Healthy Generations eNewsletter

MCH student Nichole Castillo developed interest in infant mortality and health inequities through her program experience as a fellow of the Gruber Fellowship for Global Justice and Women’s Rights. Acknowledging the persistent health disparities, Nichole wanted to gain the tools of epidemiology and statistics to be able to pair data with personal patient stories to effect change. Nichole shares more about her deployment with the Minnesota Department of Health, where she partnered with several different professionals from the Child and Family Health division. Her main project was developing a safe sleep survey as part of efforts to prevent infant deaths from SIDS/SUIDS.

-Read the Student Spotlight

Kathleen May is the author of this month's blog post on Competency 11: Working with Communities. She is the Program Coordinator for the Institute for Public Health Practice at the University of Iowa (UI) College of Public Health. She earned her BS in Public Health and MPH in Community and Behavioral Health, both from UI, and received training at UI’s Maternal and Child Professionals to Address Growing Disparities in the Rural Midwest Catalyst Program. Kathleen reflects on her experience with the Title V MCH Internship program and how she obtained skills working with communities. “Understandably, it is impossible to be aware of everything happening in a system, but this is where system mapping can be useful. Working together to address this issue will lead to greater effectiveness and efficiency due to pooled resources, diverse voices and backgrounds, and shared passion.”

-Read the blog post

February 18, 2022 | 9:00 AM - 10:15 AM CDT

The Center's Mini-Lab offerings introduce MCH students and practitioners to qualitative data collection principles and techniques. Professor Johnny Saldaña will explore the principles of qualitative research and coding, drawing on his background in education and research methods.

-Register

February 15, 2022 | Exact time forthcoming

The Women's Health Research Conference is a half-day event that features plenary panel presentations, panel discussion, and a poster session on women’s health research. It draws interdisciplinary women’s health researchers, health care providers, students, and community public health professionals for a day of learning, networking, and research dissemination. Participants come from all over the Twin Cities metro, rural Minnesota, and neighboring states.

-Register

• Vision loss another potential consequence of delayed care due to COVID | American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) News During the COVID-19 pandemic, a decrease in pediatric care visits and lack of in-person schooling have led to a significant drop in childhood vision screening. Results may be an increase in permanent visual impairment due to amblyopia.

• Don’t punish yourself for eating ‘unhealthy’ foods | Popular Science Psychologists and epidemiologists alike research on the impacts of attitudes and food. “There’s a deep cultural and emotional connection with food,” says Susan Mason, a social epidemiologist at the University of Minnesota, “Why not enjoy it and just pay attention to how your body’s feeling?” Mason also recommends getting back in touch with your hunger cues. Holidays often involve a lot of munching between meals, so even when you’re eating intuitively, it can be easy to lose track of whether you’re hungry. It’s okay to eat for pleasure, but if you’re feeling like your body is a little out of sorts, being more conscious of why you want food can help you find balance again.

• Rural midwives fill gap as hospitals cut childbirth services | Michigan Advance The rural counties that were more likely to lose their hospital-based obstetric care services were less populated, more remote, had fewer doctors, had “less generous” Medicaid programs and had higher proportions of Black residents compared with white residents, said Katy Backes Kozhimannil, health researcher and director of the Rural Health Research Center at the University of Minnesota co-authored the study.

January 20, 2022 | 9:00 AM - 10:45 AM CDT

Join this seminar as advocates, policymakers, and community members come together to discuss the advancement of policies supporting early childhood from prenatal care through age 3.

-Register

January 25, 2022 | January 26, 2022 | 9:45 AM - 3:00 PM CDT

Learn new skills and revisit classic strategies that help build a coordinated approach as you provide comprehensive services to children with disabilities, from birth to age 5, in all program settings. All webinars will be captioned in English and Spanish. Hosted by the National Center on Early Childhood Development, Teaching, and Learning (NCECDTL).

-Register

January 26, 2022 | 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM CDT

This national webinar addresses gender, homelessness, and a constellation of intersecting issues including behavioral health, human trafficking, and interpersonal violence. Participants will learn foundations of gender justice in homelessness, strategies to strengthen community partnerships, and will hear from a panel of experts in the field. Hosted by Futures Without Violence and the National Health Care for the Homeless Council.

-Register

The UNITE initiative was established to identify and address structural racism within the National Institutes of Health (NIH)-supported community and the greater scientific community. The listening sessions are part of UNITE’s efforts to listen and learn. Key stakeholders at all levels of the biomedical research community who work and serve in diverse settings and hold various roles, and who partner and collaborate with research teams have important experiences and insights to share. Find the schedule of listening sessions here and register for a session that best aligns with your affiliation or interests.

