From left: Jamiylah Miller, Montco Mamas; Nia Coaxum, MPH, CHES, Program Manager, Philly Joy Bank; Aly Keefer, M.S. Director of Community Partnerships, National Nurse-Led Care Consortium; Collette Green, MSS, LCSW, Senior Director of Programs, Maternity Care Coalition; Katie Kenyon, VP of Programs, Foundation for Delaware County. (Credit: Montgomery County)
(The following information was provided by the Montgomery County Office of Communications.)
Montgomery County hosted its inaugural maternal health conference to address public health disparities in maternal health.
MOTHERS ALIVE: Sharing Best Practices in Southeastern Pennsylvania to Reduce Disparities in Maternal Mortality and Morbidity was held Tuesday at Montgomery County Community College. The conference was hosted in collaboration with the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Public Health (OPH), Montgomery County Maternal and Early Childhood Consortium (MECC), and the Maternity Care Coalition (MCC).
"Maternal and infant mortality rates continue to rise to crisis levels nationwide, especially for Black moms,” said Montgomery County Commissioners Chair Jamila H. Winder. “I am proud that the County is working in partnership with the community, stakeholders, and policymakers to improve outcomes for our moms.”
The conference provided a trusted, evidence-driven and community-centered space for maternal health professionals and stakeholders invested in the advancement of maternal health equity in Montgomery County. Attendees were able to deepen their understanding of current issues in maternal health, learn about initiatives to improve maternal health, and to get information needed to create change.
Attendees learned from experts, who prioritize awareness and action in decreasing disparities and mortality rates in maternal health.
Speakers
Dr. Tamra Williams, Director, Montgomery County HHS
Sara Goulet, Special Advisor, PA Secretary of Human Services
Dr. Ndidiamaka Amuta-Onukagha, M.O.T.H.E.R. Lab and the Tufts Center
Dr. Aasta Mehta, Medical Officer of Reproductive Health, Philadelphia Department of Public Health
Policy Panel: Making a Difference One Policy at a Time
Moderator: Dr. Aasta Mehta.
Panelists: Danielle A. Duckett, MPA, Policy Director, Department of Human Services, PA HHS Office of Policy Development; Dr. Carol Larach, the Director of Advisory Services within Mathematica’s Federal Medicaid Learning and Technical Assistance community practice; Dr. Diana Montoya-Williams, attending neonatologist in the division of Neonatology at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) and the Hospital for the University of Pennsylvania. Sara Jann Heinze is the Senior Director of Policy & Advocacy at Maternity Care Coalition.
Lunch Panel: Promising Practices
Moderator Jamiylah Miller, Montco Mamas.
Panelists: Katie Kenyon, VP of Programs, Foundation for Delaware County; Nia Coaxum, MPH, CHES, Program Manager, Philly Joy Bank; Collette Green, MSS, LCSW, Senior Director of Programs, Maternity Care Coalition; Aly Keefer, M.S. Director of Community Partnerships, National Nurse-Led Care Consortium
“At the Department of Human Services, we are committed to improving health outcomes for all birthing people in the Commonwealth,” said Sara Goulet, special advisor to PA Department of Human Services Sec. Val Arkoosh. “Together with maternal health care providers and advocates across the Commonwealth, the Shapiro Administration is working to ensure that all women and birthing people get the care and support they need and deserve – both for themselves and their children; to address disparities, to listen, to learn, and to take action.”
