The Future of MCH

Several of our second-year MCH students attended the 2022 CityMatCH Leadership and MCH Epidemiology Conference in Chicago, IL on September 21-23. More than 600 professionals and students in the Maternal and Child Health field turned out for the 32^nd annual CityMatCH conference. What follows is a post from one of the attendees.

By Nomin Bayandalai, BS

This was my first time attending a CityMatCH conference and I was thrilled to be attending in person. This year’s conference theme was Onwards & Upwards: Accountability for the Past and Building Toward the Future of MCH. I was excited for this conference to see what MCH research and work is being done at the local, state, and federal levels, especially in a post COVID period.

I most enjoyed listen to the keynote speaker, Loretta Ross, on the “Calling in the Calling Out Culture”. She emphasized that we as public health professionals need to recognize and support one another instead of calling people out. Rather, we need to be calling people in, using our shared differences to build on the humans rights movement based “on justice and the politics of love” in order to fight against oppression and injustices in our country. I was intrigued to learn the work of public health professionals and see what my interests within public health can look like in my future career.

Among the sessions I attended, I enjoyed the session titled Strengthening the Community-Based Doula Workforce. Disparity gaps continue to be present across all domains of health especially in a fragmented system based on racism. This session emphasized that without addressing, disrupting, and dismantling the structural and institutional determinants, we will not be able to address the social determinants. Another session at attended was the town hall on gun violence and hearing from a panel of people that have live experiences and conducting transformative work to dismantling the perpetuation of gun violence in our country.

Lastly, I enjoyed hearing Dr. Michael Warren’s speech and meeting him. He is the director of the COE training programs at HRSA, that funds the Tulane CEMCH program. We also got the chance to meet other COE scholars and it was nice to connect in person and learning their journey in public health was inspiring.

Nomin Bayandalai, BS, is a second-year MPH student, concentrating in Maternal and Child Health. She plans to graduate in the May 2023. Her interests include health equity, reproductive health, and maternal mental health. She also loves watching movies, cooking, and traveling.

Having the opportunity to see what is out there…

Several of our second-year MCH students attended the 2022 CityMatCH Leadership and MCH Epidemiology Conference in Chicago, IL on September 21-23. More than 600 professionals and students in the Maternal and Child Health field turned out for the 32^nd annual CityMatCH conference. What follows is a post from one of the attendees.

By Natalia Machicote, BA

The first day of the conference, I went to a presentation about emergency preparedness and MCH. I’ve always had an interest in emergency planning since undergrad but my passion for MCH exceeded it, so I abandoned the idea. However, it was not until I got to CityMatCH that I was able to see how critical MCH is in emergency preparedness. I had the opportunity to listen to great speakers, as well as talk with peers from the health department in Tennessee. As I heard from them and learned about how Tennessee is serving their MCH population when preparing for emergencies, my mind went straight to Puerto Rico. That previous weekend, Puerto Rico was hit by hurricane Fiona and the aftermath of it was devastating. With my family, friends, and community going through such a hard time, I truly wanted to dedicate my time at CityMatCH to learn how I could assist my island in times of crisis. This opportunity helped me discover how I can combine both of my interests in emergency preparedness and MCH when thinking about my future career plans. 

CityMatCH was a great way to get exposed to all these different programs being offered around the nation to better the state and wellbeing of the MCH community. Learning about the studies and data that have come from individuals that have dedicated their careers to eliminating the disparities in MCH was very inspiring.

Natalia Machicote, BA,  is a second-year MPH student, concentrating in Maternal and Child Health. She plans to graduate in May 2023. Her interests include reproductive health, birth equity, and emergency preparedness.  She also loves working out, music, and eating.

Making Connections at APHA 2022

Several of our first-year MCH students attended the 2022 American Public Health Association (APHA) Annual Meeting in Boston, MA from November 6-9. APHA was celebrating its 150 Years of Creating the Healthiest Nation: Leading the Path Toward Equity. What follows is a post from one of the attendees.

By Sydney Bond, BS

“What is our community calling for? What do they understand about the role we can and should play, and how can we meet those needs?” – Dr. Jamila Perritt

Dr. Perritt posed these questions during the Reproductive Health, Rights & Justice: Before, During and Beyond session. This was in response to an audience member’s question on what the panel sees as the role of local state health departments. Specifically, regarding not supplanting the work community organizations are already doing. Dr. Perritt’s questions made a huge impact on how I processed each session I attended for the duration of the conference. 

As a first-year MPH student, a lot of my coursework thus far has emphasized the role the community plays in the work we are doing as public health practitioners. However, Dr. Perritt’s words put it plainly. In our work, we should involve the communities we are seeking to help in our programs, and that starts with asking them what they want – what they need from us. More importantly, we must be receptive to this feedback and work on fulfilling these needs. We cannot ask a question and then ignore the response.  

Attending my first conference was how I would expect it felt for many others experiencing APHA for the first time – overwhelming. The number of sessions being held and people in attendance was awe-inspiring. Not only was I able to be in spaces filled with people with similar interests as mine but I also had the opportunity to meet with some of the speakers and panelists. These opportunities felt surreal such as when my classmates and I spoke with Loretta Ross about what we as current public health students can do to continue the fight for reproductive justice. I was also in awe at the opportunity to meet Dr. Jamila Perritt and learn more about her work as an abortion care provider in the D.C., Maryland, and Virginia areas and being able to listen to Congresswomen Ayanna Pressley in front of the convention center as she galvanized the crowd to continue the fight for abortion rights in this country. 

The last few highlights of my first APHA were the networking events, such as the MCH-National Network lunch where I was able to meet fellow CEMCH scholars. I was also able to attend the Black Ladies in Public Health mixer where I was introduced to Dr. Amutah-Onukagha, who in 2022, founded the Center for Black Maternal Health and Reproductive Justice (CBMHRJ) at Tufts University School of Medicine. Additionally, I had the opportunity to meet up with Dr. Mary Mitsdarffer. I was in contact with Dr. Mitsdarffer before APHA, as she was a guest speaker in one of my classes and I was grateful for the chance to meet with her in person. She is an amazing researcher and professor focusing on minoritized health disparities, education, and immigration policy with a focus on community collaboration at the Biden School of Public Policy. I was thrilled to find out we share similar interests and look forward to staying in touch with her. 

I will always look fondly on my experiences at my first APHA conference and look forward to all the possibilities future conferences may hold. 

Sydney Bond, BS, is a first-year MPH student, concentrating in Maternal and Child Health. Her research interests are Black maternal and infant mortality, Black maternal morbidity, health equity, nutrition, and maternity care deserts. After earning her MPH, she plans on working toward becoming a midwife/Family Health Nurse Practitioner. She hopes to one day open her own clinic focusing on holistic health for all.

