May 21, 2026

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May 21, 2026

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AMCHP Announcements

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AMCHP Announces 2026 Board of Directors Special Election Results

Graphic announcing the results of the 2026 Special Board Election Results in which Rebekah Morisse, RN, MPH was appointed as Interim Region X Director from 2026 – 2028, and Coralaidée (Coral) Jiménez Burgos as Family Representative from 2026 – 2027. Learn more about the AMCHP board at amchp.org/our-board.

On Thursday, April 30, AMCHP concluded its special election for the AMCHP Board of Directors, resulting in the appointment of Rebekah Morisse to serve as Interim Region X Director from 2026 – 2028, and Coralaidée (Coral) Jiménez Burgos as Interim Family Representative from 2026 – 2027.

“I am delighted to welcome Rebekah and Coral to the AMCHP Board,” said Jacqueline Johnson, President of the AMCHP Board of Directors. “Rebekah’s background in public health and maternal and child health (MCH) in Alaska, overseeing state and federal MCH programs, along with Coral’s leadership and personal experience in advancing the health of children and youth with special health care needs in Puerto Rico and elevating the voices of their families will be invaluable for the Board as we continue supporting AMCHP in fulfilling its mission. I look forward to collaborating with them as we focus on serving and amplifying the needs of those who don’t have a voice or the opportunity to share it.”

Rebekah Morisse, RN, MPH, is the Title V Maternal and Child Health Director for Alaska and serves as the Section Chief for Women’s, Children’s, and Family Health, located within the Alaska Division of Public Health, in the Alaska Department of Health. MCH state and federal programs overseen by Rebekah include Perinatal & Early Childhood Health, Child & Adolescent Health, Adult Health, and Maternal Child Health Epidemiology. She also has experience as a public health nurse, home visitor, and in clinic management. Rebekah holds a Bachelor’s in Nursing and a Master’s Degree in Public Health.

Coralaidée (Coral) Jiménez Burgos is the Family Representative for the Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs (CYSHCN) Program in Puerto Rico and an AMCHP Family Delegate. Most notably, Coral is a mother to a son, Félix, born in 2005 with multiple conditions, which proudly prompted her to become an advocate for raising awareness of the challenges experienced by children with special needs and their families and promoting family representation at all levels. Coral represents the Department of Health and the population of CYSHCN on various local and federal committees, where she focuses on elevating the impact of having children with special needs and is the recipient of a 2018 MCH Leadership Award, a federal recognition she received from the Office of Maternal and Child Health.

New from AMCHP

New AMCHP Blog Post! Three Generations, One Diagnosis: The Butler Family’s Journey with Congenital Heart Disease

AMCHP is excited to share a new blog post telling the story of the Butler family and their journey navigating a congenital heart defect diagnosis. Jasmine and Dorianne Butler share what it was like to receive that news, how they navigated finding support as a young family, and what they want healthcare providers, maternal and child health (MCH) professionals, and other families to know.

This post combines written and oral narratives to bring their story to life in their own words. We are truly proud to share it with our members and partners and encourage you to pass it along to your network.

This is part of AMCHP’s ongoing work to improve outcomes for families affected by CCHD and to elevate the voices of those navigating complex health journeys. We hope their story resonates with you as much as it has with us. Read the full blog post.

New MCH Bridges Podcast Bonus Episode – The Power of Connection: Keeping Families at the Heart of MCH

This episode is dedicated to Taryn Bailey, daughter of Dawn Bailey, who passed away on March 27, 2026. Our thoughts are with Dawn and her family.

In this special episode of MCH Bridges, recorded live at the 2026 AMCHP Annual Conference in Washington, DC, this year’s theme, The Power of Connection, is at the heart of a conversation between our CEO Terrance E. Moore and immediate Past Board President Dawn Bailey.

Dawn reflects on her journey as a family leader with honesty and courage, sharing personal insights from her experiences as both a caregiver and advocate. She explores how meaningful connections between families, leaders, and systems can strengthen and improve our efforts in maternal and child health (MCH).

Tune in to hear firsthand the challenges families face navigating complex care systems, the importance of centering the perspectives of families, and a call to action to build more coordinated, responsive, and compassionate systems of care. Dawn’s words remind us that behind every policy, every program, and every data point, there are real families, real challenges, and real lives.

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 and families with experience navigating maternal and child health systems, MCH faculty and students, public health professionals, and others wanting to learn more about supporting MCH populations.

