By Courtney Drayton, BS
The AMCHP conference was a major eye opener for me. I would have never imagined learning so much over the course of four days. Everything from public to private insurance coverage and services to the transformation of MCH based on the new health care law was enlightening. All of it was extremely applicable to the type of work I would like to do. More importantly it was great to see actual professionals coming together to find solutions from each other. All of the professionals displayed intelligence and a passion for the work that they do.
This was my first professional conference; therefore, I was not sure what to expect. As stated I learned a lot of valuable information but I learned some professional etiquette as well. The majority of the speakers were well-spoken and down to earth. Sometimes professionals can be boring and uptight, which makes it hard to really learn anything. That was not the case here. All of the facilitators of each session were very open to comments, suggestions, and experiences from all attendees (even students). For me that was great because everyone was learning from each other. Hearing various experiences about programs that worked or funding opportunities that different states received was helpful for those looking for solutions in their own states. One session really got my attention.
My favorite session was on community economic development, which took another approach to the overall work in public health. The facilitator brought so much excitement and encouragement to this topic! Understanding how to build communities that support healthy habits and living – with things like good housing, grocery stores with nutritious food, and community health centers for health education and promotion – plays a key role in sustaining many public health initiatives. Empowering women and their families to overcome the stranglehold of poverty was the ultimate goal of this session.
Another great part of the conference was the poster session. One of the other attendees from Tulane did a great job presenting her research, which was very interesting. I really enjoyed seeing examples of how public health programs are being integrated with medical interventions to improve community health. One study looked at the incidence of gestational diabetes in a high risk group and how maternal and child professionals raised awareness along with providing webinars to educate physicians and nurses. This resulted in improved birth outcomes in at least two states.
Overall I really enjoyed this experience as well as going to Washington D.C. I never imagined seeing D.C. outside of television. Meeting Tulane alumni working in Maternal and Child in the D.C. area was a really encouraging networking experience also. I met other students and professionals at the conference as well. I will be forever grateful for this opportunity to attend.
Courtney Drayton is a first year Maternal and Child Health MPH student. Her interests are in reducing health disparities among African American women as well advocating for healthy mothers to ensure healthy pregnancies and birth outcomes. She enjoys reading, eating, exercising, and learning new things.