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U of M Selected as One of Five Institutions Nationwide for Innovative Diversity Peer Collaborative by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau
(Minneapolis, Minn.)—The strength of the University of Minnesota's maternal and child health (MCH) graduate and resident training programs has led to the university's selection by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB) to participate in "Diversity in MCH Training: A Peer Collaborative." The U of M will be one of five institutions nationwide to participate in the peer collaborative, a comprehensive diversity effort launched by the MCHB Training Branch in early 2009 aimed at supporting grantees in their efforts to increase racial and ethnic diversity of trainees and faculty in maternal and child health training programs.
"This is an opportunity for our team to be part of discussions that delve deeply into the issues of training in our diverse society—not just at numbers, but also at what and how we teach," says Mae Sylvester, MS, Education and Training Coordinator for both the Division of Adolescent Health and Medicine and the Division of Academic General Pediatrics (Department of Pediatrics). Sylvester served as team leader for the successful proposal to MCHB.
The University's impressive history in resident, graduate, and post-graduate training, like the Leadership Education in Adolescent Health (LEAH) fellowship program first begun in 1978, emphasizes the importance of a multidisciplinary view and cultural competence in health promotion. The Peer Collaborative partnership will include other university MCH program faculty from the Medical School, School of Nursing and School of Public Health (Epidemiology and Community Health).
The other four academic institutions which are part of the peer collaborative network are the University of Alabama at Birmingham, University of California-Los Angeles, Utah Regional Group, and the Westchester Institute for Human Development in New York. The five teams were selected from among 17 applications received by a review committee composed of representatives of the MCH Training Resource Center, the National Center for Cultural Competence, training program faculty members from MCHB and one current trainee. The MCHB is a bureau of the Health Resources and Services Administration, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
The MCHB's Peer Collaborative is part of a comprehensive diversity effort launched by the training branch in early 2009 and the selection speaks to strength of the university's MCH training programs. "It's really not possible to effectively address the health disparities in this country without also understanding the cultural context in which patients live their lives," says Nimi Singh, MD, Director of the Division of Adolescent Health and Medicine.
The five University of Minnesota staff members who participated in the submission of the successful proposal include:
-Mae Sylvester, MS (team leader) -Rickey Hall, Assistant VP, Office for Equity and Diversity -Peter Scal, MD, MPH -Nimi Singh, MD, MPH -Chinwe Umez, MD,, an MPH candidate and adolescent health fellow.
For more information about the Division of Adolescent Health and Medicine, visit: http://www.med.umn.edu/peds/ahm/home.html
Improving the Adolescent Health Care Workforce
Improving the Adolescent Health Care Workforce was the topic of a meeting in May sponsored by the LEAH programs and the National Academy's Institute of Medicine. This effort is key to implement the other reforms called for by the National Academy of Science's report on adolescent health, Missing Opportunities.
The meeting agenda included expert faculty on adolescent health care, adolescent-related research, and policy as well as new adolescent health leaders just beginning to take leadership.
The meeting included:
- An overview of the Missing Opportunities report (Gootman and Irwin),
- A review of the recommendations on the adolescent health care workforce (Bearinger),
- An outline of the adolescent health activities of the Maternal and Child Health Bureau (Van Dyck),
- A summary of the LEAH programs (Orr),
- A discussion of specific needs in the development of educator/scholar and interdisciplinary clinician scientists (Emans, Freeman, Haverkos, and Newcomer)
- A presentation on issues and developments in pediatric residency education, and in nursing, and other interdisciplinary education (Ludwig and Burke),
- A presentation of health care reform recommendations of the Society for Adolescent Medicine (Kriepe) and by the National Alliance to Advance Adolescent Health.(Fox and McManus), as well as a consideration of the opportunities and dilemmas raised by electronic medical records (Mandl),
- Several recommendations of strategy groups on primary care and educator/scholar training,
- A Synthesis (Resnick and Brindis).
