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Healthy Generations eNewsletter

December 2024

Healthy GenerationseNewsletterDecember 2024

This eNewsletter is brought to you by the

Center for Leadership Education in Maternal and Child Public Health.

Center Announcements

Drissa M. Toure “Agents for Change” Interview

The UMN School of Public Health (SPH) created the “Agents for Change” profiles to showcase how faculty, staff, and students embody the Strategic Plan for Antiracism and the overarching theme of “Building Equity, Driving Justice: Commit | Challenge | Change.” Assistant Professor and Center faculty member Drissa M. Toure’s interview discusses his commitment to antiracism in both his personal and professional endeavors. Read more here.

Racism in Pediatric Serious Illness and Palliative Care

UMN MCH alumni and Center faculty member J'Mag Karbeah, PhD, MPH authored an article in the Journal of Pain and Symptom Management. This qualitative research review article discusses the historical implications of racism in America and how it contributes to severe illness, specifically with Black and Native American children.

Student Spotlight: How is Kelly Gill Supporting Maternal Wellbeing by Advocating for Respectful Birth Care and Perinatal Peer Support?

#UMNMCH student Kelly Gill (she/her, MPH 2025) wrote this reflection on her deployment at the Minnesota Department of Health’s Women’s Health Unit. As a part of her position, Kelly created multiple briefs aimed at improving maternal outcomes. Kelly hopes that maternal mental health continues gaining visibility as a key public health issue so it can receive the funding, research, and policy changes needed to save lives. Kelly found that “writing the fact sheet and policy brief afforded me the chance to see the strategic ways public health professionals are transforming research into action.”

Student Spotlight: How did Katie Quijada Impact LGBTQ+ Youth in Orange County?

#UMNMCH student Katie (she/they, MPH 2024) describes her deployment at the LGBTQ Center Orange County, a nonprofit community organization that provides programming, outreach, and resources to the LGBTQ+ community. As a part of her deployment, they created a community needs assessment framework, public health training materials for volunteers, and a social media outreach campaign. Katie wrote, “Being able to collaborate with an organization that is a local powerhouse of advocacy and positive change for the LGBTQ+ community makes me feel like I am making a difference.”

MCH Leads Blog: Promoting Exclusive Breastfeeding

Niju Khoteja, an MPH student in the Epidemiology Program at Saint Louis University, is the December author of the Health Equity Edition of MCH Leads. In her blog entry, titled “Promoting Exclusive Breastfeeding,” Niju applies MCH Competency 2 (Self-Reflection) and Competency 9 (Developing Others through Teaching, Coaching, and Mentoring) to her work with the Rotary Club of Kathmandu Mid-Town. “Breastfeeding advocacy is, at its core, a fight for health equity…Our efforts in promoting breastfeeding have always been rooted in the belief that every child deserves a healthy start in life, regardless of their background or circumstances.” Learn more about Niju’s contributions here!

Save the Date For Spring 2025 Center Events

Bright Spots Mini-Lab: Learning Lab–How to Turn Qualitative Insights Into Compelling Multimedia Presentations

January 30, 2025 | 11:30 AM -1:00 PM CT | Virtual

In this Learning Lab session led by Rich Thau, participants will learn how to quickly produce accurate multimedia presentations of qualitative research results following the completion of online focus groups and other qualitative methods. In preparation for the session, feel free to browse through Engagious’ previous videos. Learn more and register here.


Women’s Health Research Symposium: Maternal Mental Health
February 13, 2025 | McNamara Alumni Center (East Bank Campus) or Virtual

The UMN Women's Health Research Conference features plenary panel presentations, panel discussions, and a poster session on women’s health research. It draws interdisciplinary women’s health researchers, healthcare providers, students, and community public health professionals for a day of learning, networking and research dissemination. This event is hosted by the Center for Women’s Health Research and the Building Interdisciplinary Research Careers in Women's Health (BIRCWH) program, and is co-sponsored by the Center. Registration, event timing and location, and other info coming soon.


Health Disparities Roundtable
April 4, 2025 | 9:00 AM -11:30 AM CT | Coffman Memorial Union or Virtual

The Health Disparities Roundtable is an annual event focused on exploring key issues in health and racial equity research, policy, and practice. It features speakers from both local and national levels who share strategies for prevention and solutions to improve health outcomes. This event is hosted by the Health Equity Work Group (HEWG) and is co-sponsored by the Center. Register here.

Research

Perspectives From Local CCDF Program Staff in Four States on Improving Latino Families’ Access to Child Care Subsidies

This new research publication from the National Research Center on Hispanic Children and Families is the first of its kind to study how child care subsidy programs are implemented across states with large populations of income-eligible Hispanic children. The brief focuses on staff practices and perspectives, Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) implementation, and policies/practices to reduce burdens and better support access among Hispanic families.

Evaluating Androgen Levels in Patients with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) Helps Inform Infertility Treatments

The authors of this scientific study from the NIH found that infertility patients with the highest androgen levels had the lowest pregnancy rates. Authors concluded that evaluating androgen levels in PCOS patients could help physicians more effectively guide them and treat their infertility.

Events

Leveraging Emotional Intelligence and Diversity: Creating Mutually Beneficial Relationships in Public Health

December 19, 2024 | 7:45 AM -11:00 AM CT | Virtual
This workshop from the Region IV Public Health Training Center helps public health professionals apply emotional intelligence and diversity frameworks to their current contexts within public health. Participants will reflect on their personal and organizational challenges related to emotional intelligence and diversity and discuss strategies to increase the likelihood of productive and mutually beneficial relationships with diverse audiences. Free to attend, but registration is limited.

Anima Conference: Compassion and Justice Leadership in Polarizing Times

January 21-23, 2025 | Virtual
Anima Leadership, a DEI training and consultant company based in Ontario, Canada, invites prospective participants to attend this free, virtual conference. Attendees will connect with the social justice community, learn strategies for change, and hear from thought-provoking speakers and leading authors in the field. Register here.

AMCHP Annual Conference: ‘Partnering for Impact’

March 15-18, 2025 | Washington D.C.

Early bird registration is now open for the Association of MCH Programs (AMCHP) Annual Conference. This conference aims to emphasize the collective commitment that public health practitioners have in creating a more equitable world. Register by January 17th to get the best rates.

Resources

Video Series: Affirm, Share, Ask Cycles for Person-Centered Communication and Counseling

Developed in partnership with Envision Sexual and Reproductive Health, this video series, which presents brief provider-client interactions, is intended for sexual and reproductive health staff who work with clients in a clinical setting (e.g., clinical services providers, nurses, health educators). This 30-minute video is part of the Reproductive Health National Training Center's (RHNTC) Family Planning video series.

Research Briefs: Minn-LInK

The Minn-LInK project provides researchers, practitioners, educators, administrators, and policymakers an important opportunity to better understand the experiences of some of the most vulnerable children and families in Minnesota. These briefs and reports build upon the work of other state agencies and university researchers from the Center for Advanced Studies in Child Welfare and the School of Social Work.

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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The Center for Leadership Education
in Maternal & Child Public Health

The Center is supported by HHS HRSA (grant # T76MC00005). https://mch.umn.edu