Waiting in Lines at APHA

Several of our first-year MCH students attended the 2022 American Public Health Association (APHA) Annual Meeting in Boston, MA from November 6-9. APHA was celebrating its 150 Years of Creating the Healthiest Nation: Leading the Path Toward Equity. What follows is a post from one of the attendees.

By Megan Cahalin, BSPH

The APHA conference was an undeniably beneficial opportunity. From learning new research on exciting topics, connecting with Tulane alums and others, trying food in a city I’d never been to, and even getting my steps in each day. As per usual with my personality, some of my best connections were made waiting in line for food. 

At Starbucks, I connected with a representative from Commando, an LGBTQ+ Advertising Specialists company. After waiting 45 minutes together for my bacon gouda sandwich, we created a unique bond. Later in the day, while exploring the Public Health Expo, I ran into the Commando table and my line buddy himself. Seeing him finally get his coffee, we laughed over the whole encounter as I shifted the conversation to his company. Commando is an online advertising company that targets health messages to the LGBTQ+ community with culturally-relevant advertisements. I was very excited to see how a company used aspects of health communication to target a specific population which I advocate for frequently. 

My next connection was formed in the line for Dunkin’ Donuts. Between scientific sessions, my sights were solely set on filling my never-ending hunger. So, off to Dunkin I went. As I swiftly walk across the street, I run into another fellow APHA conference attendee, made aware to me by the flapping of her lanyard name tag. Again, we connected over being starving. Later that day, I saw her carrying a little pink stuffed animal at the Expo. Knowing we were on friendly terms, I asked her what she was carrying and where she had gotten it. She kindly walked me over to a table full of people within her network from the National Coalition of STDs. They were working on an at-home self-testing STD kit to send nationwide, increasing access to testing and decreasing clients for overworked women’s clinics. One initiative that caught my eye was their STI reduction efforts, as this little pink stuffed animal is now my only focus. This little guy was a giant microbial rendering of the Syphilis Treponema pallidum. In efforts to get people talking about STDs, these stuffed Syphilis’ were adorable instead of something gross and elusive. 

The people and companies I saw at APHA opened my eyes to what health communications can look like in the real world. It was inspiring to see how my passion for STI stigma reduction and LGBTQ+ advocacy work can be translated into targeted marketing. 

Megan is a first-year combined BSPH/MPH degree student focusing on Maternal & Child Health. She plans to graduate with her MPH in May of 2024 and get her CHES certification. Megan is passionate about reproductive justice and sexual health education. She also loves cooking for her friends and heading to Body Shoppe for a workout class. 

An Inspiring Entry to Professional Public Health

Several of our first-year MCH students attended the 2022 American Public Health Association (APHA) Annual Meeting in Boston, MA from November 6-9. APHA was celebrating its 150 Years of Creating the Healthiest Nation: Leading the Path Toward Equity. What follows is a post from one of the attendees.

By Jacqueline Oschin, BSPH

The APHA 2022 Annual Conference in Boston was my first ever public health conference. I came in with high hopes, and left with these expectations exceeded, feeling invigorated by my experience. With five years of academic experience in public health, I have been searching for more opportunities to experience the professional, real-world side of public health. I was thrilled to learn that as a CEMCH scholar, I would have the opportunity to attend the APHA annual conference. 

CEMCH Scholars Megan Cahalin, Sydney Bond, Jacqueline Oschin, and Jazlynn Taylor with African American academic, feminist, and activist, Loretta Ross.

The main word I think of when I look back at my experience at the APHA conference is “inspiring.” That seems like the best way to describe the energy that the conference gave to me. Meeting like-minded students and professionals, having conversations about important current events, and learning about the work people are doing in the field left me feeling energized to continue my studies and pursuit to be a leader in public health. I felt validated that I am on the right path and reminded of how important the work that I want to be a part of is. I was able to attend sessions on maternal and child health, reproductive health, and incarcerated health. I learned more about some topics I knew about and was also exposed to new concepts and ideas. I was able to meet leaders in these fields and share dialogues about issues that personally and professionally interest me. 

Attending the conference with my fellow CEMCH scholars and our associate director and mentor Dr. Shokufeh Ramirez was an amazing bonding opportunity as well. I felt comforted having these people at my first conference with me, knowing that it was also a new experience for my peers and that it was a learning opportunity for all of us. It was exciting experiencing the conference and the city with this group and I felt it really brought us closer. It was also amazing seeing how many Tulanians attended the conference at the alumni event.

Overall, I am incredibly grateful for this opportunity and experience. I feel lucky to be a part of such an incredible community, both as a Tulane CEMCH scholar and as a future public health professional. 

Jacqueline Oschin, BSPH,  is a second-year MPH student, concentrating in Maternal and Child Health. She plans to graduate in December 2023. Her interests include maternal health equity and healthcare for incarcerated populations, and she wishes to combine these passions within her career.  She also loves travelling, reading, and doing yoga.

Conference Planning, Networking, and the Cupid Shuffle

Several of our first-year MCH students attended the 2022 American Public Health Association (APHA) Annual Meeting in Boston, MA from November 6-9. APHA was celebrating its 150 Years of Creating the Healthiest Nation: Leading the Path Toward Equity. What follows is a post from one of the attendees.

By Stacy Pierre, BS

I expected Boston to be a lot colder than when we first arrived for the APHA conference. The weather was countering my meticulous conference planning. I had picked out my sessions, printed the QR code for my digital business card, and tailored an outrageously optimistic list of people I wanted to meet. I remember writing down Congresswoman Ayanna Presley’s name and panicking a little at what I was daring myself to do. As it turns out, I am a lot bolder than I can ever give myself credit for. I shall explain.

I lost my contact lens while doing the cupid shuffle at the party for the 150^th anniversary. That same night, while being half-blind, I attended the Black Ladies in Public health social and introduced myself to as many professionals as I possibly could. I had promised myself nothing was going to stop me. That was my motto for this whole conference. I always seem to find my way toward the right researchers, the right organizations, and the right public health students. The meticulous planning felt at times unnecessary. The first person I introduced myself to was a fellow Haitian American student. I could not possibly have planned for that. Neither could I have planned for the myriad of emotions I felt witnessing a panel of Black women discuss reproductive justice from an intersectional viewpoint. There was something so powerful about the way Dr. Loretta Ross passed down all her wisdom. 

Everyone I met also happened to be yearning for a better tomorrow as much as I am. The session on violence against women and girls in the global south felt most like a community gathering. When the researcher from Rwanda hugged me and told me to stay in touch, it reaffirmed my need to always uplift those working at the margins of our American consciousness.

In the end, I did meet Congresswoman Pressley. I attended the reproductive rights rally where she spoke. She held my hand, asked me to come with her, took a selfie with me and my fellow scholars, and told me I was awesome. She was the fourth person to tell me that during this conference.

When I first applied to Tulane SPHTM, I told Dr. Ramirez that the CEMCH was my main reason for wanting to be here. I found a few more reasons at APHA. I am grateful for it all. I like where I am. I love where I am headed. 

