource center at Dick's House, which deals with education, the Woman's Resource Center, the Panhellenic Council and other women's groups on campus.
"I think there is a great opportunity for a lot of networking and for different organizations to combine forces and address issues," she said.
Sundnas said she will work to educate students about contraceptives and said she hopes to make various contraceptives available to students through the Dick's House pharmacy.
During Tuesday's seminar, she reviewed various contraceptive methods, including pills and shots of estrogen and progesteron, diaphragms, sponges, vaginal rings, the male pill, and NorPlant rods.
"I am going to taste-test flavored condoms," she said. "Another thing I'll shoot for at Dick's House is the female condom, a method of empowering women whose partners absolutely refuse to use condoms," she said.
She said that she will also devote a lot of her time to hands on care. She is planning to hold a daily evening clinic until 8 p.m. and offer ample emergency hours to assist walk-in patients.
"I would like to emphasize that I will be very available to students," she said at the seminar.
Alicia Abell '95, who attended the seminar, expressed enthusiasm for the new department.
"It will make me more comfortable to go [to Dick's House] knowing there is a department devoted to me. Theoretically, I think a lot of women will go to Dick's House if there is a special program," Abell said.
A student at Tuesday's seminar asked, "Dartmouth is a very conservative place. How is the administration going to deal with all these changes?"
Sundnas replied, "Dr. Turco hired me because he knew I was going to make a lot more waves."
She said she chose to come to Dartmouth "to make a difference for young women in their lives." She said that her job here will "in some ways be more challenging" than working for low income women.
