Several MPH students recently attended the joint CityMatCH Leadership & MCH Epidemiology Conference (September 17 – 19, 2014, in Phoenix, AZ) and were asked to share a few thoughts about their experiences. What follows is one of these reflections.
by Ashley Hoover, BS
As a self-proclaimed MCH nerd, I was very excited to have the opportunity to attend the CityMatCH Maternal and Child Health Leadership and Epidemiology conference in September. A much shorter conference than the annual APHA conference, sessions were invariably smaller and allowed for more discussion (both one-on-one and in larger groups) with relevant topics related to my interests, particularly concerning women’s health, family planning, and perinatal health. It was also easier to network because the conference itself is smaller than APHA and many attendees had similar interests.
The sessions were informative on current research and practices in the field of Maternal and Child Health, and also interactive, allowing for greater synthesis of the material being presented. I found this to be especially useful as I begin to harness the abstract thoughts around my career into concrete ideas and determining what skills and knowledge will be most beneficial to me as I begin work in the field.
The conference also addressed broad themes relating to various social determinants of health and how to address them through transforming data collected in the field into better programs, better policy, and ultimately, eliminating health inequity. As I reflect on the discussions we had, I think a key issue currently at the forefront of maternal and child health is how to use the data to effectively make these changes. Here in lies the challenge for us as emerging leaders in the field, but also for public health as a profession as we move toward better and more evidence-based work to produce a more equal society in health. While the topic was discussed in great detail at the conference, I feel the answer of how to effectively move data into action is still unclear. However, I feel that being able to have this conversation and others like it with professionals in the field who are all dedicated to eliminating health disparities and inequities is just the beginning and I am grateful to be a part of the process.
Ashley Hoover is a second-year MPH student and MCHLT Scholar, concentrating in Maternal and Child Health. Her interests include women’s health across the life course, reproductive health, maternal and child health epidemiology, and reducing disparities and inequities in birth outcomes.
