Diane Spatz, PhD, RN-BC, FAAN is the Helen M. Shearer Term Chair in Nutrition and Associate Professor of Childbearing Families at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing and a clinical nurse specialist with a focus on lactation at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Dr. Spatz received her BSN, MSN and PhD from the University of Pennsylvania. She has spent her entire career caring for high risk/vulnerable mothers, infants and their families. Dr. Spatz is an active clinician, researcher and educator. In the university portion of her job, she teaches an entire semester course on breastfeeding and human lactation to undergraduate nursing students. This 28 hour didactic course also includes 14 hours of clinical experience and is unique model. An article regarding the course was published as an “Innovative Practices” article in the Journal of Nursing Education. At the hospital portion of her job, she developed the Breastfeeding Resource Nurse program-a two day course to educate staff nurses on evidence based practices related to the use of human milk and breastfeeding. The practice model that Dr. Spatz established at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia was published as an “Exemplary Practice” article in the Journal of Perinatal Education. In addition, Dr. Spatz developed a One Day Course for Neonatal Nurses regarding the Use of Human Milk & Breastfeeding. Mainline Health System in the Philadelphia suburbs has put 100% of their nurses through this course and achieved outstanding outcomes. The use of human milk in all three intensive care nurseries has increased as well as patient satisfaction.

Dr. Spatz is the 2007 recipient of the Research Utilization Award from Sigma Theta Tau International for her work surrounding the use of human milk and breastfeeding in vulnerable infants.   She is the recipient of the Lindback Award for Distinguished Teaching. Dr. Spatz is also a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing and she is co-chair of their expert panel on breastfeeding. Dr. Spatz also received the Lenore Williams Award for contributions to women from the Association of Penn Professional Women and the Penn Women’s Center in 2008.

Dr. Spatz and one of the nurses she mentors at Children’s hospital were also selected for the Maternal Child Health (MCH) Leadership Academy. The MCH Leadership Academy is a partnership between Sigma Theta Tau International and Johnson and Johnson. Taryn Edwards and Spatz were selected as one of only 19 mentee/mentor dyads from around the world for this highly prestigious eighteen month leadership development academy. The MCH Leadership Academy has four objectives: 1) to improve maternal child health outcomes through leadership and shaping evidence based practice; 2) to influence maternal child health care practices within a variety of settings; 3) to create and effectively lead an interdisciplinary team to improve maternal child health care practices and outcomes and 4) to disseminate “lessons learned” in leadership development.