Maternal Child Health Grand Rounds

In 2014, the Department of Health Behavior and Health Systems in support of the new Maternal and Child Health (MCH) MPH concentration, launched a seminar series to provide researchers and the community-at-large an opportunity to highlight important topics and present information regarding the state of Maternal and Child Health in North Texas. The MCH MPH program formed in response to community requests for assistance to address high infant death rates in Texas. Specifically, this interdisciplinary program prepares professionals from a variety of backgrounds for leadership roles in organizations whose primary focus is to improve the health and well-being of women, children and families. Part of the strategy includes developing partnerships with public and private community entities to promote and implement evidence-based healthy eating and active lifestyles, interventions and programs with a focus on pregnant women and women of childbearing age.

Recently, the School of Public Health partnered with the Office of Professional and Continuing Education to host an MCH Grand Rounds every second Wednesday of the month. Each Grand Rounds lasts 45 minutes and provides online and in-person attendees approximately 15 minutes to discuss and ask questions of the speaker. Topics have addressed Zika virus, domestic violence, pre-eclampsia and cultural competency. Our partnership ensures that our program promotes the effective and inter-professional continuing education of our Maternal and Child Health MPH Concentration graduate students, as well as all UNTHSC faculty, staff, students and those within our community with an interest in MCH topics. Promoting awareness of these issues throughout the community could help improve future MCH outcomes in Fort Worth.