Maternal and Child Health Fellows 2019

6/6/2019

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Health Program

The Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Fellows program is designed to support legislators who are experienced or emerging leaders on MCH related issues. The kickoff meeting will set the stage for the work of the MCH Fellows and will provide issue content in a peer learning setting. The meeting goals include:

Build knowledge about new research and policy.
Exchange ideas and solutions related to maternal and child health.
Meet and learn from other legislative leaders.
Connect with leading researchers and policy experts.
Identify practical information to use in your state and develop action steps.

Senator David Wilson, Alaska

Representative Deborah Ferguson, Arkansas

Senator Joann Ginal, Colorado

Senator Bryan Townsend, Delaware

Representative Katie Dempsey, Georgia

Representative Cindy Kirchhofer, Indiana

Representative Kimberly Moser, Kentucky

Representative Stephanie Hilferty, Louisiana

Senator Joan Lovely, Massachusetts

Representative Kelly Morrison, Minnesota

Lonnie Edgar, legislative staff, Mississippi

Senator Joyce Krawiec, North Carolina

Amanda Melillo, legislative staff, New Jersey

Assemblywoman Brittney Miller, Nevada

Assemblywoman Shannon Bilbray-Axelrod, Nevada

Assemblywoman Kimberly Jean-Pierre, New York

Senator Stephanie Kunze, Ohio

Representative Emilia Sykes, Ohio

Anna Rouw, legislative staff, Oklahoma

Senator Thomas Alexander, South Carolina

Senator Ann Millner, Utah

Representative Ann Pugh, Vermont

Andrea Brauer, legislative staff, Wisconsin

Delegate Joe Ellington, West Virginia

Kickoff Meeting: Building State Leadership

**Agenda**
Friday, Jan. 25, 2019
3:30-5 p.m.	Welcome \| Powerpoint \| PDF file-13 pages This session will welcome the inaugural class of MCH Policy Fellows with an overview of the program and introductions of the Fellows. Moderator: Tahra Johnson, program director, Maternal and Child Health, NCSL Speaker: Kelsi Feltz, public health analyst, Maternal and Child Health Bureau, Health Resources and Services Administration, Health and Human Services (HHS)
6-8:30 p.m.	Dinner with the Opioid Policy Fellows Keynote: Setting the Stage The Maternal and Child Health Fellows will join the Opioid Policy Fellows for networking and dinner. The program will feature alumni of NCSL’s Fellows programs discussing their successes and advice for the newest classes of Fellows. Moderator: Kate Blackman, Health Program group director, NCSL Panelists: Senator Joann Ginal, Colorado Representative Stephanie Hilferty, Louisiana Representative Ann Pugh, Vermont Senator David Wilson, Alaska
Saturday, Jan. 26, 2019
8:30-8:15 a.m.	Welcome and Overview of the Day Tahra Johnson, program director, Maternal and Child Health, NCSL
8:15-9:30 a.m.	Maternal and Child Health: State and Federal Policy 102 \| Powerpoint \| PDF file-26 pages This session will highlight how MCH policy has evolved in recent years. Our speakers and fellows will discuss current issues as well as recent, potential federal legislation and what this may mean for state policymakers. This session will be interactive with speakers and attendees discussing state challenges, successes and efforts as they pertain to maternal and child health. Moderator: Tahra Johnson, program director, Maternal and Child Health, NCSL Speakers: Erik Skinner, policy associate, NCSL Haley Nicholson, policy director, NCSL Amy Haddad, director of policy & government affairs, Association of Maternal and Child Health Programs (AMCHP)
9:45-11 a.m.	Working with State Health Departments on Maternal and Child Health \| Powerpoint \| PDF file-14 pages Title V Directors, or MCH Directors, will join the fellows for in-depth discussions directly on their work related to maternal and child health and to answer questions from the fellows. Moderator: Tahra Johnson, program director, Maternal and Child Health, NCSL Speakers: Sanaa Akbarali, director, Family and Child Health, ASTHO Amy Zapata, director, Bureau of Family Health, Louisiana Department of Health Dr. Morgan McDonald, assistant commissioner and director, Family Health and Wellness, Tennessee Department of Health
11:15-11:45 a.m.	Joint Session with Opioid Fellows: Medicaid 1115 Waivers Opioid Policy Fellows and Maternal and Child Health Fellows will learn about Medicaid 1115 waivers and have an opportunity to discuss them with CMS. Moderator: Emily Blanford, program principal, NCSL Speaker: Calder Lynch, senior counselor to the CMS administrator, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)
11:45 a.m.-1 p.m.	Lunch with Opioid Fellows: Adverse Childhood Experiences \| Powerpoint \| PDF file-11 pages Opioid Policy Fellows and Maternal and Child Health Fellows will learn about and discuss Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and how these early experiences intersect with the issues and populations of focus for the Fellows programs. The session will provide the opportunity for discussing solutions and sharing state strategies. Moderator: Amber Bellazaire, research analyst II, NCSL Speaker: Dr. Jay Butler, former commissioner and chief medical officer of the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services Alaska
1:30-3 p.m.	Maternal and Child Mental Health \| Powerpoint \| PDF file-28 pages This session will offer expert discussion on the pressing issue of children’s mental health. Speakers will present resources and an overview of systems of support available to children and families. Moderator: Margaret Wile, senior policy specialist, NCSL Speakers: Kate Ginnis, Boston Children’s Hospital Debbie Plotnick, Mental Health America Emily Blanford, program principal, NCSL
3:15-4:15 p.m.	Maternal and Child Mental Health Continued This discussion will build on the prior session through a presentation on the intersection of children’s healthy development and maternal mental health.
4:15-4:45 p.m.	Debrief, Action Planning and Group Photo
Sunday, Jan. 27, 2019
8:30-10 a.m.	Infant Mortality and Maternal Mortality \| Powerpoint \| PDF file-32 pages National experts will share their knowledge on best practices for state infant and maternal mortality review committees and related prevention efforts. The speakers will also examine the connection between maternal health and infant health. Moderator: Erik Skinner, policy associate, NCSL Speakers: Dr. Lynne Coslett-Charlton, Pennsylvania District Legislative Chair, The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists Jane Herwehe, MPH, data action team lead, Bureau of Family Planning, Office of Public Health, Louisiana Department of Public Health
10:15-11:30 a.m.	Action Planning and Reflection \| Powerpoint \| PDF file-3 pages This session will wrap up with an opportunity to debrief, reflect and share Fellows’ action steps for the coming months. NCSL will discuss topics for upcoming events and offer ongoing support.
11:30 a.m.	Adjourn