Stacy Alerte Pierre, BS, is a first-year MPH student, concentrating in Maternal and Child Health. She plans to graduate in December 2023. Her interests include sexual and reproductive rights, health disparities and accessibility issues in low and middle income countries, social justice, and sustainable health system strengthening. She loves cooking and baking,  poetry, embroidery, and British television. 

CEMCH Scholars Sydney Bond, Stacy Pierre, and Jazlynn Taylor with Congresswomen Ayanna Pressley.

There Is Work to Be Done

Several of our first-year MCH students attended the 2022 American Public Health Association (APHA) Annual Meeting in Boston, MA from November 6-9. APHA was celebrating its 150 Years of Creating the Healthiest Nation: Leading the Path Toward Equity. What follows is a post from one of the attendees.

By Jazlynn Taylor, BS

Attending my first APHA conference was an eye-opening experience to say the least. To see the excitement and energy of individuals from all over the country coming together to share the latest research, technology, and policies to enhance the lives of the people we serve as public health leaders 

From the many topics and discussions that were held, Black maternal health and reproductive rights were two topics that I gravitated towards. A primary goal I had for myself when attending the conference was to see the current data on Black maternal health. In various sessions, the main factors that contributed to high black maternal mortality rates were communication and lack of autonomy with providers, racism and discrimination, lack of maternity leave and the struggles of mental health. “I just want to be heard,” and “ I was not aware of the other services offered,” were just two of the testimonials that were presented during the scientific session on Improving Pregnancy Outcomes: Perspectives of Pregnant Women: Qualitative  Research for Improving Pregnancy Outcomes. However, there are centers tailored to address these findings. The M.O.T.H.E.R. Lab was founded by Dr. Ndidiamaka Amutah-Onukagha to address through research, advocacy, and mentorship the inequities that Black birthing parents face. Birthing Beautiful Communities is a community of dedicated birth workers that recognizes systemic racism is a root cause of Black maternal health and outcomes and focuses on reducing the social detriments for Black birthing parents. 

 On the first day of the conference a reproductive rally was held to protest the Dobbs decision and to empower young people to take a stand, and let their voices be heard, especially with the Nov 8^th elections drawing near. I had the opportunity to hear people’s testimony regarding how the Dobbs Decision has affected them. Hearing their testimony and seeing the cries of frustration was hard for me to watch and listen to, but so necessary. Also, during this time, we got the chance to hear Congresswomen Ayanna Presley speak about the importance of Reproductive Justice now more than ever, and to top it all off we got a picture taken with her! Attending the rally was the perfect way to start my conference. 

One of the keynote events was a forum discussion titled Reproductive Health, Rights, & Justice: Before, During, and Beyond. One of the speakers Dr. Jamila Perritt spoke about her journey as a physician, what being an advocate for reproductive justice looks like for her, and the many challenges she has faced due to her stance. During the panel Dr. Perritt asked “How far are you willing to go in this fight?” She, as well as other members of the panel, emphasized the importance of knowing and understanding yourself and where you can do your best and most work in Reproductive Justice. 

Jazlynn Taylor BS, is a first-year MPH student, concentrating in Maternal and Child Health. She plans to graduate in May 2024. Her interests include African American maternal and infant health and outcomes, reproductive health, and sexual health and education. She also loves reading, cooking, and exercising. 

Exposure to Policy

A number of our MCH students attended the 2021 CityMatCH conference, online in December. What follows is a post from one of the attendees.

By Victoria Utria, BS

CityMatCH 2021 was a seamless virtual conference that provided me with a deep dive into MCH. My main takeaway was that public health professionals have a duty to engage with policy from all angles: research, formation, recommendations, and opposition.

A specific but important example of the policy work that’s required of us is in the regulation of endocrine disruptive chemicals: chemicals that negatively interact with the endocrine system causing disease and disability. The effects of exposures during gestation and early childhood can last throughout the lifecourse, affecting brain development and heart disease and more. Exposure to adult women has been linked to PCOS and breast cancer. Endocrine disruptive chemicals also negatively affect male fertility. Controlling these exposures are wholly an MCH issue.

Drs. Ghassabian and Trasande of the NYU Center for the Investigation of Environmental Hazards presented the specifics of gestational exposure and global regulation efforts. Public health requires us to see problems through to the end – if not as individuals then surely through team effort, passing the baton along, while making sure we finish the race. 

I also attended policy sessions on expanding postpartum Medicaid coverage, emergency preparedness, and how to get involved in MCH policy. I was very happy to learn that five states have successfully expanded and fifteen have passed legislation to seek expansion of Medicaid.

Lastly, in my public health experience thus far I had never seen Indigenous Americans centered nor elevated— CityMatCH corrected this and has set a standard. “Don’t come to us because you think we have the most problems. Come to us because we have the answers.” The keynote speaker, Abigail Echo-Hawk, left us with the task to learn how to perform small population analyses and apply them, and to become aware of data collection limitations and correct them. American Indians, Alaska Natives and Pacific Islanders are of the largest growing groups of multiracial individuals. Not having an option on collection forms that specifies AI or AN or PI, and does not permit multi-selection, is erasure. Ms. Echo-Hawk ended with a call for systems change, advocacy— policy!

Victoria Utria, BS, is a first-year MPH student concentrating in Maternal and Child Health. She comes to the field with a background in biomedical engineering, and hopes to work in MCH implementation science and community-lead design. She is looking forward to her first Carnival season in New Orleans!

What Are They Fr?

A number of our MCH students attended the 2021 CityMatCH conference, online in December. What follows is a post from one of the attendees.

By Momi Binaifer Sagoe, BS

The City Match conference was very insightful, from the opening message on data visualization for health equity to the diverse health equity topics presented at the conference. 

Though several topics sparked my curiosity, presentations on breastfeeding and reclaiming Black breastfeeding sparked a lot of questions for further research and understanding. Breastfeeding has several significant benefits for the child and the mother. Breastfeeding for the baby contains nutrients for cognitive development and antibodies from the mother. Breastfeeding reduces the risk of breast cancer for mothers and other evidence-based benefits. 

These presentations during the conference made me understand the racial and ethnic differences in breastfeeding in the United States among different races. The presenters showed data trends on Black American and Hispanic infants being breastfed for a shorter period than White American infants. These disparities exist because Black American and Hispanic mothers tend to be younger, unmarried, and have lower income and education compared to White American mothers. To address these disparities, more culturally tailored education needs to be done among Black and Brown communities, more representation of Black and Brown lactation educators and consultants, and supportive policies on breastfeeding-friendly hospitals.

There are several reasons why mothers stop breastfeeding or choose not to breastfeed, such as issues with lactation and latching. Other reasons such as unsupportive work policies, lack of education on lactation, and lack of parental leave are reasons that can be changed through policies and tailored educational support to Black American and Hispanic communities.

Race should not be a predictor of one’s infant health outcomes. 

