Saint Louis University Maternal and Child Health Center of Excellence in Education, Science and Practice
Grant Status: Active
Training Category: Centers of Excellence in Maternal and Child Health Education Science and Practice
Project Director(s):
Pamela Xaverius, PhD, MBA
Saint Louis University
3545 Lafayette Ave
St Louis, MO 63104
Phone: (314) 977-4576
Email: pam.xaverius@slu.edu
Goals and Objectives:
The purpose of this proposal is to increase the number and diversity of Maternal Child Health (MCH) Masters in Public Health (MPH) graduates practicing in region 7 of HRSA (Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, and Iowa). This will be accomplished through enhanced recruitment and retention of diverse students, providing financial resources to support MCH MPH graduate students and improving the quality of the training during and after graduation.
Aims:
AIM 1: Increase number and diversity of MCH-MPH trainees in public health, with a special focus on recruiting students from minority populations (i.e., minority racial/ethnic groups, first generation college graduates, and people from impoverished backgrounds).
Goal 1a: Recruit a diverse group of MCH trainees to eliminate health inequities, leading change with community and organizational partners, among multidisciplinary sectors.
Objective 1a1. Enroll 100 MCH trainees in the graduate MCH program over five years, increasing student diversity by 20% and retaining 98% of students until graduation.
Objective 1a2. Provide tuition assistance for 100 MCH trainees.
AIM 2: Re-engineer MCH training through incremental approach to attaining a graduate degree and enhanced MCH curriculum.
Goal 2a. Design and implement an interdisciplinary certificate that prepares MCH trainees in content and skills in MCH specialty areas, and offer them to the work force. The certificate will be structured in such a way that the core courses can be counted towards an MPH degree.
Objective 2a1. Expand program via part-time and incremental pursuit of an MPH to reach an additional 37 MPH professionals across region 7, into the MCH certificate program.
Goal 2b. Re-engineer MCH curriculum that leads to a master's degree in public health.
Objective 2b1. Students will be exposed to 1.) using a curriculum reflecting comprehensive historical, legislative, Title V and related programs; cultural competence; MCH leadership, life course theory, health equity /social justice, and emerging MCH public health issues, 2.) demonstrating research or service expertise, and 3.) providing leadership opportunities.
Objective 2b2. Work closely with the Reinert Center for Transformative Learning to enhance MCH core curriculum and expand offerings from in-class to online.
Goal 2c. Expand practice-based internships to allow MCH trainees to work in and be mentored by lead MCH agencies throughout region 7 in 300+ hours of training per year.
Objective 2c1. Identify and enhance cross disciplinary internship training at 20 locations locally, state wide, and regionally. Objective 2c2. Strengthen academic-practice partnerships to provide subject matter expertise, through a community-enhanced MCH advisory.
AIM 3: Provide continuing education in MCH content areas and leadership skills to existing MCH professionals throughout region 7.
Goal 3a. Provide MCH related education and leadership skills to existing MCH professionals.
Objective 3a1. Provide one symposium and two seminars per year. Objective 3a2. Provide one webinar per year.
Goal 3b. Recruit MCH professionals into the MCH program.
Objective 3b1. Work closely with Title V directors throughout region 7 to design an MCH certificate to meet the workforce development needs of public health staff at state and local public health departments.