COVID-19 Resources
Recent CDC News
AMCHP COVID-19 Resources and Vaccination Pages
AMCHP is committed to working alongside our federal agency and organizational partners to gather available information, resources, and guidance specific to our MCH population during the COVID-19 pandemic. These resources are on our website for your convenience and are updated regularly as untapped resources become available. Find out more about vaccinating MCH populations to stay up to date on well-care during the pandemic here.
AMCHP Announcements
Never miss our updates! Sign up for our newsletters here, and follow us on Twitter (@DC_AMCHP), LinkedIn (Association of Maternal & Child Health Programs), Facebook (AMCHPofficial), and Instagram (@DC_AMCHP).
New MCH Bridges Podcast – Community-Led Solutions for Change: The Story of Colorado’s Birth Equity Bill Package
Our newest MCH Bridges episode is now live! Episode 11– “Community-Led Solutions for Change: The Story of Colorado’s Birth Equity Bill Package“
In this special episode, AMCHP’s MCH Bridges podcast is teaming up with the Maternal Health Learning and Innovation Centers (MHLIC)’s Maternal Health Innovation podcast to cover maternal health policy successes, challenges, and opportunities while discussing Colorado’s recent passing of their Birth Equity Bill Package. This bill package is comprised of a series of three bills designed to increase access to and decrease inequities in obstetric care in the state. This comprehensive and community-led response to the maternal health crisis is the first-ever state-led policy platform for birth equity. To learn more about the details of how the community-led Colorado Birth Equity Bill Package was developed, check out their Innovation Hub database entry here.
Tune in now to listen to host Laura Powis, Program Manager for Evidence-Based Policy and Practice at AMCHP and member of the Policy Core at MHLIC, and guest speakers Indra Lusero, birth justice advocate and the Director and Founder of the Elephant Circle; Demetra Seriki, midwife at A Mother’s Choice Midwifery; and George Davis the Fifth, a community member on Elephant Circle’s Birth Equity Implementation Steering Committee.
Share with your peers and listen to this and other episodes on www.mchbridges.org, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Overcast.
Why tune in to MCH Bridges?
MCH Bridges is intended to help our listeners create new connections to MCH leaders, organizations, and ideas. We aim to inspire and guide listeners towards actions that will improve the systems that impact MCH populations.
Who should listen to MCH Bridges?
MCH Bridges is designed for Title V MCH & CYSHCN leaders, state and jurisdictional health department staff, individuals with lived experience and their families, MCH faculty and students, public health professionals, and others wanting to learn more about supporting MCH populations and equitable systems of care.
Improve Your Program’s Response Readiness: Apply Today for AMCHP’s Emergency Preparedness and Response Action Learning Collaborative!
Are you interested in building your jurisdiction’s capacity to meet the complex needs of women, children, and families in planning for and responding to public health emergencies? AMCHP is inviting applications for the fourth cohort of its Emergency Preparedness and Response Action Learning Collaborative (EPR ALC) that runs for seven months from January 2023 through July 2023.
Since 2018, more than 20 teams from state and territory health departments have participated in this initiative that is funded by and done in close partnership with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Division of Reproductive Health. The ALC is framed by the Public Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Checklist for Maternal and Infant Health, which was jointly developed by AMCHP and the CDC, and covers four overarching strategies that address topics such as data and surveillance, communication, and program coordination.
The ideal ALC participants are multidisciplinary teams from a single jurisdiction (i.e., associated with a state, territory, or freely associated state) that must include staff from the Title V Maternal and Child Health (MCH) and Public Health and Emergency Preparedness and Response (PHEP) programs – with an individual associated with one of those programs serving as a team lead.
Click here to learn more about this initiative, including program components and a schedule of activities. The application for the upcoming cohort is due on Friday, December 9. Decision notifications will be made by Friday, December 16. Have questions? Please contact Nia Sutton (nsutton@amchp.org), AMCHP’s Emergency Preparedness and Response Manager.
AMCHP Announces New Members to the Board of Directors
AMCHP is pleased to announce that its Board of Directors recently held a special election and welcomed three new regional directors. New Board members will serve effective immediately. With these changes, AMCHP’s Board of Directors will comprise seventeen members. New appointments to the Board include Martha Smith (Region VII Director), Jennie Munthali (Region VIII Director), and Katie Eilers (Region X Director).
“On behalf of the Board, I am proud to welcome these three incredible leaders as new colleagues on the AMCHP Board,” said Belinda Pettiford, President of AMCHP’s Board of Directors. “These individuals bring unique perspectives to support AMCHP’s mission and strategic direction and to represent maternal and child health priorities in their regions.”
Continue reading or download our full press release at this link.
