We are pleased to announce that this year’s Kenneth J. Ryan, MD, Memorial Program Award recipient is Dr. Valerie Williams. Physicians for Reproductive Health CEO Jodi Magee and past Board Chair/Ryan Committee member Dr. Doug Laube presented Dr. Williams with the Ryan Award on May 16, during the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists Annual Clinical Meeting.
On February 3, we announced Dr. Valerie Williams as the 2016 Ryan Memorial Scholarship Award recipient. Dr. Williams is currently Assistant Professor at Louisiana State University (LSU) Health Sciences Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology in New Orleans, LA. She has distinguished herself by spearheading a new Ryan Program at LSU, in an area of the country that faces great unmet need for family planning services. A native of Houston, Dr. Williams has always held a special connection to the South, and she was naturally drawn to serve the people of New Orleans. Before Dr. Williams arrived at LSU, resident teaching regarding contraception and abortion was minimal, and devices like the manual vacuum aspirator were not available for use. Drawing on her abortion and contraception learned during her time in Colorado, Dr. Williams introduced training for residents about LARC and how to perform suction dilation and curettage using manual vacuum aspirators, and she has worked tirelessly to ensure that her patients and her residents have access to the services and training they deserve. Dr. Williams’s passion for reproductive health access has endeared her to her department and her residents. Despite the challenges she faces working in a conservative area, Dr. Williams refuses to be stopped from providing excellent service to her patients and her residents.
Congratulations, Dr. Williams!