- From the meeting has come an Action Plan to improve the adolescent health workforce.
State of Indiana Adolescent Health Strategic Plan Is Now Available. Indiana LEAH Faculty and Trainees Contribute Greatly to the Plan.
Picturing a Healthier Future: A State Strategic Plan for Indiana's Adolescents was released in May 2009. It is the state of Indiana's first adolescent health plan. The plan highlights ten health priority issues facing Indiana's adolescents. The Indiana Coalition to Improve Adolescent Health (ICIAH) was founded in 2006 and it spearheaded the development and publication of the plan. The Coalition was formed to promote the optimal health and well-being of all of Indiana's adolescents (ages 10-24) with an emphasis on prevention and access to quality, comprehensive health care. The Indiana LEAH program is a longstanding member of the Coalition. For more information about the Coalition and the plan, please visit here.
MCH People in the News
Imee Cambronero, MPH
University of Minnesota
Imee Cambronero, an SPH graduate student and Healthy Youth Development - Prevention Research Center Fellow, has just been awarded the 2009 President's Student Leadership and Service Award. Imee will be honored at an awards banquet with President Bruininks presenting the award himself.
MCH People in the News
Imee Cambronero, MPH
University of Minnesota
Imee Cambronero, MPH, a University of Minnesota Healthy Youth Development - Prevention Research Center Fellow who trained through our LEAH curriculum (Leadership Education in Adolescent Health) is featured in this You Tube clip that tells the story about her leadership development in public health, and commitment to international public health work.
MCH People in the News
Imee Cambronero, MPH
University of Minnesota
Imee Cambronero, MPH, Prevention Research Center fellow, has been awarded the University of Minnesota Division of Epidemiology and Community Health Education Faculty Scholarship Award for "public health leadership and community involvement as well as academic excellence." Congratulations Imee!
MCH People in the News
Glynis Shea
University of Minnesota
Glynis Shea, Communications Director for the Division of Adolescent Health and Medicine has been named Advocate of the Year by MOAPPP - the Minnesota Organization on Adolescent Pregnancy, Prevention and Parenting. This award is given annually to a person, policymaker or organization who has provided valuable leadership in support of policies or legislation affecting adolescent sexual health promotion, adolescent pregnancy prevention and/or adolescent parent support issues. Ms. Shea's work to re-shape the way we think and communicate about these issues has been transformative for those in the field.
MCH People in the News
Paul Snyder, MSW, Mdiv and Jennifer Andrashko
University of Minnesota
Paul Snyder, MSW, Mdiv, Program Director, Konopka Institute for Best Practices in Adolescent Health and LEAH Social Work faculty; and Jennifer Andrashko, Social Work Fellow in the Division's Leadership Education in Adolescent Health Program, are recipients of the 2009-10 Buckman Fellowship for Leadership in Philanthropy. Buckman Fellows are chosen to participate in a ten-month series of seminars with University of Minnesota and community experts on philanthropy and fundraising. As a part of their application they identify a specific philanthropic project and are awarded a stipend to be used to develop their leadership skills and implement their chosen project. Awards will be given at a June 3rd ceremony at Eastcliffe.
Important IOM Report on Adolescent Health Available Through the National Academies Press
Adolescent Health Services: Missing Opportunities is available for purchase or can be read for free online at http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12063. The report examines the health status of adolescents and reviews the separate and uncoordinated programs and services delivered in multiple public and private health care settings. The report provides guidance to administrators in public and private health care agencies, health care workers, guidance counselors, parents, school administrators, and policy makers on investing in, strengthening, and improving an integrated health system for adolescents.
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December 4, 2009
2nd Annual JHU LEAH Region III Health Disparities Conference
Date: December 4, 2009
Location:
Feinstone Hall
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg
School of Public Health
615 N. Wolfe Street 1st Flr
Baltimore, MD 21205
More Information:
Event Flyer
Planned Agenda
Registration Form
Conference Web Site