After completion of residency in obstetrics and gynecology, Dr. Hansen completed a clinical fellowship in sexual medicine including all aspects of sexual health, female sexual dysfunction, hypoactive sexual desire disorder, marital issues, family planning and menopausal assessment and treatment. This included a medical, non-medical, and counseling treatment options.
Graduating with Honors, Dr. Hansen also completed a master’s of public health at Johns Hopkins with an interest in maternal and child health and international health. While working in a rural community as a solo practitioner, she was actively involved in many research and public health initiatives in surrounding communities. This included regular involvement on the Maternal and Newborn Quality Assurance Committee and the Perinatal Health Committee for development and review of policy and procedures within the health region. Active literature review, education sessions and site visits were required to ensure evidence-based procedures were being disseminated and followed at the clinical level.
Dr. Hansen was instrumental in launching a Risk Management Program across her large and diverse health region and remained a core team member for the program at local and surrounding hospitals. This program, MOREob, is becoming an international leader in risk management strategies for hospitals and clinicians and has been demonstrated to improve outcomes for mothers and babies wherever it is implemented. Dr. Hansen served as an independent consultant for the Risk Management and Patient Safety Institute (RM&PSI), as they employ this program, endorsed by the American College of Ob/Gyn, across the U.S.
Cancer prevention strategies have been another research and public health passion for Dr. Hansen as she has functioned as a regional colposcopist for the cervical cancer screening program in her area and was instrumental in creating an outreach into underserved communities to increase accessibility to cervical cancer screening. As part of this outreach, results were compiled, proving that increased access and availability of pap test screening could improve detection rates and had potential to reduce morbidity and mortality from cervical cancer in underserved populations. Dr. Hansen has spearheaded several educational sessions which have been provided for both physicians and the public to ensure HPV information is made available at all levels within the community.
Dr. Hansen takes an active and passionate role in the health and quality of life of the patients and the community she serves. This has involved clinical research, development and implementation of policies and programs and assurance of quality control measures at all levels. She continues this involvement as assistant professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at UTMB Health.