Momi Binaifer Sagoe, BS, is a first-year MPH student concentrating in Maternal and Child Health. She plans to graduate in May 2022 and continue to pursue her P.A. degree after graduation. She plans to use both her MPH and PA degree. Her interests include primary health prevention and promotion, Chronic diseases, Global maternal and child health, health systems and policies, and Health Equity. She enjoys cooking, reading autobiography books, watching documentaries, and nature walks.

Image from https://maryameliacenter.wordpress.com/mac-pics/

What can I do?

A number of our MCH students attended the 2021 CityMatCH conference, online in December. What follows is a post from one of the attendees.

By Briasha Jones, BS

As an MPH student, I am filled with a lot of passion and drive to learn as much as possible about public health, specifically Maternal and Child Health (MCH). I often find myself fantasizing about how I will feel when I am done with this organized learning. I say organized in reference to traditional in-the-classroom learning because I know learning never really stops. I think about the impact I will make as a practicing public health professional. These feelings give me a lot of hope but sometimes I wish there was something I could be doing now, while I am a student. Does my voice/opinion matter? Do I have any expertise to offer?

Early in December, I had the pleasure of virtually attending the CityMatch conference. This conference is catered to MCH. One presentation I attended helped with my feeling of hopelessness as a student. The presentation was called Movers and Shakers: Policy at Every Level. The presenter started by talking about some of her beliefs and the most important point she made was the following: “To have an equitable impact on the greatest number of women, children, and families, we must ensure effective public policies, programs, and services.” 

This struck me because I always say that I am not very interested in the policy side of MCH, but this made me realize how integral it is and how it sets the tone for other aspects. After she outlined different policies in place and policies that are in progress, she listed different strategies and actions to get involved in the policy-making process. While these were probably geared toward those who are currently working, I realized that a lot of the actions I could also do, now, as a student. They ranged from things as simple as signing up to stay informed about policies and how they impact my community, and using social media, to sharing my views and testimonies with policymakers, among other things. This was one of the first sessions of the conference and also came at a time when I was very stressed with school. I walked away from this session with some motivation to keep going.

Briasha Jones, BS, is a second year MPH student concentrating in Maternal and Child Health. She plans to graduate in May 2022. Her research interests include disparities in maternal and infant mortality, women’s reproductive and sexual health and midwifery care. In her spare time, she enjoys cooking, Netflix binging, cycling classes and spending time with family!

Getting Motivated

A number of our MCH students attended the 2021 CityMatCH conference, online in December. What follows is a post from one of the attendees.

By Danielle Gyasi, BS

City Match was my first virtual public health conference and I am so glad that I was able to have that experience of an informative workshop from the comfort of my home. I was not exactly sure what to expect but I was l eager to learn some new things dealing with public health, meet new people, and create new connections with people in similar fields. 

The session that stuck out the most to me was Prioritizing Racial Equity to Address Health Outcomes at the Local Level by speakers Katrice Cain, Jessica Ehule, ZO Mpofu, and Andy Wessel. As we all know, the topic of racism in public health has become a hot topic in the United States. Racial disparities have disproportionately affected infant and maternal outcomes for people of minoritized racial groups. One speaker discussed the history of racism towards these groups and how their practices were institutionally dismantled. She explained the impact it has had on health outcomes and what we can do to get back on track. She also shared a few personal experiences and how they have impacted her drive to do more for these communities. Listening to her passion motivated me to take what I am doing more seriously and to hopefully one day make an impact on the reversal of these negative health and birth outcomes. 

Since attending the conference, I have been able to discuss with my colleagues how much information and insight we received on the topic of racial equity and what we can do in the future to see positive change. As a future health professional, there is so much that I would love to do, but my passion is maternal health. I would love to see an improvement in maternal health outcomes, specifically for Black women so I truly did enjoy and appreciate this session. 

Danielle Gyasi, BS is a second-year MPH student concentrating in Maternal and Child Health. She plans to graduate in May 2022. Her interests include health promotion, infant and maternal mortality in underrepresented communities. She enjoys working out, cooking, and spending quality time with her family and friends. 

Birthing During COVID-19

A number of our MCH students attended the 2021 CityMatCH conference, online in December. What follows is a post from one of the attendees.

By Boyani Moikobu, BS

I became interested in maternal and child health due to the maternal health disparities present in the U.S. I had my own personal experience with this in 2018 when a family member went into labor and had unexpected complications with labor due to hypertension that had been ignored by her doctors during her pregnancy. As stressful as that situation was, one can imagine that giving birth during the pandemic must have been incredibly difficult. With many women having to face the added stress of COVID-19 while dealing with the stress of pregnancy, I found this seminar Birthing in a Pandemic: The Impact of COVID-19 On Pregnancy and Postpartum Experiences particularly compelling during CityMatCH.

Black women are more likely to suffer complications during pregnancy and the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the disparities present, as vaccination rates are lowest in Black and Hispanic communities. Black women who are pregnant are 4x more likely than white women to have COVID-19. This is troubling, as pregnant people who become infected with COVID have a higher likelihood of stillbirth. Although a study was published in early 2021 stating that the vaccine was safe for pregnant and breastfeeding mothers, outreach and access have been low in rural and non-white communities. 

I was interested to learn about the What to Expect Project, an organization that provides expecting mothers with the help and knowledge needed to ensure a successful pregnancy. The What to Expect Project surveyed pregnant and postpartum mothers to understand how likely pregnant people were to receive the COVID vaccine. Of the women surveyed, 45% reported that they were not vaccinated. One individual-level intervention would include integrating prenatal care health workers (PCHW) into communities to educate mothers in vulnerable populations on the importance of receiving the vaccine. Although individual interventions are not enough to solve maternal health disparities, this is a much-needed start as we continue to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Boyani Moikobu, BS, is a first-year MPH student, concentrating in Social, Behavioral, and Population Sciences with a certificate in Maternal & Child Health. She plans to graduate in May 2023 and hopes to work as a Maternal and Child Health Program Coordinator. Her interests include mental health, health disparities, and women’s health. In her free time, she loves reading, shopping, and spending time with her friends and family.

Self-Care is important for Mental Health

A number of our MCH students attended the 2021 CityMatCH conference, online in December. What follows is a post from one of the attendees.

By Jade D. Zachery, BS

The 2021 CityMatCH Leadership and MCH Epidemiology Conference was an amazing conference full of information that is crucial to the work of Maternal and Child Health. In the closing plenary session, mental health and wellness were the focus of the conversation. With the unknowns of the pandemic, the stress of working from home and having to stay home, having things happen in your personal life and work life, even now with a new variant on the horizon, stress levels have skyrocketed. I loved how this session talked about the symptoms, treatment, and prevention of burnout. 