January 28, 2022 | 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM CDT

Join this session in the Epidemiology and Community Health seminar series. In this session, psychologist and Hamline University associate professor of criminology and criminal justice, Dr. Jillian Peterson, will discuss her research into mass shootings and data-driven gun violence policies. She will be joined by guest speaker Nicole Hockey, mom and co-founder of Sandy Hook Promise, and moderator Associate Dean Marizen Ramirez.

-For more info

Monday, February 7, 2022 | Time TBD

The Minnesota Fathers and Families Network (MFFN) works on promoting healthy father-child-family relationships through informed practice, public policy, and system change. Learn from fatherhood professionals about a wide range of topics to help support fathers and families navigate their lives post pandemic. Listen to stories from fathers who will share their own personal experiences about the journey to their "new normal." There is a $50 registration fee to attend.

-Learn more and register

April 11-17, 2022 | Time TBD

This is the 5-year anniversary of National Black Maternal Health Week, founded and led by the Black Mamas Matter Alliance, and will be a week of awareness, activism, and community building intended to:

• Deepen the national conversation about Black maternal health in the US;

• Amplify community-driven policy, research, and care solutions;

• Center the voices of Black Mamas, women, families, and stakeholders;

• Provide a national platform for Black-led entities and efforts on maternal health, birth, and reproductive justice; and

• Enhance community organizing on Black maternal health.

Start planning for #BMHW22 now by signing up for the newsletter, exploring resources, following on social media, and more.

In December 2021, Vice President Kamala Harris hosted a Summit to mark the first-ever White House Maternal Health Day of Action to address the US maternal health crisis. The Summit kicked off a national Call to Action for private and public sectors to unite in improving reproductive health outcomes.

The Center for Antiracism Research for Health Equity (CARHE) joined this movement to raise awareness for the maternal and infant health crisis and to combat the root causes of reproductive health inequities.

The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) has published several web pages about Long COVID: A Post-COVID Condition. New content includes what is known (and isn’t known) about symptoms, treatment, prevalence, and more. There are also resources for long COVID survivors, caregivers, schools, and workplaces, a summary of what MDH is doing to learn more, and a separate page for health care providers. Post-COVID conditions like long COVID are not yet well understood. Content will be updated as more information and resources become available.

In this Gender Policy Report, Kimberly Horner writes that, “While immigration status has been called a ‘social determinant of health’ in recent scholarship, it might be more aptly labeled a ‘political determinant of health’ in the US. Political decisions and policies are directly linked to the health, well-being, and opportunities for the foreign-born, who are overrepresented in frontline jobs and less likely to have access to healthcare, especially when fearful of deportation or risks to future citizenship opportunities.”

The health and safety of pregnant and lactating individuals are legally protected in Minnesota. Most employers are willing to comply with laws that support their pregnant and nursing employees. If they are unwilling, the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry can help. Beginning January 1, 2022, workplace protections for expectant and new parents were expanded. Changes include:

• Requiring nursing and lactating employees receive paid break time to express milk at work

• Ensuring more employees have a right to request and receive needed pregnancy accommodations in the workplace

Additional details about the changes in this law are available on the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry website. View and print this brochure that reviews workplace protections for pregnant employees and new parents in English, Hmong, Somali, and Spanish.

The Minnesota Breastfeeding Coalition YouTube channel has a short video “Employers Supporting Lactating Employees” available in English, Spanish, Hmong, and Somali.

The Maternal Health Learning and Innovation Center (MHLIC) is a national resource center guided by the mission to “foster collaboration and learning among diverse stakeholders to accelerate evidence-informed interventions advancing equitable maternal health outcomes through engagement, innovation, and policy.” MHLIC provides information on state and national programs, blogs, resources, and events.

-Learn more about MHLIC

Project REACH (Rural Experts Advancing Community Health) is a year-long program that provides diverse community leaders in rural Minnesota with health policy and leadership training. Participants will learn to frame health policy challenges and how to communicate effectively with state legislators and other policymakers. Interest forms due by March 2, 2022.

-View recruitment flyer

You received this message because you have subscribed to the Healthy Generations listserv. This newsletter is produced monthly by the Center for Leadership Education in Maternal and Child Public Health at the University of Minnesota. Email mch@umn.edu to have your event, resource, or publication included in our eNewsletter.

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