A Message from the President of the Midwest Lipid Association

Welcome to the Midwest Lipid Association (MWLA) web page.  I am Janet L. Maxson, PhD, FNP, and am honored to serve as the President of one of the NLA’s five regional chapters.  Our chapter seeks to fulfill the NLA’s mission to “enhance the practice of lipid management in clinical medicine.” It is the members dedicated to, and having expertise in, the management of the complex lipid metabolisms that drives the success of this organization.

I want to thank my predecessor, Alan Brown, MD, for his outstanding leadership of our Midwest states this past year as this organization continues to expand to all levels of health care professionals.

The busy clinical practice is a challenge as we see the transitions in health care affect new research, guidelines, medications, insurance regulations and medical documentation systems that affect the management of patients’ health.

One of my goals is to raise awareness of educational opportunities for the NLA leadership as the ATP IV Guidelines are released from the NHLBI. The NLA scientific meetings will continue to provide opportunities to attract professionals to update their skills and provide the most evidence-based, up-to-date science for the management of patients’ health.  Gaining new information will aide to decrease morbidity and mortality and control health care costs for cardiovascular events.

MWLA will offer “clinical pearl” updates via e-mail. I want to encourage all members to participate by offering articles and by attending our regional meetings.  In addition, I want to encourage Midwest members to contact me directly to seek opportunities for regional involvement. Carl Orringer, MD, has championed the clinical lipid pearls that enhance our clinical concerns and practices, and I would like to build upon his efforts.

I encourage certification in lipidology via the Lipid Academy and Masters in Lipidology courses, the self-assessment programs (SAPs)  and the NLA’s scientific meetings.  Certification is an extremely rewarding way to become an expert in the diagnosis and management of lipids metabolism.

NLA members also are encouraged to support the work of the the Foundation of the National Lipid Association. The Foundation provides valuable health initiatives through financial support for educational, professional development and outreach programs.  The Familial Hypercholesterolemia initiative has been successful in educating the public and professionals on this lipid genetic disorder.

The role of health care professionals is exciting and challenging. My passion and expertise in the world of Women’s Health is a relationship that I honor daily.  Our roles as health care professionals are that of coaches and mentors, providing inspiration and optimizing our patients’ health in life’s journey.  We see their daily health struggles and successes in our changing world of medicine.

I look forward to serving you and our MWLA Chapter, especially as we look to the future of our national health initiatives and as the NLA continues to provide the knowledge and skills we need for the care of our patients.

Janet L. Maxson, FNP, PhD
Minot, ND