University of Arizona

Problem : Large health disparities exist within the Rocky Mountain Region which has been underserved for years by MCH public health education programs. To decrease these disparities culturally appropriate graduate training, continuing education, technical assistance and research are needed.

Goals and Objectives:

Goal 1: Graduate Education. Expand the number of graduate trained MCH professionals with cultural competence who can meet the specific needs of the Rocky Mountain Region. Objective 1: Have 9 of the 10 MCHB supported graduate students (trainees) from the Rock Mountain Region in years 1-4 of the project and 8 of 9 MCHB supported graduate students from the region in year 5 of the project. Objective 2: Develop a series of three field based cultural competence courses and a leadership program for the graduate MCH program in year 1 of the project and update the courses throughout the project period. Objective 3: Develop two new cultural competence courses and courses on community based participatory research in year 1 of the project and update the courses throughout the project period. Goal 2: Continuing Education. Strengthen State and Tribal specific training for the MCH workforce. Objective 1: Each year identify two priority agencies and work with them to develop priority areas for a workshop for their health care professionals who work with women and children. Objective 2: Each year deliver continuing education programs to at least 75 health care professionals working with women and children. Objective 3: Each year evaluate the short-term outcome and 6-month outcome for the State and Tribal workshops using follow-up surveys with participants and their employers. Goal 3: Faculty Development. Advance the careers of junior faculty in the MCH program. Objective 1: Each year provide funds to 3 junior faculty members (assistant and associate professors) to attend programs that will assist them their career development. Objective 2: Each year have junior faculty members work with five MCH leaders who are invited to present at the MCH seminar series in order to enhance their teaching, service and research. Objective 3: Each year provide professional training to faculty members to increase their linguistic and cultural competence. Goal 4: Technical Assistance. Strengthen the collaboration and technical assistance between the MCH program and community programs in the Rocky Mountain Region. Objective 1: Each year, obtain input from local, State and Tribal health agencies on MCH projects that need to be conducted to enhance their population-based approaches to improving the health their maternal and child population. Objective 2: Each year, have 100% of the MCH supported trainees conduct internships with either a local, State or Tribal health agency within the Rocky Mountain Region. Objective 3: Each year, have at least 75% of the MCH faculty members provide technical assistance to at least one local, state or tribal agency on developing, implementing or evaluating an MCH program. Goal 5: Research. Increase the MCH research activities that meet the culturally specific needs of the Rocky Mountain Region. Objective 1: Working through the Rocky Mountain Public Health Education Consortium (RMPHEC), establish a 5-year research agenda in Year 1 of the project. Objective 2: In years 2-5 of the project, implement a new community-based participatory research project to advance MCH services in at least one additional State or Tribal Health Agency so by the end of the 5-year project there are at least four new MCH research projects being conducted by MCH faculty members. Objective 3: Each year have at least 80% of the trainee internship projects include a research component.

Methodology:

The MCH program will work with the RMPHEC to recruit trainees and obtain information on openings for leadership positions in MCH. The MCH program will create two new experiential field-based courses and additional courses on cultural competence and community-based participatory research and require a year-long leadership program. It will conduct biannual needs assessments with the RMPHEC to determine the priority training needs for States and Tribes. The program will work with States and Tribes to plan, implement and evaluate two continuing education programs each year to more than 75 participants. An MCH Seminar series for trainees and faculty with invited speakers who are leaders in MCH will be conducted and archived for future video stream. The project will provide an application process and funds for faculty to attend appropriate MCH meetings to enhance their teaching, service and research. A list of MCH internship opportunities will be created through the RMPHEC for trainees to identify projects. During annual meetings of the RMPHEC, trainees will be matched to internship opportunities and project funds will be provided to support community-based participatory research to assist States and Tribes with their MCH programs. The MCH program will facilitate meetings between faculty members with local, State and Tribal agencies to identify appropriate MCH research questions and proposals.

Coordination:

The Navajo Nation Division of Health and Title V programs from Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, Colorado, Idaho, Wyoming, Montana, Alaska, North Dakota and Oklahoma will have the following roles with the training program: assist with recruiting trainees for MPH program, provide venue and MCH professionals for continuing education workshops, provide input into priority training topics, provide oversight of training program through the RMPHEC, and provide sites for trainee internships.

Evaluation:

Evaluation of the MCH program will utilize quantitative and qualitative methods to conduct continual quality improvement of the program. Progress updates will be prepared for the MCH Program Advisory Committee (May) and for the Annual Rocky Mountain Public Health Consortium Meeting (October). These reports will focus on graduate and continuing education, faculty development, technical assistance and research. These reviews provide for continual feedback to guide program improvement.

Experience to Date:

The curriculum was updated and expanded ths past year. We supported 11 long-term trainees. We were given permission to plan for a DrPH in Maternal and Child Health by the Provost. The program worked closely with the Rocky Mountain Public Health Association to lay the ground work for future technical support and research. The program supported continuing education in New Mexico and initiated plans to support MCH programs in Alaska and Colorado next year. The program worked with the Univeristy of Utah MCHB Distance Learning Program to host the 8th Annual MCH Summer Institute in Tucson this July 2006. We developed a leadership program and gave it to our MCH students and to fellows in the Pediatric Pulmonary Center.