Katherine has been a program manager with the CMIH since 2014. She received her Master of Arts in Liberal Studies from Duke University in 2007 and her Master of Science […]
Nicolle L. Gonzales BSN, RN, MSN, CNM
Founder and Midwifery Director of Changing Woman Initiative Diné – Navajo She/Her/Hers Nicolle L. Gonzales received her Bachelor’s of Nursing and her Masters of Nurse-Midwifery at the University of New Mexico. She is a […]
Ana Rodney, CD, RYT 200
Ana Rodney is a Doula who has been practicing for 14 years. Ana is a yoga instructor, energy healer, and wellness practitioner based in Baltimore City. She runs MOMCares as the Executive Director and […]
Jacqueline Lambert
Jacqueline Lambert, a small grassroots organizer who serves her community in different aspects of birth work as a Childbirth Educator, a ROSE Breastfeeding Community Transformer, Doula, and a Certified Lactation Counselor. […]
Reena Oza-Frank, PhD, MS-MPH, RD
For the last 2.5 years, Reena Oza-Frank has served as the Data and Surveillance Administrator in the Bureau of Maternal, Child, and Family Health at the Ohio Department of Health. […]
David Olawuyi Fakunle, Ph.D.
David Olawuyi Fakunle, Ph.D. is a “mercenary for change,” employing any skill and occupying any space to help elevate everyone divested from their truest self, especially those who are Black, Indigenous and People of Color. David serves as Adjunct Assistant Professor at the University of Florida Center […]
Belinda Pettiford, MPH
Belinda has over 30 years of experience in public health. She has been with the North Carolina Division of Public Health, Women’s and Children’s Health Section (Title V) since November […]
Joyce Marshall, MPH
Joyce Marshall became the Director for the Maternal and Child Health Service at the Oklahoma State Department of Health in early 2014. In this role, Marshall is responsible for overseeing […]
Dr. Omar M Young
Dr. Young completed his undergraduate studies at Washington University in St. Louis in Biology and French in 2004. He went on to receive his medical degree from Columbia University in […]
Teneele M. Bailey , MBS
Teneele Bailey is a south Jersey girl, living and working in a Maryland world as a maternal health professional who is dedicated to eliminating maternal and child health disparities experienced […]
Siani Antoine, BA
Siani Antoine, is a Master of Public Health Candidate (expected 2022) at the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health studying maternal, child, and family health. In addition, she is […]
Velma V. Taormina, MD MSE
Velma Villalon Taormina, M.D., M.S.E., attended the University of Texas where she earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Biology and a Master of Science in Biomedical Engineering. She attended […]
Valerie C. Valerio, PhD
As a research scientist, Valerie applies innovative data science methods to global health challenges. Before joining Surgo, Valerie researched agricultural value chains in sub-Saharan Africa. She used data analytics and […]
Tegan Callahan, MPH
Tegan has led the Maternal Mortality Prevention Team’s Program Section since August 2019. In this role, she leads the management of the state awards under the Enhancing Reviews and Surveillance […]
Stephanie Trusty, RN, BSN
Stephanie Trusty has worked at IDPH for sixteen years as a Maternal Health Nurse Clinician, and serves as the AIM State Lead Coordinator for Iowa’s AIM program since October of […]
Stephanie Terry
Organizing Lead and trainer, Chatham Organizing for Racial Equity (she/her/hers) Stephanie Terry is a Race Equity Community Organizer, activist, and advocate. She was the Founding Organizer for Justice United in […]
Stephanie Radke, MD
Dr. Stephanie Radke is a board-certified Obstetrician-Gynecologist in practice at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. She completed her medical degree at the University of Iowa and her residency […]
Stephanie Fitch, MHA, MS, LAC
Stephanie attended Montana State University Billings where she received a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychiatric Rehabilitation and a Master of Science degree in Clinical Rehabilitation and Mental Health Counseling. […]
Stacy Scott, PhD, MPA
A Toledo, Ohio native, Stacy Scott, Ph.D., MPA, is a 30-year public health advocate and infant safe sleep expert who’s worked from the government agency level to ground zero spearheading […]
Sharon Sprinkle, RN, MBA, MHA
Sharon Sprinkle, RN, MBA, MHA is the Nurse Consultation Director, Eastern Region for Nurse-Family Partnership (NFP). As a nursing leader for the organization, she coordinates and supports the nursing practice […]
Sevonna Brown
Sevonna Brown is Co-Executive Director of Black Women’s Blueprint. She leads the Safer Childbirth Cities Initiative through Merck for Mothers maternal health portfolio. She is also recognized as a Ms. […]
Sema Sgaier, PhD
