Workshop sessions highlight new ideas, research, innovative programs, and/or promising practices related to improving maternal health. MHLIC is focused on identifying work to reduce maternal mortality and severe maternal morbidity. While we include proposals that are focused on clinical interventions, this year, we are especially seeking submissions that focus on public health, policy, or system work to improve maternal health.
Presenters can choose to submit a proposal for:
- 30-minute proposals will include at least 10 minutes of discussion/audience Q&A. MHLIC may match 30-minute sessions with another presentation at the Symposium to fill a 60-minute time slot.
- 60-minute proposals will include at least 20 minutes of discussion/audience Q&A
Workshop proposals should align with one of the four Symposium focus areas:
- Engagement (Community and/or clinical)
- Innovation
- Policy
- Special focus—for notable workshops that do not fit in above areas
Currently, we plan to host a hybrid Symposium with in-person and virtual attendance options. Please indicate in your proposal whether you prefer to present virtually or in-person.
Registration is free for all participants and presenters.
Workshop proposals will be reviewed for inclusion in the Symposium based on strength of the following factors:
- Applicability of the topic to maternal health
- Quality of session content
- Balance of topics on Symposium agenda
- Incorporation of equity considerations in workshop
Example topics are listed below:
Engagement (Community, Clinical, and/or Public Health)
- Power-sharing and integrating the voice of lived experience into all maternal health policies, programs, and systems
- Engagement with partners/ fathers/ companions
- Considerations for specific populations including indigenous, Latinx, incarcerated people, rural, LGBTQI, and birthing people of various ages
- Recruiting and supporting health care providers of color / bilingual providers / LGBTQ+ providers
- Effective cross-disciplinary collaboration to improve systems of care and maternal health outcomes
- Patient and provider education and action related to maternal mortality and severe maternal morbidity
Policy
- Federal, state, and local policy solutions that address maternal health
- Policies to address maternity care workforce shortages and turnover
- Workplace policies that address the needs of pregnant people
- Policies that support telehealth and other innovative care models
Innovation
- Respectful care throughout the life course
- Transforming and sustaining clinical care practices
- Use of data in designing and implementing innovative and evidence-informed strategies
- Data collection and evaluation of practices or programs
- Maternal telehealth and telemedicine strategies
- Braiding of public health funding sources to advance common MH goals
- Statewide workgroups to address root causes of maternal health inequities
- Statewide implicit bias and anti-racist training initiatives
- Directing state public health funds toward community maternal health initiatives
Special Topics
- Leveraging state and federal resources to advance maternal health outcomes
- Effects of COVID-19 on maternal health
- Trauma informed approaches to pandemic recovery
- State maternal mortality review committees
- Environmental health and maternal outcomes
- Maternal health systems and services research
For Examples of Topics for Workshops and Spark Session videos: View the 2021 Workshop and Spark Sessions here.