Second Meeting: Policy Solutions and Innovations

**Agenda**
Monday, June 24, 2019
8-8:10 a.m.	Welcome Tahra Johnson, program director, Maternal and Child Health, NCSL
8:10-8:45 a.m.	Fellows Report out This session will provide an opportunity for Fellows to share their challenges and successes since the last meeting. Fellows will provide updates on their action plans and share new developments, policies and programs in their states.
8:45-9:10 a.m.	Prenatal-to-Three: Strategies and Policy Solutions This session will highlight strategies and policy options for improving health and wellbeing during the prenatal-to-three timeframe. Moderator: Tahra Johnson, NCSL Speakers: Julie Poppe, NCSL \| Powerpoint \| PDF file-11 pages Senator Thomas Alexander, SC
9:10-9:40 a.m.	Improving Access to Maternity Care in Rural Communities This session will include information on accessing maternity care in rural counties and include a case study on a rural hospital in Gunnison, Colorado. Moderator: Tahra Johnson, NCSL Speaker: Rob Santilli, Chief Executive Officer at Gunnison Valley Health \| Powerpoint \| PDF file-22 pages
9:45-11:15 a.m.	Evidence-Based and Innovative Policy Solutions for the Early Years This session will focus on home visiting and newborn screening. State legislators will learn about the infrastructure and evidence behind these programs as well as policy options they may consider to improve these programs for babies and mothers. Moderator: Tahra Johnson, NCSL Speakers: Alison May, NCSL Allison Mosqueda, Nurse-Family Partnership \| Powerpoint \| PDF file-20 pages Nisha Quabsa, Public Policy Specialist, Association of Public Health Laboratories \| Powerpoint \| PDF file-36 pages
11:30 a.m.-12:15 p.m.	Joint Session with Opioid Fellows - Suicide Prevention Opioid Policy Fellows and Maternal and Child Health Fellows will learn about suicide prevention and state efforts to reduce suicide rates. Moderator: Charlie Severance-Medaris, NCSL Speaker: Emily Fine, Colorado Suicide Prevention Commission \| Powerpoint \| PDF file-32 pages
12:30-1:30 p.m.	Lunch with the Opioid Policy Fellows- Preventing and Addressing Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS) The Maternal and Child Health Fellows will join the Opioid Policy Fellows for networking and lunch. The program will feature state initiatives reducing the number of babies born with NAS. The former state health official in West Virginia will share state challenges and solutions. Moderator: Tahra Johnson, NCSL Speaker: Dr. Rahul Gupta, March of Dimes, Chief Medical and Health Officer \| Powerpoint \| PDF file-40 pages
2:15-3:15 p.m.	Childhood Obesity and Nutrition This session will discuss how research informs effective or innovative state policies and programs. The session will examine approaches to preventing and treating childhood obesity and examine the challenges and successes of integrating that science into state run programs to prevent and address childhood obesity in communities. Moderator: Erik Skinner, NCSL Speakers: Dr. Denise Wilfley, PhD, Director, Weight Management and Eating Disorder Program, Professor of Psychiatry, Medicine, Pediatrics and Psychological and Brain Sciences, Washington University Dr. Samar Muzaffar, MD, MPH, Integrated Health Solutions, LLC \| Powerpoint \| PDF file-12 pages
3:30-4:45 p.m.	Childhood Obesity and Nutrition Cont. This session will explore the ways access to healthy food shapes the lives of young people. Experts will discuss policy levers within the food system to improve nutritional quality, encourage healthy eating and provide communities with the tools to ensure quality nutrition. Moderator: Erik Skinner, NCSL Speakers: Tracy Miller, Branch Chief, Nutrition Services Branch, Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment \| Powerpoint \| PDF file-16 pages Dr. Christina Suh, Children’s Hospital, Aurora Colorado \| Powerpoint \| PDF file-73 pages Haley Nicholson, NCSL \| Powerpoint \| PDF file-16 pages
