COVID-19 Resources
Moving Forward with COVID-19 Data
CDC launched COVID Data Tracker in 2020 to provide state and local public health officials and communities with the COVID-19 data they need in one consolidated, easy-to-use location. Over the past three years, COVID Data Tracker has grown to incorporate county, state, national, and global data streams into more than 70 webpages of key pandemic-related information.
To prepare for the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency declaration on May 11, 2023, CDC is transitioning to sustainable national COVID-19 surveillance. CDC will continue to use all available resources to track COVID-19 and monitor its long-term effect on the United States and globally. Variant data is a good example of sustainable surveillance. The virus that causes COVID-19 is constantly changing, with new lineages emerging and then spreading or disappearing. XBB.1.5 became the dominant lineage over the past few months, but it is now starting to wane as other lineages rise. Newer lineages like XBB.1.9.2 and XBB.1.16, both close relatives of XBB.1.5, are starting to rise and could displace XBB.1.5. At this time, the best ways to protect yourself and others from COVID-19 remain the same, regardless of which lineage causes infection. CDC will keep a close watch on these changes and continue to communicate about their potential impact. [read more]
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 maternal and child health (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).
Bonus MCH Bridges Podcast Episode- The AMCHP Annual Conference Experience
Our BONUS MCH Bridges episode is now live! “The AMCHP Annual Conference Experience”
This bonus episode captures the experience of attending the AMCHP Annual Conference from a variety of perspectives. As past attendees, our guest speakers shared what they learned, some pro tips for taking advantage of conference opportunities, and why it’s important that we encourage and support youth and young adults, family leaders, community-rooted organizations, tribal government representatives, and students and early career professionals to attend the AMCHP Annual Conference. You’ll hear from Katherine Harvey, representing the perspective of a young adult leader, and Dana Yarbrough, a family leader and proud parent of a daughter with disabilities and special healthcare needs. You will also hear from Quatia (Q) Osorio, doula and founder of Our Journ3i, and Xenia Mendez, alumna of our Graduate Student Epidemiology Program (GSEP) representing students and early career professionals.
Tune in now to listen to host Maura Leahy and speakers Katherine, Dana, Q, and Xenia as they share the impact the AMCHP Annual Conference has had on their MCH journey and how they have impacted our conference.
Latest MCH Bridges Podcast Episode – Healing Through Breastfeeding: Honoring the Past, Investing in the Future
Our latest MCH Bridges episode is live! Episode 13– “Healing Through Breastfeeding: Honoring the Past, Investing in the Future“
This interview-episode highlights the journeys of Kimarie and Dalecia as they found their passion and purpose in helping lactating people achieve their breastfeeding goals. Intertwining lived experience and the desire to make a difference, you will hear how Dalecia and Kimarie found their calling in breastfeeding work. You will learn about how breastfeeding has been a healing journey and a way to reconnect with our past. You will also hear about the ongoing challenges in accessing adequate and culturally appropriate breastfeeding, especially for black and brown communities.
Tune in now to hear host Atyya Chaudhry and our guest speakers talk about their lived experience as breastfeeding mothers and how their personal experiences fueled their professional journeys.
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.
Recent AMCHP Announcements
AMCHP Annual Conference
Get ready for the 2023 AMCHP Annual Conference, held from May 6 – 9 at the New Orleans Marriot in New Orleans, Louisiana, and virtually through our virtual conference platform! The theme of AMCHP 2023 is 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!
Register for AMCHP 2023
We are less than one month away from AMCHP 2023! Register now to join the almost 1,000 MCH leaders and thinkers that have already registered to participate in person or virtually.
Almost 200 individuals are joining our conference virtually from across the U.S. and all U.S. affiliated jurisdictions this year. You can still register to join us from anywhere in the country to be part of AMCHP 2023 and enjoy a meaningful virtual conference experience. Learn more about what to expect and how to get the most out of our virtual conference experience at this link.
View rates and register here.
Webinar for Virtual Attendees on May 1
AMCHP is excited to have so many people joining us virtually at the 2023 AMCHP Annual Conference! Whether this is your first AMCHP Conference or you’re a past attendee, we want to ensure everyone has a smooth and successful conference experience. AMCHP 2023 is our first time hosting a hybrid conference, so if you’ve attended virtually any of the past three years, some things will be a bit different.
