January 12, 2023

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January 12, 2023

COVID-19 Resources

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).

Join AMCHP in Observing National Birth Defects Awareness Month

Graphic alerting to join AMCHP for National Birth Defects Awareness Month with link to blog post and a black and white imag eof a mother holding her baby. In January, AMCHP joins our partners at the National Birth Defects Prevention Network (NBDPN) in observing National Birth Defects Awareness Month. This is a time to raise awareness about birth defects and highlight efforts to improve the health of people living with these conditions across their lifespan. The theme this year is “Healthy Communities, Healthy Babies.” Not all birth defects can be prevented. However, we encourage all pregnant people and prospective parents to make healthy choices and adopt healthier habits to help lower their risk of having a baby born with a birth defect.

5 Tips from NBDPN & CDC for Preventing Birth Defects:

Tip 1: Get 400 micrograms (mcg) of folic acid every day.
Tip 2: Plan a visit with your healthcare provider to support a healthy pregnancy.
Tip 3: Reduce your risk of infections.
Tip 4: Care for your body and mind, before and during pregnancy.
Tip 5: Avoid harmful substances during pregnancy, such as alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs.

Join us in our work towards a day when all babies are born with the best health possible. We invite you to visit our webpage to access more information and resources developed by AMCHP and NBDPN, like this interactive Resource Map, and share them among your networks!

National Birth Defects Awareness Month Webinar

Register for our webinar on January 23, at 3 pm ET to learn more about our recent landscape analysis of Title V/CYSHCN and Birth Defects Surveillance Programs (BDSP) in conjunction with our partners at NBDPN and CDC. We will discuss upcoming technical assistance opportunities that support collaboration between BDSPs and Title V/CYSHCN programs as well as improve referrals to care and outcomes across the lifespan for infants and families! Register for the webinar here.

AMCHP 2022 Accomplishment Report Available Now!

Graphic alerting release of the 2022 AMCHP Accomplishment Report at bit.ly/AMCHP_AR22 As the new year begins, AMCHP is pleased to share our 2022 Accomplishment Report! This report codifies much of the key work we’ve completed last year with the support of our members, partners, and the MCH community. With a new website, securing nearly $1.3 million of new funding, continued investments in health equity activities, and more, we were able to contribute a positive and tangible impact on the MCH community. We look forward to more progress together with our new strategic plan this year! View our full report here.

2022 is a Wrap! MCH Bridges Top 5 Podcast Episodes

On behalf of our hosts and guests, AMCHP would like to thank you for tuning in to our MCH Bridges Podcast in 2022. In the past year, we published 9 episodes full of meaningful content that resulted in 1,644 downloads and 55,721 minutes listened in 19 different countries and 479 cities!

Tune in to our top 5 episodes of 2022:

How can we make MCH Bridges better in 2023?

Please take a few minutes to fill out our MCH Bridges evaluation, which can be found at this link. Help us learn about your satisfaction levels with our episodes in 2022, and let us know your preferences in terms of length, format, and content.

Latest Pulse Newsletter Issue: A Celebration of Title V Maternal and Child Health

Graphic with Pulse edition theme: A Celebration of Title V Maternal and Child Health The latest issue of our Pulse newsletter is now live!

This Pulse issue, “A Celebration of Title V Maternal and Child Health,” features success stories of states, jurisdictions, organizations, members, and the people administering maternal and child health programs. It also describes the extraordinary efforts of community-rooted organizations, family leaders, youth, and people with lived experience.

Read the articles:

Do you want to receive our Pulse newsletter directly in your inbox? Subscribe to our email list at this link!

Open Enrollment Season Runs Through January 15, 2023

The national uninsured rate reached an all-time low of 8 percent in early 2022. The increase in coverage is partly attributable to record enrollment for Marketplace plans. Maternal and child health (MCH) professionals play an important role in promoting the open enrollment season, especially among populations with high rates of uninsurance in their respective states. AMCHP developed a fact sheet for MCH programs outlining tips and strategies for promoting open enrollment, entitled Promoting the 2023 ACA Marketplace Open Enrollment: The Role of State Title V Programs. AMCHP also developed companion fact sheets geared for consumers, which are available in both English and Spanish.

Save the Date for NBDPN 2023!

NBDPN Conference Banner alerting the date; August 14-16, 2023; location, Atlanta, Georgia; and theme, Connect. Share. Collaborate. Also pictured is a digitized image of a pregnant woman on the far left

AMCHP is pleased to announce the return of the National Birth Defects Prevention Network (NBDPN) Conference, taking place August 14-16, 2023 in Atlanta, GA. Save the date for this outstanding event that AMCHP is co-hosting, which will offer relevant and timely content in the areas of Surveillance Operations, Partnerships and Family Engagement, Epidemiology/Data, and Prevention, Intervention, and Public Policy as it relates to birth defects and overall maternal and child health.

Visit the website to learn about the conference, the Call for Proposals which closes February 3, 2023, and information regarding registration, hotel, and much more. For questions about this event, please contact NBDPNmeetings@conferencemanagers.com. We hope to see you there!