Recent AMCHP News
- Early Childhood Nutrition + AYA Mental Health E-Learning Modules
- #ScreenToInterveneForAYAs Blog Post on Mental Health Equity for BIPOC Communities – Helpful Primers from Mental Health America
AMCHP Annual Conference
Have you saved the date for the 2023 Annual Conference? Mark your calendars for May 6-9, 2023, to attend in New Orleans, Louisiana! Our 2023 edition of the AMCHP Annual Conference will offer content in-person and through our virtual conference platform with the theme Cultivating Diverse Leaders in Maternal and Child Health. Also, don’t forget to subscribe to our mailing list to be the first to receive updates and information about the conference!
Early Bird Registration for the 2023 AMCHP Annual Conference is Now OPEN!
Early Bird registration for the 2023 AMCHP Annual Conference is now open! Register to attend in person or virtually by Wednesday, March 8, 2023, at 11:59 PM PT, to take advantage of the early bird pricing.
Are you not sure whether you will attend in person or virtually? You can change your attendance status without penalties until Wednesday, April 5, 2023, at 11:59 PM PT.
You can register now to secure your spot here!
Now Accepting Hotel Reservations
You can now make your hotel reservation to attend the 2023 AMCHP Annual Conference in person. Book your stay at the New Orleans Marriot in New Orleans, LA, by EOD April 13, 2023, or until the block sells out.
We look forward to seeing you!
Support CBOs, Tribal Government Representatives, and Youth at Our Upcoming Annual Conference!
Our annual conference is fast approaching. While we can’t wait to see you at AMCHP 2023, we also recognize the deep value of having youth and young adult leaders, community-based organizations (CBOs), and those representing tribal entities to attend as well.
Here is a letter from our President and CEO providing further details about ways to support these individuals to attend. We shared a similar letter last year, and based on our conference evaluation, it inspired jurisdictions to financially support 10 youth and young adult leaders (including students), CBOs, and tribal government representatives to participate. Nearly a quarter of those who received the letter indicated that it helped them build or strengthen relationships with the individuals that they sponsored to attend the conference.
We are hopeful that this letter will have the same, or an even larger, impact this year. We also hope that it inspires you and your colleagues to have conversations about ways that you can further partner with and support these individuals and groups in your own work. Check out our conference registration page for further information.
Behind the Scenes of AMCHP 2023: Meet Julie Traylor!
Julie Traylor, AMCHP’s Annual Conference Planning Committee Chair, is the Director of Strategic Development for the Division of Family Health and Wellness at the Tennessee Department of Health.
We connected with Julie to discuss her role in the AMCHP Conference Planning Committee and her thoughts on AMCHP 2023 – including what she is most excited about the conference, this year’s theme, what potential participants need to know, and how the conference aims to impact the maternal and child health field. [read more]
Explore the Conference Theme
Each year, the AMCHP Annual Conference is represented with a theme that aligns with identifying practices and policies to address the key challenges that maternal and child health (MCH) programs and families face. It also aims to strengthen the partnership between local and state MCH programs and families. Ideas for the theme are solicited from our conference planning committee, AMCHP staff, AMCHP Board, and AMCHP committee members and then carefully considered and selected based on a prioritization process. Thus, the emergence of this year’s Annual Conference theme came about: Cultivating Diverse Leaders in Maternal and Child Health. [read more]
Explore the Schedule At-A-Glance on Our Website
Visit our conference webpage to view the schedule at-a-glance, which includes opportunities for networking and skill-building sessions as well as plenty of impactful workshops and inspiring plenary sessions.
AMCHP Information & Resources
Building Resilience from Lived Experience: AMCHP’s Collection of Public Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Stories
Public health emergencies have and will continue to reveal the critical importance of planning for and responding to the needs of women, children, and families, including those with special health care needs. To begin understanding the depth and complexity of these needs, we all must first listen to the individuals who have experienced the impacts of emergencies, from fires and hurricanes to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The “Building Resilience from Lived Experience” series is a collection of unique stories in various formats (written narrative, video clips, etc.) from individuals who have experienced the personal and professional impacts of public health emergencies. Each story includes a one-page snapshot summarizing major takeaways for individuals and families, health and related systems, and communities.
As you explore the stories, AMCHP invites you to consider your spheres of influence and how you can be a catalyst for moving from intention to action. We also encourage you to share them with decision-makers, work them into tabletop exercises or other staff trainings, or use them to start a dialogue with colleagues from your jurisdiction’s Public Health Emergency Preparedness and Response (PHEP) program.
Do you have a story you’d like to share? Please send us an e-mail to PHEP@amchp.org, and a member of our project team will contact you about the contribution process. Visit our website to access the complete series and learn about related information and resources.