As such, we wanted to hold a dedicated space to go through a walkthrough of the conference platform, discuss some pro tips and a resource that AMCHP staff are creating for virtual attendees, and answer any questions about logistics or making the most out of your conference experience. We are hosting a webinar on Monday, May 1, from 2 – 3 PM ET, where we will cover all of these topics. The meeting will be recorded if you are unable to attend live.
Please complete a short registration for the webinar here. You will then receive an email with the Zoom connection information and an option to download it to an Outlook, Google, or Yahoo calendar.
Snapshot of the Virtual Conference Experience
Registered to attend AMCHP 2023 virtually? We strive to provide virtual participants with a meaningful experience that is flexible for any schedule. Here are a few of the items to look forward to:
- Watch all three live-streamed plenaries, participate in the discussion chat with other participants, and ask questions of plenary speakers via the conference platform.
- Participate in live-streamed workshop sessions and virtual only workshops
- Access to view any uploaded documents (e.g., slides, handouts, etc.) for ALL sessions, including in-person sessions.
- Access more than 100 posters on the conference platform.
- Virtual networking opportunities (more information coming soon!)
- Dedicated AMCHP staff who will support your virtual conference experience.
Learn more about the virtual conference experience at this link. For more information, please view the full schedule on our conference platform.
Aftershock Film Screening
Get ready to join us for the Aftershock film screening at AMCHP 2023 on Monday, May 8, from 6:30 – 8:30 PM CT. Aftershock is a documentary film produced by Paula Eiselt and Tonya Lewis, which premiered at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival in the U.S. Doc Competition and was awarded the Special Jury Award: Impact for Change.
Aftershock was acquired out of Sundance by Disney’s Onyx Collective and ABC News Studios and released on Hulu in the US and on Disney+ worldwide on July 19, 2022.The film follows two bereaved Black fathers after the preventable death of their partners due to childbirth complications. Throughout the film, we witness these families’ journey in becoming ardent activists in the maternal health space and seeking justice through legislation, medical accountability, community, and the power of art. Their work introduces us to a myriad of people, including a growing brotherhood of surviving Black fathers, midwives, and physicians on the ground fighting for institutional reform.
Through their collective journey, we find ourselves on the front lines of a growing birth justice movement that demands systemic change within our medical system and government.
For more information about Aftershock, please visit their website.
Meatless Monday
This year at AMCHP 2023, we are trying something new: Meatless Monday at the conference. Many people are vegetarian or vegan, living in a meat-eater world. In our work, we know that default and system choices matter. What if the default option was vegetarian? How does that impact the rest of your day? How are you selecting your food options for others? [read more]
AMCHP Social Offset
AMCHP has partnered with SocialOffset to offer meeting attendees the opportunity to contribute to local organizations in New Orleans that make a difference in people’s lives. Donating provides a way to channel the discomfort or internal conflict some attendees feel about the location into meaningful action.
We invite you to use this campaign to offset any tax spending in New Orleans that doesn’t align with your values by supporting local charities that do.
New Orleans & Co Welcomes AMCHP to the City of New Orleans
AMCHP is thankful to New Orleans & Company, the former New Orleans Convention & Visitors Bureau (NOCVB), for welcoming us and our annual conference to the beautiful and charming city of New Orleans. Watch the video at this link!
Are you attending AMCHP 2023 in person? Make sure to check out these excellent resources available at New Orleans and Company’s website:
- Things to do in New Orleans
- New Orleans Cuisine
- What’s Going on in New Orleans
- Trip Planning Tools
- New Orleans Insider’s Blog
Information & Resources
- Health & Safety at AMCHP 2023: Visit our Health and Safety page to learn about our practices and policies at AMCHP 2023. Updates will be posted on this page as we continue to monitor conditions and local and national guidance.
- View the Conference Schedule: AMCHP released the schedule of 57 workshops, nine skill-building sessions, and two round tables at AMCHP 2023. Visit our conference website to browse sessions by date, track, speaker, or by doing a keyword search. All sessions are displayed in Central Time (CT). Start creating your list of must-see sessions today!
- Visit the Conference Platform: Visit our conference platform to view the updated full schedule (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!
- Support CBOs, Tribal Government Representatives, and Youth at Our Upcoming Annual Conference: On behalf of AMCHP and its local, state, and national partners, Board President Belinda Pettiford and CEO Terrance E. Moore encourage you to consider inviting and financially supporting youth and young adult leaders (including students), family leaders, community‐based organizations (CBOs), and representatives of tribal entities involved with your MCH efforts to attend the upcoming AMCHP Annual Conference which will be held in‐person and virtually from May 6-9, 2023. [learn more]
- Continuing Education: Continuing education for this activity is pending. Stay tuned for the final announcement for details.