As co-founder and CEO, Sema leads Surgo’s strategy, operations, and partner relations. She works at the intersection of behavior, data, and technology, drawing on her experience in policy, strategy and […]
Sarah Reese, PhD, LCSW
Sarah Reese is an assistant professor in the School of Social Work. Broadly, her research and teaching focus on community-based social work interventions to promote child and family well-being, with […]
Renee Kraus, MPH, BSN, RN
Renee joined the New Jersey Department of Health in November 2020 to serve as the Project Manager for the New Jersey Maternal Mortality Review Committee. Renee is a labor and […]
Rakiah Anderson, MPH
Rakiah Anderson, MPH was previously an Evaluation Coordinator for the Maternal Telehealth Access Project. She received her MPH (2020) in Health Behavior from the UNC Gillings School of Global Public […]
Poulette Brewster, MA, CLC
Poulette Brewster, Program Director of Public Health Solution’s Queens Healthy Start, provides thought leadership to the project, holds space for focused conversations with clients who birthed at LIJMC, and understands […]
Pulkit Agarwal, PhD
Pulkit is a Senior Manager at Surgo Ventures, where he focuses on the maternal health and Covid-19 portfolio in the US. His background is in the end-to-end management of global […]
OlaWale Ajao, MA, MBBS & Taiwo Ajao
Dr. OlaWale (‘Wale”) and his wife Nurse Taiwo (“Tia”) Ajao lead Hello Baby Events, a Health Communications initiative serving families in Baltimore, the DMV, and beyond. Hello Baby believes in […]
Nikki Prado Solano, BS
Nikki Prado Solano is a first-gen, Queer Latina from the South Side of Milwaukee. She is a Medical Geography student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a PEOPLE scholar. In […]
Natalie Ortiz
Natalie Ortiz, B.A., is a Research Analyst at Mission where she contributes to qualitative research, project coordination, report writing, and communications activities related to risk mitigation for individuals with developmental disabilities, […]
Lynn Scheidenhelm, LCSW
Lynn Scheidenhelm, LCSW, is Director of Innovation for Centering Healthcare Institute (CHI) and responsible for development of products, services and training tools that support clinicians in applying the Centering model […]
Love Anderson, BS, LCE, CHW
Love’s professional background is in the areas of system analytics, physics, and education. She has also breastfed two children with special needs and has been volunteering in the field of […]
Latrice Rollins, PhD, MSW
Latrice Rollins is an Assistant Professor at Morehouse School of Medicine in the Department of Community Health and Preventive Medicine. Dr. Rollins is also a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Culture […]
Kuann Fawkes, MPH
Kuann Fawkes is the Maternal Health Intern at AMCHP. During the past year, Kuann has provided support as the team explores data collection tools to learn more about the role […]
Kimberly Sherman, MPH, MPP
Kimberly Sherman is the Acting Branch Chief for Maternal & Women’s Health in HRSA’s Maternal and Child Health Bureau. She has been a HRSA staff member since 2008, and currently […]
Kristina Wint, MPH
Kristina Wint, MPH, is the program manager for women’s health at the Association of Maternal & Child Health Programs. Kristina brings special interest in understanding the relationship between health inequities […]
Kelly Umstead, MS, MID
Kelly Umstead is an Assistant Professor of Industrial Design and the Director of Graduate Programs in Industrial Design at NC State University’s College of Design. Kelly has 15 years of […]
Katharine (Kayla) Bruce, MPH
Louisiana Pregnancy-Associated Mortality Review (LA-PAMR) is a program of the Louisiana Department of Health, Office of Public Health, Bureau of Family Health. Louisiana Pregnancy-Associated Mortality Review (LA-PAMR) launched its enhanced […]
Kasia Jayjack, MPH
Kasia is the Lead Data Coordinator for the Healthy Start Communities that C.A.R.E. (HSCC) program. In this role, she conducts analyses of data for HSCC-provided services, activities, and curriculums and […]
Karinda Roebuck, CNM MSN
Karinda is the Executive Director for Chatham Organizing for Racial Equity in rural NC. She is also a Certified Nurse-Midwife practicing midwifery since 2008. Her entry into midwifery began while […]
Julie Zaharatos, MPH
Julie works with stakeholders around the country to promote better understanding of the causes and factors contributing to maternal mortality. For the past five years she has supported the development […]
Juan Michelle Martin, DPT
Dr. Juan Michelle Martin, PT, DPT is a licensed physical therapist, birth doula and reproductive wellness coach. She is the owner of JMM Health Solutions, a concierge pelvic health practice […]
Jordan Downey, MPH
Jordan is a data scientist and public health researcher. She is a systems thinker with a commitment to health equity, and enjoys using her experience at the intersection of public […]