My favorite quote was by Audre Lorde, “Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation, and that is an act of political warfare.” For a long time, self-care was not something that I deemed to be important. Self-care was not a big thing in my Black household. I was taught to always be doing something and not to have any idle time. Before this session, I knew the importance of self-care and some ways to achieve it, but after listening to this presentation and the discussion, I know to put more of a focus on self-care, not just for me, but also for the communities that I will be serving once I start working. I strongly believe that we need to put an emphasis on self-care more in the Black community. In 2021, Black people and POC have been hurt, isolated, silenced, and much more. We have to remember and share strategies for support, resilience, and grounding. And creating safe spaces for Black people and other people of color are so important for their self-care and wellness. 

This was such a great conference, especially with all the knowledge regarding the Maternal and Child Health world. I am very happy that I was able to attend and put what I learned from all the sessions into what I want to do when I look for a career. My attendance at this conference has further affirmed my passion for Maternal and Child Health.

Jade D. Zachery, BS, is a second-year MPH student, concentrating in Maternal and Child Health. She plans to graduate in May 2022. Her interests include maternal mortality and morbidity, sexual and reproductive health, and child health. Her hobbies are reading, shopping for plants, candles, and perfumes. 

Let’s Doula This

Several of our MCH students attended the 2021 American Public Health Association (APHA) conference, October 24-27, in-person or online. What follows is a post from one of the attendees.

By Brianna Betton, BA

During APHA, I was able to attend many insightful sessions and engage in conversations about the future of public health. One session in particular, titled Public Health Identity Crisis, left a lasting impact. One of the panelists, Jen Elder, spoke about how her passion for helping people who are homeless led to her work with health and human services. It challenged me to think about how my passion for Black maternal health led me to doula work.

It took me a long time to figure out where I felt like my place was in public health and this past semester, I’ve had to engage in critical reflection about my MCH journey. I thought my niche was doing qualitative research and that’s the kind of work I wanted to do after graduation. Whenever I would mention that I was a doula, people became sensationalized, and it took over the conversation. Ultimately, I didn’t want doula work to overshadow all of my research experience. Here I was on the precipice of a cutting-edge field in public health and I wanted to hide it. When Andrea Lowe said, “the ability to evolve is a skill,” I felt like I was hit with a lightning bolt. I realized that there were so many things about doula work that I can apply to the public health profession. 

1. Being a doula has taught me to be more empathetic. Providing labor support has been the most difficult thing I have ever done in my life. I have the privilege of seeing birthing people at their most vulnerable which helped me develop patience and compassion because I have to continuously support them. This will help me work on projects where I may not see an immediate result and be able to continuously communicate with stakeholders throughout the process. 

2. Being a doula has helped me see how public health theories are connected with lived experiences. Being an MPH student has made a lot of theoretical constructs seem abstract and disjointed from people’s lived experiences. As a doula, I’ve been able to understand constructs like the socio-ecological model and life course perspective from an entire new point of view.

3. Being a doula has enabled me to understand maternal health from the intersection of health equity, health communication, and health education. Public health is an interdisciplinary field and having the opportunity to gain skills in approaching maternal health from a variety of perspectives is very beneficial for a public health professional.

Public health is an interdisciplinary field and having the opportunity to gain skills in approaching maternal health from a variety of perspectives is very beneficial for a public health professional. 

Before this session, I never stopped to think about how focusing on having a niche was impacting my ability to market myself during my job search. Once, I realized that I wasn’t required to have a public health niche; it helped me open myself to more professional opportunities. I have accepted a position as the Doula Onboarding and Technical Assistance Coordinator at the National Doula Network. I am really grateful to have found a job that combines my passion for improving maternal health outcomes and my experience as a birth doula! 

Brianna Betton, BA, is a second-year MPH student studying maternal and child health. She plans to graduate in December 2021. In her free time, Brianna enjoys cooking, yoga, and going to church. 

We all have a role to play

Several of our MCH students attended the 2021 American Public Health Association (APHA) conference, October 24-27, in-person or online. What follows is a post from one of the attendees.

By Victoria Utria, BS

APHA 2021 served as a perfect introduction for my public health education. I attended sessions and plenaries on MCH (of course), elder wisdom, men’s health, racism, and more. 

Victoria and two second-year scholars

The session that felt tailor-made for me was called Public Health’s Identity Crisis: Who Are We? What Can We Be? Though its focus was on alternative careers for public health professionals, it made me feel secure as an “outsider” coming in. The panelists all agreed: I am not an outsider, and I do not need to “enter.” We all need to realize that ALL industries are a part of the big tent of public health. All industries have a role to play. Two panelists work or have worked for insurance companies, “the enemy,” and both shared that their firms had many proponents of universal health coverage. It is the insurance companies, not government or other organizations, that will bring about the change we want to see, they said. The way to achieve these ends is for public health-trained professionals to translate their knowledge and values into those fields. 

The other advice they shared was to:

• be open, sit back and listen first,
• learn, and 
• know the value you bring and lead with that.

APHA, Tulane SPHTM, and Tulane CEMCH are allowing me to follow this advice. 

Some additional highlights from the conference were hearing from the CDC Director; Maine CDC Director; Granville, NC Health Department Director; and President of Trust for America, a health policy and community health organization. Seeing all levels of health management in one setting provided such clarity about how the US system functions. 

My final session was on elder wisdom run by the American Indian, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Caucus. Panelists spoke about their decades of public health experience. Babette Galang, in particular, addressed the importance of incorporating and teaching traditional medicine practices into our health system. 

Victoria Utria, BS., is a first-year MPH student concentrating in Maternal and Child Health. She hopes to work in implementation science and community-led design in the MCH field, both locally and in Latin America. Her main area of interest is doctor-side interventions to eliminate avoidable maternal mortality and morbidity. Victoria enjoys dancing with friends, quality time with family, and learning about different cultures. She speaks Spanish and Portuguese fluently, and is working on German and Italian. 

Public Health Identity Crisis

Several of our MCH students attended the 2021 American Public Health Association (APHA) conference, October 24-27, in-person or online. What follows is a post from one of the attendees.

By Tiwani Oseni, BS

This year has marked a lot of firsts for me. I finished my first year of grad school, executed my first public health job experience, and most excitedly attended my first (in-person) APHA conference! Last year, I had the privilege of attending APHA virtually. Although it was rewarding and informative, the virtual format was not the best fit for me. Attending APHA from the same room where I did homework, work from home duties, and meetings didn’t give APHA that spark I needed to be excited. This year, however, was the complete opposite. The chilly Denver air mixed with seeing new random faces every day helped aid in excitement and joy for my first in-person conference.

Oseni at the APHA expo.