Latest Blog Posts
- Sharing How AMCHP Supports the Cultivation of Diverse Leaders in MCH: Given this year’s theme, Cultivating Diverse Leaders in Maternal and Child Health, we are especially eager to hear and share stories from a variety of perspectives through the Sharing Your How project – a plenary session of our conference where we aim to learn how your community is cultivating diverse leaders in MCH. AMCHP strives to invest substantial time and energy into establishing spaces for youth, students, family leaders, early career professionals, and those in leadership roles to foster this aim. AMCHP is also committed to elevating and integrating perspectives from across MCH into the field’s priorities. We would like to open this conversation by sharing how AMCHP does this. [read more]
- Nurturing the Now: An AMCHP 2023 Youth-Led Plenary Session: AMCHP aims to exemplify this year’s conference theme through our closing plenary session: “Nurturing the Now.” We are so excited to provide a space that amplifies youth voices, emphasizing the importance of cultivating diverse leaders. We will demonstrate the power of authentic youth engagement efforts within maternal and child health (MCH). We also want to provide participants with tools and inspiration for how they can incorporate authentic youth engagement methods into their own work and communities. Now more than ever, we must support our current and future generations of young leaders to bring forth the change they want to see in the world. [read more]
- The AMCHP 2023 Virtual Experience: What to Expect and How to Get the Most Out of Your Virtual Conference Experience: AMCHP is excited to host its first-ever hybrid conference and welcome virtual attendees from across the U.S. and all nine U.S.-affiliated jurisdictions! We’re confident that virtual attendees will have a meaningful conference experience, get to network with other virtual attendees, engage with content and presenters during live sessions, and leave the conference feeling energized with new ideas and connections. [read more]
Voices of AMCHP
Marcus Johnson-Miller, Treasurer (2022-2024)
As part of our Voices of AMCHP series, designed to highlight our dedicated Board members and their work, we invited Marcus Johnson-Miller to share some insights on his background, experience serving on AMCHP’s Board of Directors, and his advice for young MCH professionals.
What motivated you to join AMCHP’s Board of Directors?
Over my career, I have always appreciated the way that AMCHP supports state Title V programs. I wanted to give back to the organization that has provided so much assistance to our state.
What motivated you to work in the maternal and child health (MCH) field?
As I think back to my motivation to keep working in MCH, there are two reasons that I always come back to. Growing up in rural Iowa, I remember the lack of access to services. I have always been interested in ensuring that all Iowans have access to health and other supportive services. Secondly, shortly after graduating from college, one of my closest friends died due to complications related to preeclampsia at the age of 25, one week after giving birth to her first child. She was active and healthy. I want to make sure that this doesn’t keep happening to women. If we do this work right, we are setting families up to be successful throughout their entire lives.
Thinking about the 2023 AMCHP Annual Conference theme, Cultivating Diverse Leaders in Maternal and Child Health, what can other established MCH professionals like yourself do to empower young leaders?
Listen to what the young leaders are telling us! The ways that young people communicate and engage are very different from how I communicated at their age. We need to be open to adapting what we do to meet the current needs of young leaders.
AMCHP Events & Webinars
Coffee Chats with AMCHP CEO Series: MCH Talent
Join our Workforce and Leadership Development Committee for a series of Coffee Chats with AMCHP CEO, Terrance E. Moore to discuss one of the core areas of our 2022-2027 Strategic Plan: Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Talent.
From these discussions, we hope to provide our members and current/potential partners with:
- An overview of available workforce-related data relevant to the MCH field;
- An open forum to share and gather strategies that AMCHP can implement to achieve our MCH talent and workforce objectives; and
- Opportunities to inform and guide our strategic plan.
Mark your calendars and register for these three conversations, each focusing on the objectives above:
- April 24, 1:00-2:15 PM ET (Virtual, Register here)
- May 8, 3:30-4:30 CT (In person at the AMCHP Annual Conference)
- June 20, 1:00-2:15 PM ET (Virtual, Members register here)
Celebrating Autistic Joy Fireside Chat
The theme of our State Public Health Autism Resource Center’s (SPHARC) 2023 Autism Acceptance Month activities is: Celebrating Autistic Joy. SPHARC and its Autistic Faculty are hosting a virtual fireside chat on Thursday, April 27 from 3:00-4:00 PM ET.