Joanah Wischmeier, BSN, RN
Joanah is the Program Director for Healthy Start Communities that C.A.R.E. (HSCC). HSCC is a Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) grant-funded program that focuses on the reduction of infant […]
Joe Salyer, CBHPSS
Joseph “Joe” Salyer joined the MOMS Eastern Montana Perinatal Addiction Treatment Health System (EMPATHS) team in November 2020 as the social services care manager. He was born and raised in […]
Jill Henkle, RNC-OB
Jill Henkle – Prior to working as a Rural Clinical Improvement Advisor for the IMQCC, Jill has worked as a Medical Surgical, Emergency Department, Obstetrics , Newborn Nursery ,and Mom […]
Jennifer Callaghan-Koru, PhD, MHS
Jennifer Callaghan-Koru, PhD, MHS, is Associate Professor of Public Health at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. She has expertise in program evaluation and implementation science and 15 years of […]
Jamila K. Taylor, PhD, MPA
Dr. Jamila K. Taylor is director of health care reform and senior fellow at The Century Foundation, where she leads TCF’s work to build on the Affordable Care Act and […]
Heidi Christensen, MSW
Heidi Christensen, MSW is the Maternal Health Innovation Program Manager at the Arizona Department of Health Services. For more than 20 years she has worked with pregnant and postpartum mothers […]
Heather M. Grable, MS, RRT
Heather is the Project Coordinator for Healthy Start Communities that C.A.R.E. (HSCC). HSCC is a Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) grant-funded program that focuses on the reduction of infant […]
Fernanda Maria Ochoa Toro, BA
Fernanda Maria Ochoa Toro is a Research Assistant at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She has also served as a patient navigator for Latina patients at UNC […]
Ellen Chetwynd, PhD MPH BSN IBCLC
Ellen Chetwynd PhD MPH BSN IBCLC has a long career in maternal and child health which straddles her medical practice as a lactation consultant and nurse and her public health […]
Elliott Main, MD
Dr. Main is the Medical Director of the CMQCC and Chair of the California MMRC. He was the Chair of the OB/GYN Department at California Pacific Medical Center in San […]
Elizabeth Coombs, MPP
Elizabeth (Ellie) Coombs, M.P.P., is a Managing Associate at Mission Analytics Group. She has directed numerous complex projects within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and has led […]
Divine W. Shelton, MPA/MA
Divine W. Shelton, MPA, MA (he/him/his) serves as a Senior Public Health Project Coordinator for CityMatCH. This Omaha, Nebraska, native attended Creighton University receiving his Bachelor of Art in Philosophy. […]
Diane Feeney
Ms. Diane Feeney is Associate Director for Quality Initiatives at the Health Services Cost Review Commission, Maryland Department of Health, working on hospital reimbursement issues across the state, having high […]
Debra Kane, PhD, RN
I received a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing from Marian College of Fond du Lac, WI, and a Master’s Degree in Community Health Nursing from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. […]
David C Lagrew Jr, MD
Dr. Lagrew is a maternal fetal medicine specialist and physician informaticist with a special interest in maternal quality improvement. He currently serves as Medical Director of Women’s and Children’s services […]
Courtnie Carter
Courtnie Carter is an experienced breastfeeding support person, former WIC Breastfeeding Peer Counselor, and former Centering Pregnancy coordinator and facilitator. She also serves on the Maternal TeleHealth Access Project’s Lived […]
Chanel Porchia-Albert, CD, CPD, CLC, CHHC
Chanel Porchia-Albert, Founder and Executive Director of Ancient Song Doula Services, lends leadership to this project in developing the conversation guide for focused conversations with individuals who birthed at LIJMC, […]
Carrie Wolfson, MPA
Carrie Wolfson is a is a doctoral candidate in the Department of Population, Family and Reproductive Health at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. She works as a […]
Carilona Gill, MS
I am a Professor at North Carolina State University and my research focus is on strategic innovation in the intersection of design, engineering, business and healthcare. For the last 17 […]
Calvin Williams, CLC
Calvin Williams is a consultant with Lucian Families Inc., a Cincinnati, Ohio-based company that provides training, program development and innovation strategies to community-based and government organizations that serve fathers, parents, […]
C.H. Tersh McCracken, MD, FACOG
Dr. Clayton H. “Tersh” McCracken III attended medical school at the University of Washington in Seattle. He joined Billings Clinic in 1992 after completing his internship and residency at the […]
Bridget Basile Ibrahim, PhD, MA, RN, FNP-BC
Dr. Basile Ibrahim is a clinician scientist with expertise in maternal child health. Her research focuses on ways to improve health equity in maternity care. She has research experience designing […]