Joy and excitement were recurrent feelings that I felt through APHA, but the feeling of relief really stuck with me. Earlier this year when planning life after graduation, I came to the realization that I had a public health identity crisis. To me, this meant that I had no idea what I wanted to do with my MPH degree. I had an inkling that I would take the health communications route but continuously switched to possibly becoming an analyst. Then after realizing that quantitative data and I don’t mix, I felt very apprehensive and honestly scared. Fast forward to APHA, and those feelings are finally long gone! After attending the Public Health’s Identity Crisis session, I felt heard, seen, and most importantly relieved. This session focused on using transferable skills from various industries and creating your own unique role in public health. This session stuck with me, as it had me face the realities of job searching while at an advanced level of public health. Because of this session, I have decided to stick with my love for health communications and delve into what that can actually mean for me. With my positive experience in health content creation, creating health-centered podcasts, and acting as a health resource for various peers, the choice was obvious! 

Tiwani Oseni, BS is a second-year MPH student concentrating in Health Education & Communications and earning a certificate in Maternal and Child Health. She plans to graduate in May 2022.  Her interests include health promotion, community health, and maternal mortality in underrepresented communities. 

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The Individual in Generalized Public Health

Several of our MCH students attended the 2021 American Public Health Association (APHA) conference, October 24-27, in-person or online. What follows is a post from one of the attendees.

By Natalia Machicote, BA

Natalia with a group of first-year scholars.

I had the great opportunity to attend the American Public Health Association Conference in Denver thanks to Tulane University’s Center of Excellence for Maternal and Child Health (CEMCH). Arriving in Denver, most of my colleagues and I did not know what to expect. I have only been focusing on public health as a professional for a year, and I was concerned about the expectations those attending the conference would have on students. However, from the time we entered those doors and passed the big blue bear outside the conference building, my team and I only received big smiles and enthusiasm from staff or professionals we met along the way. These interactions were so critical and important to me since it would set the tone to what my future would look like and the people I would be working with. 

The conference provided a wide range of presentations about specific studies and topics. Two talks that stuck with me were a presentation about Colorado’s Youth Engagement and the other about Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Asian immigrant communities. Colorado’s Youth Engagement opened my eyes to how crucial it is for us to start involving the youth in our practices, especially if it impacts them in any way. Hearing personal accounts about how important it is to be involved in society from teenagers that serve as Youth Leaders helped me realize how essential they are in the upkeep of future generations. The second talk that deeply affected me was about a woman who shared her experience as a Vietnamese immigrant and her life journey navigating ICE, incarceration, social stigmas, lack of support, etc. She started her talk clarifying that her story is not unique, that many go through the same challenges that she went through. She began to tell us about her life and all the challenges she had to overcome. 

Natalia at the SPTHM booth at the APHA expo.

One thing I noticed that the conference gave me clarity in was how much I value hearing individual’s stories about how specific public health issues affected them and how they managed to overcome them, especially those involving human rights violations. Relating all this to what I am pursuing my studies in, all the talks I heard in the APHA2021 conference were eye opening. Being surrounded by so many public health professionals and seeing what they are doing in their own field motivated me to keep my hard work going as well as be prepared for the challenges that come from trying to achieve health equity.

Natalia Machicote, BA,  is a first-year MPH student, concentrating in Maternal and Child Health. She plans to graduate in May 2023. Her interests include reproductive health, birth equity, and immigrant populations.  She also loves working out, music, and eating.

Policy as a means to structural change and racial equity

Several of our MCH students attended the 2021 American Public Health Association (APHA) conference, October 24-27, in-person or online. What follows is a post from one of the attendees.

By Lily King, BSPH

The American Public Health Association highlighted health equity and social connectedness during its 2021 conference. As a first-time attendee, I had the opportunity to virtually attend numerous engaging sessions that aligned with my professional and research interests. I was most intrigued by the session presented by the de Beaumont Foundation, APHA, and the National Collaborative for Health Equity titled Healing Through Policy: Creating Pathways to Racial Justice. Although the speakers did not specifically mention maternal and child health, the framework seemed to align well with the need for structural changes and racial justice within MCH.

Local leaders and health departments across the United States are identifying racism as a public health crisis. The Healing Through Policy Initiative uses the Truth, Racial Healing, & Transformation framework (TRHT) in order to curate policies and practices that work to advance racial equity at the local level. The TRHT framework is based on five guiding principles: narrative change, racial healing and relationship building, separation, law, and economy. Narrative change focuses on the communication between communities about past and present experiences and ideas for future change. Racial healing and relationship building emphasizes the need to create strong relationships between communities of different races and ethnicities in order to build trust. Separation refers to the social, as well as physical, division of individuals and communities based on a single trait, such as race or socioeconomic status, that results in the continuation of racial and health inequities. Law outlines the ways in which our legal system perpetuates white supremacy and denies all non-white community members the humanity they should be entitled to. Lastly, the economy examines the manner in which our current financial institutions and systems reward white individuals at the expense of people of color who are oppressed by the same systems. Policies curated by Healing Through Policy and informed by TRHT are disseminated to local leaders in order to provide them with the tools to advance racial and health equity within their communities.

I believe this initiative could be extremely beneficial for leaders in the maternal and child health field. Racism clearly contributes to disparities in maternal and infant health outcomes within the United States. Maternal mortality is increasing in the United States, and in Louisiana, Black mothers are 5.6 times more likely to experience pregnancy-related death compared to white mothers. This is not a problem that can be addressed using individual- or interpersonal-level interventions. In order to address racial inequities in maternal and infant health, policy initiatives at the local and national levels are imperative.

Lily King, BSPH, BA, is a first-year MPH student concentrating in Maternal and Child Health. She plans to graduate in May 2023. Her research interests include maternal health, structural determinants of health, and health disparities. In her free time, Lily enjoys biking in City Park, reading on the bayou, and playing ultimate frisbee.

Developing the Healthiest Nation during a pandemic

Several of our MCH students attended the 2021 American Public Health Association (APHA) conference, October 24-27, in-person or online. What follows is a post from one of the attendees.

By Jade Zachery, BS

I appreciated the opportunity to attend the APHA conference in Denver this year. Attending in person for the first time, I was incredibly grateful to be in the room with individuals who all have similar goals like myself, such as improving the place we call home. With my interest being maternal and child health (MCH), I was focusing on topics and sessions that focused primarily on MCH, but I also learned so much from the other sessions that I attended.

The opening session was a wonderful way to kick off the conference. I thoroughly enjoyed the talk that Heather McGhee gave and how she talked about her book, “The Sum of Us” and about health equity. She spoke about her experience of traveling across the United States to understand the financial cost of racism to people of all colors. This went hand in hand with this year’s theme of Creating the Healthiest Nation: Strengthening Social Connectedness. 

A session that really stood out to me was the Responses to and impact of COVID-19 on MCH, where the panelists talked about delivering childcare and early education practices and the importance of prenatal care with home visits, even in a pandemic. I really enjoyed the discussion about a toolkit that included birthing during COVID-19. This was highly informative and will be helpful for future births and families for whatever may come, and it is great that there is something in place so people can have resources. 

