The Symposium will include pre-recorded “Spark Sessions” featuring innovative practices, programs, or policies designed to improve maternal health.
Spark Sessions are short (maximum 10 minutes), pre-recorded videos describing work being developed or implemented to improve maternal health. The goal of this part of the Symposium agenda is to elevate innovations from across the country.
Spark Sessions will be hosted on the virtual platform during the Symposium and on the MHLIC website after the Symposium. Spark Session presenters do not have to be present during the Symposium event.
What is considered innovative in maternal health?
- An innovation could be:
- A new program or policy implemented to reduce barriers to care or services
- An existing program or policy designed with a modification to better serve a specific target population
- A program or policy that has been in existence for years that is helping improve maternal outcomes but hasn’t been widely adopted
- A new initiative to align all maternal health resources within a state[PA1]
- Innovative practices may occur at many levels (individual, interpersonal, neighborhood, community, social networks, institutional, and policy).
We want to feature innovations that seek to improve systems of care or maternal health outcomes. We also understand that some initiatives may be in their early phases. We want to hear from you about why you think this innovation is a success—or has potential for success.
Spark session proposals will be reviewed for inclusion in the Symposium based on strength of the following factors:
- Applicability of topic to maternal health
- Introduces new ideas or way of thinking that has potential to affect other maternal health work
- Ability to describe innovation within the ten-minute maximum time
For Examples of Spark Session videos: View the 2022 Spark Sessions here.