Our Health Matters - Maternal and Child Health Equity Conference

September 30, 2016 - October 1, 2016

September 30, 2016, 4-7pm, Youth Health Equity Art Exhibit & Reception with
Dr. Camara Jones at the Gadsden Arts Center & Museum
13 N. Madison Street, Quincy, FL, 32351

October 1, 2016, 10-4pm, Keynote- Dr. Camara Jones, Scientific Art Exhibit, Community-focused Panel Discussion at the Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences
1415 S. Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd, Tallahassee, FL 32307

2016 Maternal and Child Health Equity Conference- Our Health Matters Objectives

1. To discuss advocacy, education, and policy strategies to address the inequity in maternal child health for the black community through the integration of diverse community and professional perspectives.
2. To identify priorities for the elimination of maternal child health disparities and the promotion of health equity using a life course perspective.
3. To describe culturally responsive mechanisms useful for providers to address maternal child health equity.

About the 2016 Conference

Representatives from Capital Area Healthy Start Coalition, Florida Department of Health (Leon and State), Bond Community Health Center, Inc., Tallahassee Memorial Women’s Pavilion, Children’s Medical Services, Greater Frenchtown Revitalization Council, Whole Child Leon, Center for Health Equity-Gadsden Woman to Woman, Gadsden County Healthy Start Coalition, Gadsden County Health- and Faith-Based Leaders, Florida State University (FSU) College of Medicine and Florida A&M University (FAMU) College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Community Advocates are planning the 2016 Achieving Maternal and Child Health Conference: Our Health Matters hosted at the Gadsden Arts Center & Museum on September 30, 2016 and FAMU College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences on October 1, 2016. Our goal is to increase education and engage community residents, providers, and others who are interested in factors that can positively impact maternal child health equity across the life course in our state.

Our key sponsors are the FAMU College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Florida Department of Health, Tallahassee Memorial Women’s Pavilion, FSU Center on Better Health and Life for Underserved Populations (BHL Center) and FSU College of Medicine.

The keynote speaker is the distinguished Camara Phyllis Jones, MD, MPH, PhD, who is Senior Fellow at the Satcher Health Leadership Institute, Morehouse School of Medicine, and President of the American Public Health Association. Dr. Jones is a Family Physician and epidemiologist whose work focuses on the impacts of racism on the health and well-being of the nation. Through the Fetal Infant Mortality Review (FIMR) project, state and local data collection, and community-engaged efforts like the Florida's Health Babies Initiative and a community-based participatory research project through FSU College of Medicine and Greater Frenchtown Revitalization Council, the planning partners identified poor preconception health, social determinants of health, and social determinants of equity as contributing factors to infant mortality and prematurity. These issues will be addressed during the keynote session and through a panel discussion. The guest panelists will discuss breast feeding, stress/mental health, and patient-provider communication. Several other themes will be addressed during breakout sessions including but not limited to environmental health, adolescent health, and health policy. There will be an opportunity to meet Dr. Jones at a Conference Reception and Youth Health Equity Art Exhibit on Friday, September 30, 2016 at the Gadsden Arts Center & Museum in Quincy, Florida. 
As forum planning partners, we will bring together community residents, physicians, community leaders, researchers, undergraduate and graduate health profession students to increase education and engagement on issues related to achieving maternal child health equity in our area and across the state for collective impact.

In an effort to encourage youth health equity leadership and engagement, submissions will be accepted for a Youth Health Equity Art Exhibit that will occur on September 30, 2016 from 4-7pm. Youth who have not completed high school are encouraged to submit art work through the SSTRIDE©: Science Students Together Reaching Instructional Diversity & Excellence program in Gadsden County.  In an effort to encourage information sharing regarding maternal and child health equity priorities and strategies to achieve equity, a scientific exhibit will occur on October 1, 2016 from 9-10 am and 12-1pm at the Florida A&M University College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. Community members, academicians, and graduate/undergraduate students are encouraged to submit posters.  See the registration page for details.  Limited availability.
Funding for this conference was made possible (in part) by R13MD011260-01 from the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities. The views expressed in written conference materials or publications and by speakers and moderators do not necessarily reflect the official policies of the Department of Health and Human Services; nor does mention by trade names, commercial practices, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.

The 2016 Planning Committee