Another session that stood out to me was the one called Public health efforts addressing African American men’s health. This was such an important topic because there needs to be an awareness of, or more of a focus on, men’s health. The discussion was great, and I loved all the questions that were asked at the end. One of them was about getting dads more involved with their children’s health. That was something that we focused on while I was interning with Healthy Start New Orleans, and we partnered with Reaching Our Sisters Everywhere and Reaching Our Brothers Everywhere. 

This was an amazing conference, and I am grateful that I was able to attend both years of my master’s degree program. Overall, I have realized that this is something near and dear to my heart and I am on the right path.

Jade D. Zachery, BS, is a second-year MPH student, concentrating in Maternal and Child Health. She plans to graduate in May 2022. Her interests include maternal mortality and morbidity, sexual and reproductive health, and child health. Her hobbies are reading, and shopping for plants, candles, and perfumes.

Comparing APHA In-Person and Online

Several of our MCH students attended the 2021 American Public Health Association (APHA) conference, October 24-27, in-person or online. What follows is a post from one of the attendees.

By Fabiola Tarazona-Tubens, BS

Last year, I was given the opportunity to attend APHA 2020. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic it was done virtually and even without being able to compare to in-person I can say it was an amazing experience. It was a bit daunting when I saw all the poster sessions, presentations, and MCH meetings that I wanted to attend at the same time. But through exhaustive research I was able to narrow my list down a little bit. 

Tarazona-Tubens at the Tulane SPHTM booth at the APHA expo.

The hardest thing about attending online was the limited ability to network with other MCH peers and attend the Expo Hall using the interactive map. Even though I took advantage of the resources available to interact with others, online interaction is not the same as in-person interaction because you are not able to see the body language of the other person, exchange business cards or information about the school or company – you might miss little details. 

On the other hand, this year was different because I got the opportunity to attend in-person and I co-presented the Birthing during COVID-19 toolkit: An emergency response to pregnancy and postpartum project, along with Tulane MCH alumni Kiara Cruz and Tonye Fohsta-Lynch. Most of the poster sessions I attended were related to MCH and medical care such as the impact of COVID-19 on MCH and telehealth services, and infant and child health. I also learned about initiatives targeting infant and maternal mortality, low birthweight and improving prenatal and postpartum care and medical care, disease screening, management, and screening. 

The presentation at this year’s opening general session given by the speaker Ms. Heather McGhee was amazing and one of my favorites. I appreciated what she had to say about addressing inequality and the measures that need to be taken within the system and society, by providing several insights related to the racism that exists in the US. 

Fabiola Tarazona-Tubens, BS, is a second-year MPH student concentrating in Maternal and Child Health. She plans to graduate in December 2021 and is deciding whether to pursue a career as a public health professional or a medical degree (Pediatrician-Neonatologist) after graduation. Her interests include reproductive health, medical care, and advocacy for racial and health disparities, particularly in minority populations such as Latino/Hispanic overcoming language barriers in the healthcare system, health equity, and child health. She also loves cooking Puerto Rican food, baking pastries, photography, dancing and reading. 

Navigating Commitments and Cultivating Connections at CityMatCH

Several of our second-year MCH students attended the 2023 CityMatCH Maternal and Child Health Leadership Conference Meeting in New Orleans, LA on September 20th-22nd. This year’s theme for CityMatch was Reconnecting and Transforming MCH: A Journey of Healing, Rebirth, and Growth. What follows is a post from one of the attendees.

Sydney Bond, BS

This year the conference I chose to attend was CityMatCH. It was conveniently located in New Orleans, Louisiana. However, its proximity provided an unforeseen challenge. How to say present and be actively engaged at a conference in your home city when school and work obligations still exist. By day two of the conference, I was able to be fully present with a few adjustments. I am up for the challenge of the next conference in town. 

During the morning plenary session on day two of the conference, we heard from a few audience members about the work they are doing in their home states. One woman who works in Philadelphia spoke on a pilot program her organization supports that will provide monthly cash payments to pregnant residents during pregnancy and for a year postpartum. The goal of the program is to improve infant and maternal health outcomes for Black residents in Philadelphia. I was intrigued to hear about this program as I have not heard of any programs that will provide direct assistance to individuals. I made sure to track the woman down after the session and learned even more about the program. I was happy to exchange contact information with her and look forward to seeing the program outcomes. 

Even with the initial challenges of the conference, I am happy I was able to attend and had the opportunity to create connections. 

Sydney Bond, BS, is a second-year MPH student concentrating in Maternal and Child Health. Her research interests are Black maternal and infant mortality, Black maternal morbidity, health equity, reproductive justice, maternity care deserts, and obstetric violence. After earning her MPH, Sydney plans on working towards becoming a midwife/Family Nurse Practitioner. She hopes to one day open her a clinic focusing on holistic and preventive health for all. 

Building the Human Connection

Several of our second-year MCH students attended the 2023 CityMatCH Maternal and Child Health Leadership Conference Meeting in New Orleans, LA on September 20th-22nd. This year’s theme for CityMatch was Reconnecting and Transforming MCH: A Journey of Healing, Rebirth, and Growth. What follows is a post from one of the attendees.

Jazlynn Taylor, BS

This year, I had the privilege of attending the CityMatch Conference right here in New Orleans. There were several moments during the conference that truly stood out to me. One aspect of the conference that resonated with me the most were the sessions focused on fatherhood. These sessions delved into various research studies highlighting the involvement of fathers in multiple stages of pregnancy and the perinatal period. The overarching theme of these fatherhood sessions was a compelling call to action for inclusivity, emphasizing the need to involve fathers in the Maternal and Child Health field. It was eye-opening to listen to the speakers address the challenges that fathers face, such as feeling “ignored by doctors during appointments,” the lack of available resources when preparing for fatherhood, and the absence of paternity leave, which reduces the time available to bond with the new baby and support their partners. One promising solution discussed was the PRAMS for Dads initiative, which aims to survey fathers and gain a better understanding of their needs. Acknowledging the crucial role that men can play in improving reproductive health within their families is becoming increasingly recognized and appreciated.

Another session that left a lasting impact on me was the final plenary session, “Unexpected: Supporting the Needs of Black Mothers Living with HIV.” During this session, I witnessed two remarkable Black women sharing their lived experiences and creating a safe and supportive space for other mothers, both current and expecting, who are living with HIV. It was heartwarming to hear these two women speak out about not allowing their status to define them or to be confined within the limitations that society might impose. In addition to the documentary they presented, the two women also spoke in person at the conference. Their deep connection, love, and support for each other and their families were palpable. It was even more inspiring to learn that they lived a great distance from each other, yet they still managed to find the time to support one another and newly diagnosed mothers. As the documentary and discussion concluded, I felt an immense sense of joy and honor that these two Black women had the courage to share their stories authentically and live unapologetically in their truth.

Preparing to Enter the MCH Workforce

Several of our second-year MCH students attended the 2023 CityMatCH Maternal and Child Health Leadership Conference Meeting in New Orleans, LA on September 20th-22nd. This year’s theme for CityMatch was Reconnecting and Transforming MCH: A Journey of Healing, Rebirth, and Growth. What follows is a post from one of the attendees.