Breana Lipscomb, MPH
Breana Lipscomb, MPH is the Senior Manager of the U.S. Maternal Health & Rights Initiative for the Center for Reproductive Rights. She has over 15 years of public health experience […]
Ayanna Robinson, PhD, MPH
Ayanna Robinson, PhD, MPH is a maternal and child health advocate and an award-winning public health professional with over 10 years of experience in conducting research, program evaluation, and program […]
Averjill Rookwood, BS
Doula & Inclusive Family Benefits Strategist, Averjill is passionate doula who is trained to serve in the holistic fertility, birth and postpartum arenas. She also brings over twenty years of […]
Anne Wanlund, MALD
Canopie uses clinically validated techniques to prevent and alleviate symptoms of postpartum depression through a mobile app. We customize therapeutic audio-based programs using a HIPAA-compliant depression scale and survey about […]
Anne Peterson, MPH
Anne Peterson, MPH is a Senior Research Analyst for the National Service Office for Nurse-Family Partnership and Child First, where she conducts rigorous evaluations of NFP program implementation, outcomes, and […]
Anne Elizabeth Glassgow, PhD
Dr. Anne Elizabeth Glassgow is a Research Assistant Professor of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics in the College of Medicine at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Dr. Glassgow is the […]
Andreea Creanga, MD
Dr. Creanga is a maternal health scientist with experience in measurement, data analytics and implementation of QI initiatives in obstetrics, domestically and internationally. She serves as Maryland MHI Program director […]
Amy Lim, BA
Amy Lim, B.A., is an Analyst and Programmer at Mission Analytics with two years of experience working in health and human services research and evaluation. In her work with Mission […]
Amelia Gibson, Ph.D.
Amelia Gibson is an Associate Professor at the School of Information and Library Science at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Her primary research interests focus on the […]
Amber Pendergraph-Leak, CD(DONA), CLC, CHW, CMA
Amber Pendergraph-Leak is a LEAG member. She is currently serving as BirthMatters interim Executive Director. She served as a lead doula with Birth Matters for over 10 years has accomplished […]
Allison Lorenz, MPA
Ms. Allison Lorenz is Project Director at the Ohio State Government Resource Center where she supports various MCH QI projects, including the GDM Collaborative and implementation of the AIM severe […]
Kelli Sheppard
Kelli joined the MHLIC team in September 2020. She is proud to contribute to the overall improvement of maternal health in some way, shape, or form so that other women […]
Sarah Verbiest
Sarah Verbiest, DrPH, MSW, MPH is the Director of the Jordan Institute for Families at the UNC School of Social Work and the Executive Director of the Center for Maternal […]
Leslie deRosset
Leslie deRosset has been working in maternal and child health for more than two decades. She has spent her career working internationally, in North and South Carolina with state government, […]
Kristin Tully
Kristin Tully, PhD, is a medical anthropologist engaged in a program of research that centers around safety in patient transitions through maternity care, patient-provider communication, breastfeeding experiences, parent-infant nighttime interactions, […]
Katherine Bryant
Katherine Bryant, MA, MSPH, is a Research Associate and Project Manager for the UNC Center for Maternal and Infant Health and a Project Director in the UNC Jordan Institute for […]
M. Kathryn “Kate” Menard
Dr. M. Kathryn Menard, MD, MPH, is a Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology and a Maternal Fetal Medicine specialist on faculty at UNC, serving for fourteen years as Vice Chair […]
James “Jimmy” Dills
James Dills, MPH, MUP, is a Health Integration Associate at the Georgia Health Policy Center (GHPC), where he works to improve public health by advancing Health in All Policies perspectives […]
Deitre Epps
Deitre Epps, founder and CEO for RACE for Equity, has over 25 years of experience in providing education, training, and technical assistance to health, human services, and education leaders to […]
Amy Mullenix
Amy Mullenix currently serves as the Deputy Director for the National Maternal and Child Health Workforce Development Center and the Maternal Health Learning & Innovation Center, two national training and […]
Alyson Northrup
Alyson K. Northrup, MS is the associate director for public policy and government affairs at the Association of Maternal & Child Health Programs (AMCHP). In this role, she executes AMCHP’s […]
Abby Cannon
Abby C. Cannon, MPH, MSW, brings over ten years of experience in monitoring and eAbby C. Cannon, MPH, MSW, is the Evaluation Manager on the Maternal Health Learning and Innovation […]