Many of our students attended this year’s meeting of the American Public Health Association (APHA), held in Atlanta, November 4 – 8. What follows is a post from one of these attendees.
By Tylar Williams, BS, CHES
This was my first time attending APHA, so I had no idea what to expect. I was forewarned that the conference can be overwhelming with all the different sessions to attend, and advised to create a plan. This was the best advice I could have received, because even with my planned schedule of events, I still found myself blown away by all the options. I attended many different sessions during the conference, but two really resonated with me.
The first was a session titled “African-American Women: Maternal Child Health- Reproduction, Prenatal and Motherhood.” There were 4 different presentations during this session, but my absolute favorite was by Jaye Clement, MPH/MPP. She talked in depth about the design and outcomes of their enhanced model of group prenatal care, Women-Inspired Neighborhood (WIN) Network Detroit. It was inspiring to hear about a model of prenatal care that is non-traditional and is having a positive impact on the birth outcomes of African-American women. Her talk showed me that it’s possible to combine my passions in public health with my passions in nurse-midwifery. I was familiar with the Centering Pregnancy model, but tailoring it to vulnerable African-American women and including community health workers as co-facilitators was innovative to me. During the session all I could think about was figuring out if there were similar programs here in New Orleans and if not, how can I bring one here. After the session ended, I could not wait to exchange information with her.
The second session was titled “Black Mamas Matter! Reclaiming Maternal and Reproductive Health.” This session had five different presentations, and it was the first session where I found myself too enthralled to take notes. This session focused on the intersection of race and power and their effects on reproductive justice. Prior to this session I had some knowledge of the historical context behind why the current racial inequities in maternal mortality exist, but I left knowing so much more. It was also interesting to be in an MCH session that focused solely on the mothers. I think a lot of times we frame the conversations in MCH around the infant and child outcomes, so it was refreshing to hear things from a new perspective. I also learned about different Black women-led initiatives that I want to become involved with. I also found a few new books to add to my reading list that focus on reproductive and birth justice.
In all, I enjoyed my experience at APHA. It provided me with the chance to network with people from all walks of life and at different stages in their public health careers. This conference was special to me because I likely would not have met the amazing people I did this weekend under normal circumstances. I like to think of my life as a giant puzzle. I have all the pieces, but I am just not sure how they all fit together. I left APHA feeling like I’ve put some of the pieces together and it is an amazing feeling. I am excited to see what next year has to offer!
Tylar Williams is a first-year MPH student concentrating in Maternal and Child Health and plans to graduate in May 2019. She received a bachelor’s degree in Health Education from Howard University in 2016. She is CHES certified. Her interests include nursing, midwifery, prenatal and postpartum care, and improving reproductive and sexual health education in the Black community. She loves cooking, spending time with her friends and family, traveling, and taking her dog, Millie, on walks.