Now available! Mind Matters: AYA Mental Health Capacity Building for Title V
This set of four e-learning modules is developed for Title V staff interested in how they can leverage their jurisdiction’s MCH block grant program to improve systems of mental health care for adolescents and young adults (AYAs). Each of the four modules functions as a standalone learning experience, and users can navigate between each module at their leisure, and in the order they prefer. Within each module, learners will find an introduction and background to the topic, key resources, examples of MCH programs in action, a summary of takeaways, and an opportunity for individual reflection on the content that’s been covered. The topics covered by each module include:
- Emerging Topical Issues in AYA Mental Health: Learn about the state of mental health among AYAs and trends over the last decade.
- Innovation in Service Delivery: Learn about the ways in which creativity in youth screening procedures has reduced some existing barriers to high-quality treatment & support.
- Integration of Mental Health into Primary Care for AYAs: Learn about frameworks, strategies, and real-world examples of effective approaches to integrating mental health services into primary care encounters for AYAs.
- MCH Workforce Capacity and Skillsets: Learn about pivoted approaches in workforce development to the skillsets of the AYA-MCH workforce to improve mental health care systems.
This series can be accessed here.
Information From AMCHP and MCHB to Share with Caregivers & the Public
With winter still more than a month away, we are already experiencing a surge in pediatric respiratory infections. These infections, along with ongoing staffing shortages and emergency department and inpatient stays for behavioral health concerns, are straining the capacity of healthcare systems across the country. Please join AMCHP and the Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB) in promoting the following public health messaging to caregivers and the public. Thank you in advance for helping to promote vaccinations and spread the word about ways that we can keep children and families safe and healthy.
Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV)
This surge in respiratory illnesses is currently being driven by high numbers of RSV infections not usually seen until winter. Hospitals are also seeing early increases in seasonal flu activity, with flu cases expected to rise significantly over the upcoming weeks. In addition, children are still presenting to emergency departments and being admitted to hospitals with COVID-19 infections.
With the existing burden of RSV cases, and with cases of influenza and COVID-19 expected to rise over the winter months, the strain on the capacity of emergency departments, hospitals, and pediatric intensive care units (ICUs) across the country will likely continue. CDC data suggest that each year in the United States, RSV leads to approximately 2.1 million outpatient (non-hospitalization) visits and as many as 80,000 hospitalizations among children younger than 5 years old. In addition, between 7,000 and 28,000 children younger than 5 years old are hospitalized for flu annually. Infants, younger children, and children with developmental disabilities or chronic medical conditions are at higher risk for severe infection from respiratory viruses.
Actions for Caregivers & the Public
An important step that parents and caregivers can take is to get vaccinated against flu and COVID-19 to help keep kids—especially those under 6 months, who can’t yet receive flu or COVID-19 vaccines—safe.
In addition to staying up to date on their flu and COVID-19 vaccines and protecting high-risk infants, people can prevent the spread of respiratory viruses by taking the following everyday actions:
- Avoid close contact (such as kissing, shaking hands, and sharing cups and eating utensils) with people who are sick
- Stay home when sick
- Cover your coughs and sneezes with a tissue or your upper shirt sleeve (not your hands)
- Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds
- Clean frequently touched surfaces such as doorknobs and mobile devices
Vaccinating against flu and COVID-19 is a primary strategy for preventing illness and reducing the severity of illness; this not only protects individuals from potentially serious respiratory disease but also helps to prevent additional strain on the health care system.
CDC Recommendations
- Annual flu vaccination is recommended for all people 6 months and older who do not have contraindications (which are rare).
- People ages 6 months and older are recommended to receive a primary series of any age-appropriate FDA-approved or FDA-authorized monovalent COVID-19 vaccine.
- People ages 5 years and older are recommended to receive one bivalent mRNA booster dose after completion of any FDA-approved or FDA-authorized monovalent primary series or previously received monovalent booster dose(s).
Children younger than six months of age are not eligible for flu or COVID-19 vaccines. As noted above, an important strategy for keeping these youngest infants safe is to make sure that everyone around them—parents, siblings, other relatives, and caregivers—is vaccinated against the flu and COVID-19.
About Palivizumab
While there is no vaccine to prevent RSV, some infants and children who are at the highest risk for serious illness from RSV may be eligible for monoclonal antibodies (palivizumab). Palivizumab has been shown to reduce hospitalization and intensive care unit admission for RSV. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) “supports the use of palivizumab in eligible infants in any region experiencing rates of RSV activity at any time in 2022 similar to a typical fall-winter season.” MCHB encourages state and local programs for children and youth with special health care needs to assist in identifying infants and young children who are eligible for palivizumab and work with health care providers and payers to assure that eligible infants and children receive palivizumab in accordance with the latest AAP clinical guidance.
AMCHP Innovation Hub
Be a Part of AMCHP’s Replication Projects!
See a practice in AMCHP’s MCH Innovations Database that caught your eye? Interested in building partnerships with other MCH organizations while enhancing your organizational capacity? Consider participating in AMCHP’s Replication Projects for the 2023-2024 project year! Each year, AMCHP offers awards between $15,000-$25,000 for organizations to replicate a Cutting-Edge, Promising, or Best Practice from the MCH Innovations Database. You’ll receive peer coaching from a representative of the practice as well as tailored assistance from AMCHP to help you adapt the practice to your unique context and situation.