Presenters will share what celebrating Autistic joy means for them. Then there will be a question-and-answer session with the audience. Register for the virtual fireside chat here.
The Autistic Faculty chose this year’s theme because too often, Autism Acceptance Month activities focus on the challenging parts of being autistic. This year’s theme is focused on talking about the strengths, special interests, and passions of Autistic people. The fireside chat will be moderated by the Autistic Faculty. More information about the presenters during the fireside chat will be posted on SPHARC’s Autism Acceptance Month website. For questions, email the SPHARC team at: spharc@amchp.org.
About SPHARC’s 2023 Autism Acceptance Month activities:
SPHARC’s 2023 Autism Acceptance Month activities are being planned with SPHARC’s Autistic Faculty. These activities will include:
- A podcast episode with our Autistic Faculty (to be released in late April)
- A virtual fireside chat about “Celebrating Autistic Joy” (April 27 from 3-4 PM ET)
- Featuring “Celebrating Autistic Joy” content on our website and social media
Webinar Recording Available! Perinatal Substance Use: National and State Public Health Strategies
AMCHP & ASTHO hosted a webinar on March 27 featuring the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP). ONDCP shared its priorities for improving maternal health outcomes and expanding access to evidence-based treatment for perinatal populations, as outlined in two reports: (1) Substance Use Disorder in Pregnancy: Improving Outcomes for Families and (2) Model Substance Use During Pregnancy and Family Care Plans Act. The presentation also included recommendations and opportunities to strengthen local MCH behavioral health systems based on lessons learned from Vermont’s CHARM (Children and Recovering Mothers) Program. Access the recording here.
Registration for NBDPN 2023 is Open
Registration for the National Birth Defects Prevention Network (NBDPN) Conference, held August 14-16 in Atlanta, GA, is open! Please visit this link to register. Visit the website to learn about the conference and information regarding registration, hotel, and much more. For questions about this event, please contact NBDPNmeetings@conferencemanagers.com. We hope to see you there!
AMCHP Information & Resources
Newly Revamped Maternal and Child Health Bill Tracker is Available
AMCHP is excited to announce the revamp of our Maternal & Child Health Bill Tracker – A tool for professionals and individuals interested in federal legislation focused on improving and advancing maternal and child health (MCH).
It now offers new features to ensure the inclusion of additional MCH topics in alignment with our strategic plan, AMCHP Future 2027. The revamped bill tracker includes:
- Option to search legislation introduced in the current Congress (118th) benefiting both maternal and child health populations.
- Broader scope to also include legislation that would advance reproductive health in recognition of its connection with maternal health outcomes.
- Quick and easy-to-read information.
- Additional filter options to sort through legislation.
- Pivotal MCH bills passed in previous Congresses.
Our bill tracker is updated regularly to track legislation benefitting the health of women, children, and families. You can also sign up to receive our legislative alerts, learn more about our policy and advocacy efforts by visiting our website, and explore the AMCHP 2023 Federal Policy Agenda.
New Addition AMCHP’s MCH Essentials Series Library: Centering Equity Through Evidence
AMCHP is excited to announce that a new module has been added to the MCH Essentials Series titled Centering Equity Through Evidence! This module is designed to provide current and aspiring MCH professionals, youth/adolescents, and families with the latest information and insights on the development and utilization of MCH evidence that centers people with lived experience. In addition, this new module will help readers deepen their understanding of how evidence comes in many forms, including the perspectives of people with lived experience. We thank you for your continued support and are excited to share our new module.
Medicaid Redetermination is Here!
To ensure coverage for children and families during the pandemic, states have provided continuous enrollment for all Medicaid beneficiaries since March 2020. But the continuous coverage provision is ending, and all Medicaid enrollees, including children, must be redetermined for eligibility within a one-year period, beginning April 1, 2023. Medicaid and CHIP provide critical health benefits for many children and families across the country. MCH programs are trusted community messengers and can play an important role in supporting families during this process.
AMCHP has a new fact sheet that provides an overview of the Medicaid redetermination process, shares tips and strategies for MCH professionals, and includes a robust list of resources from national and local partners. AMCHP and the Georgetown University Center for Children and Families recently hosted a webinar on this topic, which provides important details on the unwinding of Medicaid continuous enrollment and the impact this may have on families and particularly children. Listen to the recording here. As the Medicaid continuous enrollment provision is unwinding, we want to hear from you! Please use this jamboard link to share what you are hearing and experiencing in your state.
