Innovations in Maternal and Child Health: Pairing Undergraduate and Graduate Maternal and Child Health Students in Summer Practica in State Title V Agencies

Maternal and child health (MCH), as a core sub-field of public health, continues to be an essential area in which additional workforce development and investment are needed. Recent public health workforce assessments in the United States reveal there will be a significant number of vacancies in MCH public health positions in the near future, creating the need for a well-trained and skilled public health MCH workforce. In order to address this potential critical workforce gap, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration’s Maternal and Child Health Bureau initiated the Maternal and Child Health Public Health Catalyst Program in 2015 to support the creation of MCH training programs in accredited schools of public health that previously did not have a MCH concentration. This article details the accomplishments and lessons learned from the first five MCH Catalyst Program grantees: Drexel University; Florida International University; Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey; Texas A&M University; and the University at Albany.

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Developing a Public Health Maternal and Child Health Training Program: Lessons Learned from Five Schools of Public Health

Bozlak

Brown

Davis

et al. 2022

“…This manuscript includes quantitative survey and qualitative data from 2017 to 2020 generated by both Title V MCH Internship student interns and preceptors with a focus on comparison between the 2020 virtual year and the 2017–2019 in-person years. The experience of the first three years (summers 2014–2016) of this internship program have previously been described (Handler et al, 2018 ). Likewise, data from the summer 2021 virtual summer were not available at the time of the writing of this manuscript.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…One of the inaugural programs of the NMCHWDC was the Title V MCH Internship Program , administered by MCH faculty and staff from the University of Illinois at Chicago School of Public Health (UIC-SPH). Formerly called the Paired Practica Program, this internship pairs teams of students from CoE, Catalyst, and Pipeline Programs with state Title V agencies (Handler et al, 2018 ) to: (1) provide both graduate and undergraduate MCH students with exposure to state Title V agencies; (2) assist state Title V agencies with the implementation of a variety of projects related to health care and MCH Block Grant transformation; and, (3) develop the mentorship skills of MCH graduate students while exposing MCH undergraduates to “mentors” close in age and experience. The creation of student teams was designed to pair students from larger, more developed MCH programs (CoEs-MCH) with students in smaller graduate MCH programs (Catalysts) in Schools of Public Health, and with students from undergraduate MCH Pipeline Programs.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…From the enactment in 1935 of Title V of the Social Security Act, the education and training of the maternal and child health (MCH) workforce has been viewed as essential to enabling Title V and its partners to address the multiple challenges facing women, children, and families (Kavanagh, 2015). The Division of MCH Workforce Development (DMCHWD) within the Maternal and (Handler et al, 2018) to: (1) provide both graduate and undergraduate MCH students with exposure to state Title V agencies; (2) assist state Title V agencies with the implementation of a variety of projects related to health care and MCH Block Grant transformation; and, (3) develop the mentorship skills of MCH graduate students while exposing MCH undergraduates to "mentors" close in age and experience. The creation of student teams was designed to pair students from larger, more developed MCH programs (CoEs-MCH) with students in smaller graduate MCH programs (Catalysts) in Schools of Public Health, and with students from undergraduate MCH Pipeline Programs.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Learning from Graduate and Undergraduate Public Health Virtual Internship Experiences with State Title V Agencies During COVID-19, Summer 2020

Handler

Greenleaf

Bozlak

et al. 2021

Self Cite

Background Since summer 2014, the National MCH Workforce Development Center has placed students from MCH public health graduate (Centers of Excellence and Catalyst) and undergraduate (MCH Pipeline) programs, all funded by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau, in summer internships with state and territorial Title V agencies. In 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic the Title V MCH Internship Program was offered virtually. Participants and Methods This manuscript includes quantitative and qualitative data from 2017 to 2020 generated by both Title V MCH Internship student interns (n = 76) and their preceptors (n = 40) with a focus on a comparison between the 2020 virtual year and the 2017–2019 years. Results Evaluation data from the 2017 to 2020 Title V MCH Internship Program from both students and preceptors revealed the implementation of a robust and successful internship program in which students increased their confidence in a variety of team, mentorship, and leadership skills while gaining direct exposure to the daily work of state Title V agencies. However, students and preceptors identified more challenges during 2020 compared to previous years. Conclusions The COVID-19 Pandemic was both a disruption and a catalyst for change in education. While there were clearly some challenges with the pivot to a virtual Title V MCH Internship Program in summer 2020, students were able to participate in meaningful internship experiences. This success can be attributed to the ability of the internship sponsor to engage in best practices, including extensive planning and provision of ongoing support to the students. Going forward, it is recognized that virtual internships may facilitate access to agencies in distant locales, eliminating issues related to housing and transportation. When both virtual and in-person relationships are available, those responsible for internship programs, including the Title V MCH Internship, will need to weigh these type of benefits against the potential missed opportunities students may have when not able to participate in on-site experiences.

“…In response, the federal MCH Bureau (MCHB) has supported the National MCH Workforce Development Center since 2013. Headquartered at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and with academic and practice partners around the nation, the Center offers training and development programs to equip the Title V workforce to meet today’s challenges and transform organizations and systems (Clarke & Cilenti, 2018 ; Handler et al, 2018 ; Margolis et al, 2017 ). The Center works closely with the MCHB and the Association of Maternal and Child Health Programs (AMCHP).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Developing State Leadership in Maternal and Child Health: Process Evaluation Findings from a Work-Based Learning Model for Leadership Development

Umble

Powis

Coffey

et al. 2022

Self Cite

Objectives Since 2013 the MCH Bureau has supported the National MCH Workforce Development Center to strengthen the Title V MCH workforce. This article describes the Center’s Cohort Program and lessons learned about work-based learning, instruction, and coaching. Description The Cohort Program is a leadership development program that enrolls state-level teams for skill development and work-based learning to address a self-identified challenge in their state. Teams attend a Learning Institute that teaches concepts, skills, and practical tools in systems integration; change management and adaptive leadership; and evidence-based decision-making and implementation. Teams then work back home on their challenges, aided by coaching. The Program’s goals are for teams to expand and use their skills to address their challenge, and that teams would strengthen programs, organizations, and policies, use their skills to address other challenges, and ultimately improve MCH outcomes. Methods This process evaluation is based on evaluation forms completed by attendees at the three-day Learning Institute; six-month follow-up interviews with team leaders; and a modified focus group with staff. Results Participants and staff believe the Cohort Program effectively merges a practical skill-based curriculum, work-based learning in teams, and coaching. The Learning Institute provides a foundation of skills and tools, strengthens the team’s relationship with their coach, and builds the team. The work-based learning period provides structure, accountability, and a “practice space” for teams to apply the Cohort Program’s skills and tools to address their challenge. In this period, teams deepen collaborations and often add partners. The coach provides accessible and tailored guidance in teamwork and skill application. These dimensions helped teams in develop skills and address state-level MCH challenges. Conclusions for Practice Continuing professional development programs can help leaders learn to address complex state-level MCH challenges through integrated classroom-based skills development, work-based learning on state challenges, and tailored coaching.