Dr. Suzanne Smeltzer elected president of health care disability group

In December 2011, Suzanne Smeltzer, EdD, RN, FAN, professor and director of the College of Nursing’s Center for Nursing Research has been elected president of the Alliance for Disability in Health Care Education. As a board officer she will serve from 2012 through 2013.

The Alliance is an interdisciplinary organization that holds an annual meeting and is comprised of health care professionals (such as physicians, nurses, physical therapists and psychologists) and others who support people with disabilities. Its mission is to improve the health care provided to people with disabilities.

Dr. Smeltzer is an internationally known scholar, researcher, educator and author, who has directed the College’s Health Promotion for Women with Disabilities Project funded by a grant from the Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation. She has served on state and federal disabilities-related committees and advisory groups and much of her research has addressed health issues of people with multiple sclerosis and other disabilities.