5-6 p.m.	Reception
	Joint Session with Opioid Fellows and Dinner- A Conversation with State Health Officials Opioid Policy Fellows and Maternal and Child Health Fellows will have a discussion with state health officials from two states. State health officials will share state initiatives improving maternal and child health and addressing the opioid epidemic. Moderator: Kate Blackman, NCSL Speakers: Dr. Joseph Miner, Executive Director, Utah Department of Health Dr. Kristina Box, State Health Commissioner, Indiana Department of Health
Tuesday, June 25, 2019
7:30-8 a.m.	Breakfast and Networking Breakfast is available beginning at 7 a.m. Participants will have the opportunity to informally network and discuss key topics in their home states
8-8:15 a.m.	Welcome and Overview of the Day Tahra Johnson, NCSL
8:15-10:30 a.m.	Medicaid in Schools and School-Based Health Centers This session will highlight how Medicaid can fund health services in schools as well as services and supports offered more broadly in school based health centers. Moderator: Tammy Jo Musgraves, NCSL Speakers: Emily Blanford, NCSL \| Powerpoint \| PDF file-16 pages Gretchen Hammer, Public Leadership Consulting Group, former Colorado Medicaid Director Elisabeth Wright Burak, Senior Fellow, Georgetown University Cristina Bejarano, Director of Engagement, Colorado Association for School-Based Health Care \| Powerpoint \| PDF file-16 pages
10:45-11:20 a.m.	Reducing Teen Pregnancy This session will include information reducing teen pregnancy rates, including a case study on Colorado’s reduction of teen pregnancy by over 40%. Moderator: Tahra Johnson, NCSL Speakers: Gretchen Hammer, Public Leadership Consulting Group, former Colorado Medicaid Director Jody Camp, Family Planning Section Manager, Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment \| Powerpoint \| PDF file-22 pages
11:45 a.m.-1 p.m.	Lunch and Joint Session with Opioid Fellows- Recovery and Hope This session will wrap up with meeting with a story of recovery and hope. Moderator: Kate Blackman, NCSL Speakers: Cortney Lovell, WRise Consulting \| Powerpoint \| PDF file-21 pages
1:15-2 p.m.	New Ideas, Next Steps and Graduation The meeting will close with an opportunity to debrief, reflect, and share Fellows’ action steps to work on in the coming months. Fellows will receive their graduation certificate. Moderator: Tahra Johnson, NCSL
2 p.m.	Adjourn

Maternal Depression: State Policies and Programs

Friday, April 12, 2019
During this webinar, NCSL staff and national experts will provide an overview of state maternal depression policies and programs. According to the CDC, maternal depression is common and treatable. Left untreated, maternal depression can have devastating effects for mothers, children and families. Fellows will share updates on their efforts and experiences to improve maternal and child health as well as learn more about state policies and recent legislative trends on this webinar. Click here to listen to the full webinar.

State Immunization Policies and Programs

Friday, March 1, 2019
During this webinar, NCSL staff and national experts from the American Academy of Pediatrics will provide an overview of state immunization policies and programs. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ranks vaccination among the most significant public health achievements of the 20th century. The CDC reported that, over the last two decades, immunizations prevented more than 21 million hospitalizations and 732,000 child deaths in the United States. Click here to listen to the full webinar.