AMCHP Mental Health Corner
April is Stress Awareness Month & AMCHP also observed Black Maternal Health Week, April 11-17, led by Black Mamas Matter Alliance! Chronic stress driven by inequitable social and economic factors & racism contributes to maternal health disparities. Learn more from NPR’s Fresh Air podcast.
Mental health is an important component of well-being for maternal, child, and adolescent health (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.
Legislation & Policy
Explore our revamped Maternal Health Bill Tracker for more information about pending federal legislation to improve maternal health.
President Biden Announces Set of Executive Actions on the Care Workforce
On Tuesday, April 18th, President Biden issued a set of executive orders across federal agencies intended to boost the care workforce. The wide sweeping actions are intended to address the workforce crises impacting child care and early childhood education, people with disabilities, veterans, aging populations, and their families. Learn more about these executive orders in this White House fact sheet.
Explore the AMCHP 2023 Federal Policy Agenda
Interested in learning about our 2023 Federal Policy Agenda? Download it from our website! Our 2023 Federal Policy Agenda outlines where AMCHP intends to focus our advocacy work on in the coming year and reinforces AMCHP’s acknowledgment of racism as a public health crisis that directly impacts the health outcomes of our communities and those we serve. In it, we also reiterate our commitment to evaluating policies through the lens of dismantling racism and pursuing health equity and racial equity.
In 2023, AMCHP will play a leadership role to advance policies that:
- Fund the Title V Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Services Block Grant at $1 billion, including a robust increase for the state formula, for FY2024 to improve the health of all women, children and youth, including those with special health care needs, and families.
- Prioritize MCH populations in the context of public health emergencies with particular emphasis on communities that are disproportionately impacted, including communities of color and children and youth with special health care needs.
- Improve maternal and infant health and eliminate racial and ethnic inequities in maternal and infant health outcomes, including policies designed to reduce maternal and infant mortality and morbidity.
Please visit our website to continue exploring our 2023 Federal Policy Agenda and our other policy areas. Make sure you also sign up to receive our legislative alerts directly in your inbox and register to participate in our monthly Policy and Partnership Town Halls.
AMCHP Policy and Partnerships Town Halls
Thank you to those of you who joined us for AMCHP Policy and Partnerships Town Halls. You can find the full recordings of past Town Halls here. Town Halls occur on the second Thursday of every month from 2-3 PM ET. We invite you to register for all future Town Halls at this link.
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.
Newly Available HRSA Funding Opportunities
The Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA) Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB) recently released three funding opportunities focused on improving maternal health outcomes. Any domestic public or private entity is eligible to apply to these opportunities, as well as domestic faith-based and community-based organizations, tribes, and tribal organizations. Find summary details for these and other open HRSA MCHB funding opportunities here.
The recently released opportunities are:
- Alliance for Innovation on Maternal Health (AIM) Capacity
- Number of Awards: 29
- Up to $200K per award per year
- Closing Date: May 9
- Alliance for Innovation on Maternal Health (AIM) Technical Assistance (TA) Center
- Number of Awards: 1
- Up to $3 million per year
- Closing Date: May 9
- Integrated Maternal Health Services (IMHS)
- Number of Awards: 5
- Up to $1.8 million per award per year
- Closing Date: May 24
Interested in understanding more about applying for these and other upcoming HRSA funding? Watch the March 16 recorded webinar, Upcoming Funding Opportunities.
Commemorations
April 2023
Irritable Bowel Syndrome Awareness Month
National Autism Awareness Month
National Facial Protection Month
National Interprofessional Healthcare Month
National Minority Health Month
National Sarcoidosis Awareness Month
Sexual Assault Awareness & Prevention Month
Testicular Cancer Awareness Month
National Child Abuse Prevention Month
Weeks to Note:
National Public Health Week, April 3-9
Black Maternal Health Week, April 11-17
Oral, Head, and Neck Cancer Awareness Week, April 16-22
National Pediatric Transplant Week, April 23-29
Pediatric Sepsis Week, April 18 – 24
National Infertility Awareness Week, April 23-29
World Immunization Week, April 24-30
Every Kid Healthy Week, April 24-30
Patient Experience Week, April 23 – 29
National Infant Immunization Week, April 24-30
Days to Note:
World Autism Awareness Day, April 2
World Health Day, April 7
National Youth HIV and AIDS Awareness Day, April 10
National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, April 29
Annual National Healthcare Decisions Day, April 16
World Hemophilia Day, April 17
DNA Day, April 25
World Malaria Day, April 25
World Day for Safety and Health at Work, April 28