Recent AMCHP News

AMCHP Announces New Members to the Board of Directors

AMCHP Annual Conference 

AMCHP 2023 Annual Conference Banner includes an icon of a human holding their hands up with different shades of green leaves above it so it looks like it's growing. Next to it is the theme displayed in green, "Cultivating Diverse Leaders in Maternal & Child Health", and the date/location of the conference in white on a brown rectangle background, "May 6-9, 2023 | New Orleans, LA"

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!

Conference Platform is Live

Visit our conference platform to view the updated schedule at-a-glance (which includes opportunities for networking and skill-building sessions as well as plenty of impactful workshops and inspiring plenary sessions.), hotel and travel information, exhibits and sponsor information, and much more!

Early Bird Registration is 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!

Graphic calling to support community based organizations, tribal government representatives, and youth at the Annual Conference. Learn more at www.bit.ly/2023-Letter. 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 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.

Plan Your Trip to New Orleans for AMCHP 2023

As you may already know, the 2023 AMCHP Annual Conference will take place in a hybrid format after being fully virtual for the past three years. We are so excited to have the opportunity to engage with participants in New Orleans, Louisiana, from May 6-9, 2023. The spiritual home of jazz music and a true cultural melting pot, New Orleans, commonly referred to as NOLA, has a unique history and wealth of proud traditions. The vibrant city is best known for its music, numerous festivals, Mardi Gras celebrations, Creole and Cajun food, and unique architecture. Are you ready to experience some of New Orleans’ many joys at AMCHP 2023? [read more]

Insights on AMCHP 2023 for the MCH Workforce: An Interview with AMCHP Staff

Every year, AMCHP selects a theme for our Annual Conference that puts the spotlight on a maternal and child health (MCH) priority relevant to the entire workforce and transcends population domains. In 2023, and through our theme, “Cultivating Diverse Leaders in Maternal and Child Health,” we aim to discuss how to grow leaders in MCH that reflect the diversity, cultures, and abilities of the people we all serve. This month, we invited Amani, one of the leaders of the conference’s student and early career professional roundtables, and Ben and Nia, both from AMCHP’s Workforce Development and Capacity Building team, to share their reflections on the theme, examples of MCH workforce development resources, and what you can expect at the 2023 AMCHP Annual Conference. [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]

AMCHP Information & Resources

Recent AMCHP Information & Resources

AMCHP Innovation Hub

Be a Part of AMCHP’s Replication Projects!

AMCHP Innovation Hub logo on a graphic alerting about AMCHP's Replication Projects for the 2023-2024 project year 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 on what your organization can receive from participating, 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 MCAH populations. Read more about AMCHP’s organizational work on mental health and substance use here.

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.

New Post Alert! #ScreenToInterveneForAYAs Blog Spotlights the Ohio MCH Approach to Supporting AYA Mental Health

This latest blog post highlights the Ohio MCH program’s approach to increasing developmental approaches and improving systems to reduce the adolescent and young adult suicide rate. Ohio is one of five state teams participating in the Adolescent & Young Adult (AYA) Behavioral Health CoIIN project, which seeks to increase the rate of depression screenings among AYAs with an appropriate follow-up care plan, if necessary. Read about the Ohio MCH approach here.

AMCHP National Policy Calls

AMCHP Policy and Partnerships Town Halls

Thank you to those of you who joined us for our December AMCHP Policy and Partnerships Town Hall. You can watch the full recording here:

Town Halls continue into 2023 on the second Thursday of every month from 2 pm – 3 pm EST. We invite you to register for all 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.

Fiscal Year 2023 Spending Legislation Passed, Includes Key Investments in Maternal and Child Health

President Biden has signed into law the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 (P.L.117-328), funding the federal government through the remainder of Fiscal Year 2023 (FY23). The legislation provides $822.7 million for the Title V Maternal and Child Health Services Block Grant in FY23, an increase of $75 million above the Fiscal Year 22 funding level. In addition to FY23 funding, the legislation also reauthorized the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) program for another 5 years, requires 12-months of continuous coverage for children enrolled in Medicaid and CHIP, and makes permanent the Medicaid state option to provide 12-months of continuous coverage during the postpartum period.

For further details about what is included in the FY23 appropriations package for maternal and child health, see this AMCHP legislative alert.

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 and opportunities! Search for Jobs | Post a Job. 

AMCHP Career Opportunities

Be part of our team! AMCHP is seeking individuals for the role listed below. AMCHP offers a 100% virtual work/telework environment for all positions.