AMCHP Information & Resources

New Resource from AMCHP & MHARC: Leveraging Storytelling for MCH Policy Module

Check out this new e-Learning module, “Leveraging Storytelling for MCH Policy,” part of the Policy Essential Series. This module has been developed by AMCHP and the Maternal Health Action and Resource Center (MHARC) and is designed to equip maternal and child health (MCH) professionals with the skills and tools necessary to influence the policy process through impactful storytelling.

What You’ll Learn:

Key storytelling concepts tailored to MCH professionals.
Practical guidance on collecting and sharing stories that drive policy change.
Tools and resources to enhance your storytelling abilities.

Visit our webpage to access the module.

Explore AMCHP’s Expanded Housing & Nutrition Security Topic Page

AMCHP has expanded its Food Security topic page to now encompass Housing & Nutrition Security, reflecting our ongoing commitment to improving the conditions that impact the health and well-being of MCH populations.

The updated Housing & Nutrition Security page highlights how reliable access to nutritious food and stable housing are foundational to health for individuals, families, and communities. It also emphasizes the critical role of Title V programs in addressing housing and nutrition insecurity through policy, partnerships, and practice.

The page features:

An overview of nutrition and housing security and their impact on MCH populations, including current data and evidence on associated health outcomes.
Details on AMCHP’s current initiatives, including the MCH Policy Ideation to Action (I2A) Learning Collaborative and the Title V Housing Framework, which support states in strengthening cross-sector collaboration and advancing effective policy approaches.
A suite of resources and learning opportunities, such as recordings from the MCH Housing Champion Forum, state food security profiles, and links to national data tools and assistance programs.
Opportunities to request technical assistance and subject matter expertise for Title V programs and their partners seeking to advance nutrition and housing security strategies in their states.

Explore the updated Housing & Nutrition Security page to find tools, evidence, and examples that support collective efforts to ensure all families have access to safe housing and nutritious food.

Legislation & Policy

Explore our Maternal & Child Health Bill Tracker for more information about pending federal legislation to improve maternal health. Additionally, download AMCHP’s Federal Policy Agenda, which outlines our current advocacy focus.

Subscribe to AMCHP’s Policy Alerts and Digest to stay up to date with the latest policy information.

Policy Alert: AMCHP Leads the Maternal and Child Health Appropriations Alliance in FY27 Advocacy Efforts

During the week of May 4, AMCHP convened the Maternal & Child Health Appropriations Alliance (MCHAA), bringing together national partners to advocate for robust and sustained federal investments across all federally-supported MCH programs. Through coordinated congressional outreach, coalition members urged lawmakers to protect and strengthen the interconnected federal programs that support and improve the health and well-being of mothers, children, and families nationwide. programs. Through coordinated congressional outreach, coalition members urged lawmakers to protect and strengthen the interconnected federal programs that support and improve the health and well-being of mothers, children, and families nationwide.

Read the full Policy Alert.

AMCHP Policy and Partnerships Town Halls

Thank you to those of you who joined us for our previous AMCHP Policy and Partnerships Town Hall! You can find the full recordings of past Town Halls on our Government Affairs webpage.

Please register to join us for our next edition, June 11, from 2-3 PM ET at this registration link.

Opportunities & Funding

Volunteer Opportunity: Inspiring the Next Generation of MCH Professionals

AMCHP is looking for MCH professionals interested in serving as a volunteer panelist for an upcoming session titled “The Why Matters: Perspectives and Journeys of MCH Professionals”.

This session is part of the Title V MCH Internship Program and is designed to help students navigate their early careers in public health. We are looking for voices from different backgrounds—specifically across government, non-profit, and academic sectors—to share their unique professional journeys.

Session Details:

Date: July 21
Time: 3:30 pm – 5:00 PM ET
Format: A brief introduction followed by a moderated discussion and a Q&A session with the interns.

The Goal: The primary objective is to help student attendees identify essential skills for public health work and learn effective strategies for finding MCH job opportunities. We’ll be discussing topics like:

How you first “found MCH” and what your “why” is for staying in this field.
Your current roles, responsibilities, and application experiences.
Key skills you’ve relied on throughout your career.

Previous interns have expressed a strong desire for more direct discussion and Q&A time, so this is a great chance to engage meaningfully with those entering the workforce.

If you’re available and interested in sharing your perspective, please email our Director of Public Health Strategy and Innovation, Jasmine Bihm, at jbihm@amchp.org by May 29. We’d love to have your expertise represented.

