Abstract
Problem:
The George Washington Center of Excellence in Maternal and Child Health Education, Science, Practice, and Policy (GW-MCH CoE) is the first MCHB funded Center in the nation's capital, and will provide tremendous opportunities for GW students and faculty, as well as agencies, organizations, and communities in the Washington D.C. Metropolitan area. The GW-MCH CoE has added "Policy" as a core domain given the School's nationally recognized Department of Health Policy and Management, an academic hub for health policy experts and leaders, with close proximity to Capitol Hill. It presents unparalleled experiential training opportunities in policy and advocacy at both the local and federal level.
Over the last two decades, the GWSPH MCH program has been one of the School's longest-standing MPH programs, a sign of the school's early and continued commitment to ensuring a world where girls, women, and children are healthy, educated, and safe. The program has trained more than 450 MPH graduates who have gone on to become MCH leaders within federal, state and local health agencies; some have pursued doctoral training and are now researchers and educators, while others lead community organizations, and still others work with think tanks and policy/advocacy organizations.
Goals and objectives:
The primary of the goals of the GW-MCH CoE are as follows:
Goal 1: Strengthen and innovate comprehensive educational strategies and excellent curricula that produce MCH MPH graduates capable of addressing current and emerging MCH challenges as students prepare for careers as MCH leaders, managers, scientists, practitioners, policymakers, and advocates.
Goal 2: Enhance MCH research opportunities for students, faculty, and community organizations/health agencies that include promoting interdisciplinary research and building robust academic-community partnerships.
Goal 3: Leverage GWSPH's location in the nation's capital to convene regional departments of health/Title V agencies, federal agencies, and local/national community-based organizations, and to provide technical assistance.