Senior Manager – Epidemiology, Evaluation, and Metrics: This position will assist in the facilitation of AMCHP’s mission to optimize equity in its internal and external processes and provide integrative evaluation support coupled with organizational metrics development and tracking. Primarily, this position will support capacity-building and technical assistance efforts for epidemiology, evaluation, and metrics, and support the organizational efforts to measure, track, analyze, and regularly report on progress toward accomplishing AMCHP’s current strategic plan. [learn more and apply]
Program Manager – Workforce Development and Capacity Building: The person hired in this position leads and supports a portfolio of projects that addresses all goals under the “Maternal and Child Health Talent” section of AMCHP Future 2027 (our strategic plan) with an emphasis on: (a) supporting a diverse (with respect to race, ethnicity, gender, educational background, and other aspects of identity) workforce and sustaining this workforce by fostering a pipeline of professionals, and (b) coordinating and aligning with partners to ensure that jurisdictional Title V programs have equitable, consistent access to capacity building opportunities that align with their changing priorities. [learn more and apply]

To learn more about AMCHP’s career opportunities, please visit this link.

Graduate Student Epidemiology Program (GSEP) 2023 Intern + Host Site Applications Now Open!

AMCHP is currently accepting Summer 2023 Graduate Student Epidemiology Program (GSEP)  student and host site applications. The student and host site application period goes from January 12, 2023, until February 22, 2023, at 11:59pm EST. This Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Epidemiology leadership program is funded by the Health Resources and Services Administration and administered by AMCHP. Read more about GSEP, student and host site eligibility, expectations, and benefits on our webpage.

A few notable internship highlights: 

Paid, 10-week, 100% remote graduate student summer internships to develop leaders in MCH epidemiology.  
Explore projects and diverse career pathways in MCH Epidemiology. 
Work with state and local public health agencies without relocating and receive thoughtful mentorship from practicing, applied epidemiologists. 
Optional, in-person site visits with costs covered. 
Learn practical skills and expand professional networks in ways that will give interns an advantage as they enter the MCH Epidemiology workforce.

To apply, please visit our webpage. For questions, please contact Mikayla Frye (mfrye@amchp.org). 

Apply to be a Host Site with CSTE Fellowships!

The Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE) is still accepting applications from state, territorial, local, and tribal public health agencies to host fellows in the Applied Epidemiology Fellowship (AEF) and the Applied Public Health Informatics Fellowship (APHIF). 

Application deadline for both APHIF & AEF host sites has been extended to Friday, January 27, 2023.

AEF Host Site Application Information
AEF is designed to give recent masters and doctoral public health graduates with training in epidemiology on-the-job training at health departments in preparation for a career in applied epidemiology. Through the guidance of experienced mentors, fellows develop applied epidemiologic skills by working on projects identified as priorities by the health department. More information, including details on mentor eligibility requirements, and the application are available online at Prospective Host Sites | CSTE Fellows

APHIF Host Site Application Information

APHIF is a 2-year training fellowship program for early career professionals in the fields of public health informatics and data science. To host a fellow for the 2023-2025 class, host sites submit an application that describes their ability to provide mentorship, applied projects supporting data modernization work, and hands-on learning experiences. For more information on the APHIF fellowship, including mentor eligibility, recording of an informational webinar for prospective host sites, and the link to the APHIF host site application, please visit their webpage.
 
Please note: Submission and/or acceptance of an application does not guarantee placement of a fellow at your host agency. For any questions about the host site application for either fellowship, contact CSTE at either aef@cste.org or aphif@cste.org or 770-458-3811.

Summer 2023 Title V MCH Internship Program Application is Now Open

National MCH Workforce Develpment Cetner, Advancing Health Transformation logo.

In the summer of 2023, the National Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Workforce Development Center will support at least seven teams of MCH students to participate in internships in state and territorial Title V programs.

As a Title V MCH Intern, you will receive the following opportunities:

Work on a project focused on improving the health of women, children, or families
Learn about the MCH system of care in your assigned state or territory
Network with leaders in the field of MCH and students from other MCH Training Programs
Receive training in MCH systems, leadership, team building, and mentoring

Apply via the Qualtrics Online Application found on the MCHWDC website.

More information:

Please contact Gabriella Masini at titlevmchinternship@uic.edu if you have any questions about the application or the internship!

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

Maternal and Child Health Journal Cover AMCHP and ASTHO 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.

Partner Events & Webinars

Free Resources for Healthcare Agencies to Strengthen Patient-Centered Contraceptive Care

Upstream is a national nonprofit that provides free training and technical assistance for healthcare agencies that want to strengthen their patient-centered contraceptive care. You can learn more about their work on their website, or from a recent webinar that features testimonials and Q&A with two of their health centers partners as well as a sample of their training. Please feel free to share these resources with health centers in your network who might be interested. If you would like to learn more about Upstream, reach out here.

Publications & Resources

New Data Alert! Combined 2020-2021 National Survey of Children’s Health Data Now Available

Combined 2020-2021 National Survey of Children’s Health (NSCH) data is now available! The combined 2020-2021 NSCH is the fifth multi-year dataset since the redesign of the NSCH in 2016 and includes data from 93,669 children ages 0-17 years. The data can be easily accessed through the Interactive Data Query tool hosted by the Data Resource Center for Child and Adolescent Health (DRC). The DRC is a project of the Child and Adolescent Health Measurement Initiative (CAHMI) under a cooperative agreement with the Health Resources and Services Administration’s Maternal and Child Health Bureau.