Medicine

Thorndyke appointed to NWHRC board of directors

Luanne E. Thorndyke, associate dean for professional development and associate professor of medicine at Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Penn State College of Medicine, will join the board of directors of the National Women's Health Resource Center (NWHRC) as of January 2005. The NWHRC is the leading independent nonprofit organization dedicated to providing women with the information and resources they need to make informed health decisions. Thorndyke is one of four new members elected to the board.

"These accomplished specialists bring invaluable experience and insight, and will contribute greatly as we expand our educational programs reach to special populations and partnerships with other organizations and associations," said Amy Niles, president and chief executive officer of NWHRC.

Thorndyke has extensive experience in educational planning, program implementation, and accreditation standards. In her current role as associate dean for professional development and associate professor in the College of Medicine, she leads activities to recruit, sustain and retain faculty, and for post-graduate educational programming for physicians, nurses and allied-health personnel. Thorndyke facilitates initiatives in women's leadership development and mentoring.

"I am delighted to be working with the National Health Resource Center, a reliable, evidence-based, trustworthy source of current health information for women," said Thorndyke. "It has a prevention and lifestyle focus in conjunction with disease-specific information and resources. This information will empower women to make better decisions and to lead healthier lives."

Along with her role as a faculty member, Thorndyke is a board-certified internist with certifications in geriatrics and menopausal medicine. She is committed to improving the health of women and men through clinical practice, educational programs, administrative leadership and community service.

Thorndyke graduated from Duke University in 1979 and earned her medical doctorate at the University of Nebraska in 1983. She completed an internal medicine internship and residency in Philadelphia and subsequently began a community-based private practice in University City, Philadelphia. Thorndyke provided care to poor, inner-city residents in the Philadelphia Health District clinics, and served as medical director of a District Health Center and on its board of medical directors for several years.

In 1993, Thorndyke joined Penn State Hershey Medical Center and the College of Medicine as an assistant professor of medicine and medical director of Hershey Internal Medicine Associates, the first off-campus academic internal medicine practice.

From 1996 to 2002, Thorndyke was assistant dean of continuing medical education. In this role she established the Consortium of Academic Continuing Medical Education (CACME), a multi-institution collaboration of the continuing education units of four medical schools including Temple University, Jefferson Medical College, University of Pittsburgh and Penn State. It is the only collaboration of its kind in the United States.

In 2002, Thorndyke was promoted to associate dean for professional development. She continues to oversee continuing education, and is responsible for faculty public service and outreach in the College of Medicine.

The National Women's Health Resource Center is dedicated to educating women of all ages about health and wellness issues. Its programs include public education campaigns, consumer publications and its Web site at http://www.healthywomen.org which is a comprehensive source for women's health on the Web.

Last Updated March 19, 2009

Contact