As the chief medical correspondent for ABC News, Good Morning America and the network’s new GMA3 program, Jennifer Ashton, M.D., OB/GYN is on the front lines of every recent health crisis and medical breakthrough, including those related to COVID-19. Using her experience, Ashton offers advice and tips to help people better understand topics ranging from infertility and pregnancy concerns to cancer vaccines and new Alzheimer’s disease medications.
Ashton, who also has authored six books related to women’s health issues such as pregnancy, self-help and grief, will be the featured speaker for “Finding Health, Healing and Happiness in the New Normal.” The live-streamed event will be hosted by Laura W. Bush Institute for Women’s Health and scheduled from noon – 1 p.m. Sept. 30 (Thursday). Janet Tornelli-Mitchell, M.D., will conduct a fireside chat with Ashton. Sponsors include TTUHSC and many Lubbock businesses and philanthropists.
Betsy Jones, Ed.D., regional director for the Laura W. Bush Institute for Women’s Health, said Ashton offers realistic, helpful advice for navigating the physical, social and emotional changes to our everyday lives. Those changes have been magnified over the last 18 months because of the pandemic. To help people get through the pandemic and other significant health issues, Ashton’s goal is to help people “think like a doctor” so they can better navigate all of the current medical news and make the best decisions for themselves and their family.
“We want our lives back, but the reality is we probably need to adjust to a new normal,” Jones said. “Dr. Ashton will share great advice about maintaining and improving our immune systems to build resistance to viruses and ensuring a healthier tomorrow. She has helpful strategies for dealing with negative emotions, fear and grief so that we can get back into life in a meaningful way. We believe our guests will feel empowered to take on new challenges fearlessly and build a healthy future, even if it is a little different from the past.”
Ashton, a board-certified obstetrician and gynecologist, received her medical degree from Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons and her master’s in nutrition from Columbia University. She is an advocate for women’s health and frequently speaks at events to raise awareness for women’s health issues. She has authored: “The Body Scoop for Girls” in 2009, “Your Body Beautiful” (2012), “Eat This When You’re Expecting, Not That” (2016), “Life After Suicide” and “The Self-Care Solution,” (2019) and “The New Normal: A Roadmap to Resilience in the Pandemic Era,” which was released in February.
“Dr. Ashton is a practicing OB/GYN and mother of two young adults,” Tyne added. “She has treated COVID-19 patients and suffered the loss of loved ones. Her compassion and knowledge come at just the right time as we return to work, school, travel and life.”
As part of TTUHSC, the Laura W. Bush Institute for Women’s Health is dedicated to improving the lives of women and girls in Texas and across the nation by advancing multidisciplinary science in women’s health. Recognizing that differences matter, the institute promotes health, individually inspired, through scientific investigation, translation of science into practice and providing outreach that impacts the community for today and tomorrow.
For more information about the “Finding Health, Healing and Happiness in the New Normal,” live stream or the Laura W. Bush Institute for Women’s Health, visit the Laura Bush Institute or email Maggie Ryan.