By Jacqueline Oschin, BSPH

CityMatCH was the second conference I have attended and was a nice introduction to a more focused view of maternal and child health. I enjoyed being in such a large group of people that share the same passions and goals. I really appreciated the first and final plenary sessions which addressed how to have difficult conversations with people who may not agree with you, and women’s lived experiences of having children and being able to breastfeed while living with HIV, respectively. The final session was really meaningful as we got to hear from women living with HIV, and having this human connection was so impactful, especially because presentations often focus on research and studies and tend to lack the human experience aspect. I also went to a session on “community lawyering” which I deeply enjoyed as it touched on structural barriers to health such as housing, and how to equip people with knowledge of their rights and how to fight for them. 

CityMatCH, which took place in New Orleans this year, was also a great opportunity to meet people from local organizations as well as national organizations that I have learned about throughout my studies such as Birthmark Doula Collective, Black Mamas Matter Alliance, and March of Dimes. It was exciting meeting people from March of Dimes, as I have utilized their resources on maternal and child health many times for research projects. I was also able to connect with people from the New Orleans Health Department and learn more about the work they are doing locally. As I am graduating this semester, the conference was a great opportunity to network and learn more about career opportunities in the field of maternal and child health both locally and across the country. Leaving the conference, I feel more equipped with knowledge about the MCH workforce and how I can be a meaningful part of it. 

Jacqueline Oschin, BSPH, is a second-year MPH student, concentrating in Maternal and Child Health. She plans to graduate in December 2023. Her interests include health equity, human rights, structural violence, and criminal legal system reform. She also loves painting, travelling, and her cat Princess Nutter Butter. 

On Radical Contraceptive Care, Paradigm Shifts, and Mac and Cheese.

Several of our second-year MCH students attended the 2023 CityMatCH Maternal and Child Health Leadership Conference Meeting in New Orleans, LA on September 20th-22nd. This year’s theme for CityMatch was Reconnecting and Transforming MCH: A Journey of Healing, Rebirth, and Growth. What follows is a post from one of the attendees.

By Stacy Pierre, BS

Conferences in New Orleans are a very different experience compared to those out of town. Firstly, no other city’s conferences have top-tier mac and cheese for lunch. Massive shout-out to the chefs! Secondly, it’s a lot more difficult to act like the paper is not due when you can see it sitting on your desk at the end of the day. Similarly, it is much more difficult to detach oneself from the premise of a conference that actively centers a request to one’s community. The CityMatCH conference was just that: a commitment to centering marginalized communities in discussions about their maternal healthcare, a willingness to listen to their voices, and a “radical paradigm shift.” 

The word radicalism was doing quite a bit of heavy lifting at times. The session on radical contraceptive care was about access to the same contraceptives currently available to the same populations we are already reaching, with the bonus of advocating for broader abortion access. For someone who routinely starts conversations with this premise, the offered conclusion of “advocating for legalized abortion” felt off. The session on a radical shift in parenting was simply a commitment to targeting fathers in our data-collection endeavors. I imagine that for the generations prior who failed to center paternal care as a determinant of maternal health outcomes, this is a paradigm shift. To me, it felt like an incomplete conversation—the jump-off point to a call to action that never happened.

The most radical perspectives came from three Black women from Los Angeles who routinely walk into meetings with funders and advocate for grants for programming and assistance for teenage mothers in their communities. The keynote conversation on Black women living with HIV was a powerful example of radical love. The indigenous speakers who have advocated for decades for discussions centering on their communities were a model of radical commitment to this society. The request to center those voices often feels like a double-edged sword. Populations bearing the brunt of the issues of our systems are being asked to be at the forefront of fixing them. How equitable is that request? How heavy is this added burden?

 These questions are a starting point for next year’s conference. Many of this year’s attendees were just getting familiar with this new paradigm. I am unsure of how sustainable it is to keep relying on those most affected to carry the radical commitment forward. I am hopeful we can collectively do better. I am grateful for a shared space to air those concerns.

Stacy Alerte Pierre, BS, is a second-year MPH student concentrating in Maternal and Child Health. She plans to graduate in December 2023. Her interests include sexual and reproductive rights, health disparities and accessibility issues in low and middle-income countries, social justice, and radical health system restructuring. She is currently training as a community birth sister/doula. In her free time, she loves cooking and baking, poetry, embroidery, and British television.

Kicking off CityMatCH 2023

Several of our second-year MCH students attended the 2023 CityMatCH Maternal and Child Health Leadership Conference Meeting in New Orleans, LA on September 20th-22nd. This year’s theme for CityMatch was Reconnecting and Transforming MCH: A Journey of Healing, Rebirth, and Growth. What follows is a post from one of the attendees.

By Megan Cahalin, BS

As second year CEMCH scholars, we were given the option to return to the American Public Health Association Conference or attend a conference we had never been to before, City MatCH. While APHA was an amazing experience, I was eager to attend a new conference, this one entirely dedicated to maternal and child health. The conference kicked off with one of my favorite plenary sessions, titled How to Have Difficult Conversations About Race.

Keynote Speaker, Kwame Christian

Based on his best-selling book, Kwame Christian facilitated this session from the perspective of a negotiation expert. Kwame kept the crowd engaged the entire session with his insight into having productive discussions, avoiding common mistakes, using compassionate curiosity, and deliberating with the opposition in a practical setting. With the tools outlined in this session, session-goers gained insight into the psychological aspects that influence how you are perceived and how to gain leverage in polarizing conversations. This was one of my favorite sessions, because the session focused on skills that are so rarely talked about in a professional setting. The skills and tips outlined in the plenary session helped me gain confidence in something so arbitrary, yet difficult to do well. Though health disparities are discussed in the curriculum of Tulane SPHTM, how to have conversations with opposing entities about this truth is not covered, especially when you do not fall into the population that you are speaking on behalf of.

Leaving with the skills to be able to effectively negotiate with those who disagree, we can more efficiently promote and advocate for health equity in both our careers and personal lives. This plenary session left me feeling ready to tackle the rest of the conference, attending sessions about celebrating youth voices, reproductive justice, improvements in screening for congenital syphilis, maternal health equity, and my favorite session – the plenary highlighting the specific health and social needs of Black mothers living with HIV.

After completing her BSPH at Tulane University, Megan Cahalin knew that the next step for her professional career was to continue her studies. She is passionate about sexual health education, STI stigma reduction, and reproductive justice. Megan will most likely go on to get her CHES certification once she graduates in May of 2024. Her career goals include working with community sexual health education programming. She loves to cook dinner every night with some jazz playing! She also loves to stay active, whether it’s yoga, running, or cycling. And finally, under times of stress, Megan turns to painting, cuddling with her two kittens or calling her sister.