The Replication Project offers two levels of support (capacity building or implementation) depending on your organization’s level of readiness to begin replication.
- Capacity Building focuses on growing your organization’s capacity and partnerships to help you prepare to replicate a practice.
- Implementation focuses on helping you plan for and begin adapting a practice to your setting.
Want to learn more about this opportunity?
Visit our webpage, NEW blog post, and review our Readiness Checklist to get started. Note that in order to submit an application, you must first complete an exploratory call by January 31, 2023.
Questions? Email us at evidence@amchp.org.
AMCHP Mental Health Corner
Mental health is an important component of well-being for MCH populations. To recognize its importance, we will use this space to highlight resources for MCH professionals to support their own mental health, as well as the mental health of those they serve. Read more about AMCHP’s organizational work on mental health and substance use here.
Observances in December include International Day of Persons with Disabilities and Human Rights Day! In December, AMCHP’s mental health social media will highlight coping mechanisms for holiday-induced social isolation and loneliness. Tips to manage holiday stress will also be highlighted. We encourage you to retweet our material and use the hashtag: #AMCHPMentalHealth.
Interested in receiving more information on what’s happening related to mental health/substance use and MCH? Sign-up for the PRISM Digest, our monthly mental health/substance use newsletter, by emailing jsimon@amchp.org and check out the #AMCHPMentalHealth hashtag on Twitter. Have questions or want to learn more? Contact the mental health team at mentalhealth@amchp.org.
AMCHP National Policy Calls
AMCHP Policy and Partnerships Town Halls
Thank you to those of you who joined us for our November AMCHP Policy and Partnerships Town Hall. You can watch the full recording here:
The next Town Hall will be Thursday, December 8, 2-3 PM ET. We invite you to register for that and future Town Halls at this link.
Legislation & Policy
Explore our Maternal Health Bill Tracker for more information about pending federal legislation to improve maternal health.
AMCHP Leads Over 100 National Organizations in Letter to Congress Calling for Permanent, Nationwide 12-Month Postpartum Medicaid Extension
AMCHP has led 109 national organizations in sending a letter to Congressional leadership calling on Congress to establish permanent, nationwide 12-month postpartum Medicaid coverage in any end-of-year legislative packages. Members of Congress are currently negotiating a Fiscal Year 2023 spending package ahead of the December 16 funding deadline, and it is likely the best vehicle to move this policy before this Congressional term ends in January. We encourage you to read the letter here to learn more about the need for this critical policy.
Opportunities & Funding
AMCHP Career Center: Connecting Talent with Opportunity
AMCHP lists the top jobs available in our industry. Access the AMCHP Career Center to search and apply for open positions or post your jobs on opportunities! Search for Jobs | Post a Job.
ORISE Fellowship Position- HRSA Maternal and Child Health Home Visiting and Early Childhood Systems Health Research Fellowship
Interested recent Masters or Doctoral degree graduates or current graduate students are encouraged to apply for the ORISE/ Maternal and Child Health Home Visiting and Early Childhood Systems Health Research Fellowship. The ORISE Fellow will collaborate with the Division of Home Visiting and Early Childhood Systems to support activities focused on advancing health equity and strengthening Early Childhood Systems. See the full announcement for details on the fellowship, eligibility, and how to apply. The fellow will receive a monthly stipend commensurate with their educational level and experience. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis.
Call for Reviewers: Maternal and Child Health Journal Supplement on Public Health Approaches to Perinatal Substance Use
AMCHP and ASTHO warmly invite you to serve as a peer reviewer for our journal supplement on Public Health Approaches to Perinatal Substance Use in the Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Journal. Peer reviewing is an enriching experience that benefits both the individuals who dedicate their time and expertise to the process and the MCH community. You can learn more about the role and responsibilities of peer reviewers here.
If you would like to peer review, please complete this short survey. The information provided will be shared with the Editor-in-Chief of the MCH Journal to initiate matching you to papers within your interests and expertise. (Note: it is possible to submit to this supplement AND review a submission).
For questions, please email Amani Echols (AMCHP) at aechols@amchp.org.
Publications & Resources
Recent Publication & Resources
- The 2022 Prenatal-to-3 State Policy Roadmap
- Updated AAP Resource: Supporting Intimate Partner Violence Survivors in Pediatric Health Care Setting
Commemorations
December 2022
National Safe Toys and Gifts Month
Weeks to Note:
National Handwashing Awareness Week; December 5 – 11
National Influenza Vaccination Week; December 5 – 11
Days to Note:
World AIDS Day; December 1
International Day of Persons with Disability; December 3