Request for Applications (RFA) Implementing Pharmacist-Prescribed Contraception: An ASTHO Learning Community

The Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) is accepting applications for jurisdictions to join our established Implementing Pharmacist-Prescribed Contraception Learning Community (IPPC LC). The IPPC LC provides state and territorial health agencies (S/THAs) with the technical assistance needed to develop sustainable strategies for implementation of pharmacist-prescribed contraception (PPC) programs, including building workforce capacity, exploring sustainable reimbursement pathways, and developing patient awareness campaigns.

Applications are due May 31, by 5 PM ET. Learn more and apply.

Free Resource for Job Seekers – The AMCHP Career Center: Connecting Talent with Opportunity

AMCHP offers access to top job opportunities in our industry. Job seekers can access the AMCHP Career Center to search and apply for open positions at no cost, while employers can post their jobs for a fee! Search for Jobs | Post a Job.

Do you know someone who is looking for a new job or opportunity? Share the AMCHP Career Center with them!

Partner Events & Webinars

Webinar Happening TODAY- Essential Yet Out of Reach: Home Accessibility for Children with Disabilities

Join the Lucile Packard Foundation for Children’s Health and the Berman Institute of Bioethics for a webinar TODAY, May 21, at 1 PM ET.

The first of a two-part webinar series will introduce Foundation-funded research on the national landscape of programs and policies that support home accessibility for children with disabilities and their families. A panel of experts will discuss common challenges getting support, the real-world impacts on children and families, and opportunities for action and advocacy. Learn more and register.

Webinar Happening TODAY – Public Health Communications for Impact: Approaches to Strengthening Infrastructure

Effective communication is not just about messaging. It depends on strong systems, resourcing, and coordination behind the scenes. As health departments face increasing demands to demonstrate impact, communicate value, and navigate complex environments, communications stands as a foundational public health capability.

Join ASTHO TODAY, May 21, at 2 PM ET for a webinar that will explore how public health agencies can strengthen their communications infrastructure to improve reach, effectiveness, and sustainability. Get an introduction to the Public Health Communications Collaborative’s newly published Overcoming Challenges & Leveraging Strengths: Action Guide for Communicators at Public Health Agencies, which outlines evidence-based strategies for organizing and operating effective public health communications functions.

Health department panelists will then share real-world examples of how these approaches show up in practice by highlighting systems, roles, and processes that support clear communication about public health programs and investments. Together, the session will reinforce communications as intentional, resourced work that underpins successful public health practice.

Learn more and register.

Publications & Resources

Analysis-Ready 2024 NSCH Single-Year Datasets and Codebooks

Now including new 2023-2024 NSCH U.S. Maps and Comparison Tables!

The Data Resource Center for Child and Adolescent Health (DRC), a project of the Child and Adolescent Health Measurement Initiative (CAHMI) supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration’s (HRSA) Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB), is excited to announce the release of the single year 2024 National Survey of Children’s Health (NSCH) datasets and codebooks. Additionally new 2023-2024 NSCH interactive U.S. maps and state comparison tables are now available on childhealthdata.org.  

Learn more in this recent newsletter.

Pediatric Education and Advocacy Kit (PEAK): Blunt Head Trauma

Each year, approximately 640,000 children 14 and under are evaluated in U.S. emergency departments for traumatic brain injury (TBI) and nearly 18,000 require hospitalization. Blunt head injuries in children present unique challenges that demand consistent, pediatric-specific approaches to assessment and management.

Subtle or evolving symptoms, especially in infants and young children, can delay recognition and contribute to inconsistent care across EMS and ED settings. As one example, more than 30% of children with head trauma undergo CT imaging, even though only a small percentage have intracranial injury or require neurosurgical intervention. Pediatric Education and Advocacy Kit (PEAK): Blunt Head Trauma was developed to equip care teams with practical tools, including a Pediatric TBI Resuscitation Algorithm to support assessment, imaging, and disposition decision-making, and a dedicated EMS TBI Algorithm to guide prehospital care. View the resources.

MCH Library at Georgetown University has launched the Postpartum Repository

The MCH Library at Georgetown University has launched the Postpartum Repository, a centralized hub of over 5,000 evidence-based resources aimed at improving care in the year following birth.

For MCH workforce professionals, this repository is designed for practical implementation. It organizes resources into three critical pillars:

Knowledge Base: The latest research on postpartum risks and solutions.
Social Strategies and Tools: Practical guides, implementation toolkits, and “warm handoff” protocols for delivering care.
Organizational and Political Will: Resources to move plans into action and build sustainable programs.

Whether you are a program leader looking for actionable toolkits or a provider seeking evidence-based protocols, the repository provides the infrastructure needed to ensure no postpartum person falls through the cracks.

Explore the repository today!