Harvard School of Public Health

Problem:

The continued disadvantageous statistics regarding the health of children and young families in America, and the demonstrated need for knowledgeable and skilled leaders to address these concerns argues for leadership training in maternal and child health (MCH) in schools of public health.

Goals and Objectives:

Goal 1: To recruit and support a diverse student group for masters and doctoral education in leadership in MCH. Objective 1: Recruit and educate least 15% of supported students come from under-represented groups. Objective 2: Recruit and educate students come from a variety of relevant professional backgrounds. Goal 2: To provide masters and doctoral education for leadership in MCH Objective 1: To maintain a curriculum with the MCH competencies. Objective 2: To develop masters students with advanced skills in MCH epidemiology and program planning/evaluation. Objective 3: To assure education in the leadership content areas in MCH and emerging areas of public health for masters and doctoral students. Goal 3: To provide education in MCH content areas and leadership skills to existing MCH professionals. Objective 1: To provide one conference per year for the education of public health providers in policy and program issues. Goal 4: To provide technical assistance to enhance the capacities of community-based organizations. Objective 1:To continue to provide professional consultation and technical assistance to State and local Title V agencies and programs providing health and related services for mothers and children. Objective 2: To develop a model for a student evaluation clinic under the supervision of a senior faculty member for community programs. Objective 3:To develop a specific technical assistance relationship with the state of Maine. Goal 5: To develop and disseminate new knowledge Objective 1: To maintain research productivity of the Department. Time frame: 2005-2010. Objective 2: To continue dissemination of new findings through a newsletter both by mail and on the web.

Methodology:

The activities undertaken to meet the project goals include recruiting and retaining students in professional masters and doctoral programs providing them strong quantitative skills, knowledge of the content areas of MCH, and leadership training. All students must demonstrate excellence in a service or research project, and students will be tracked to ascertain their roles as leaders in MCH. To assure the quality of the scholastic experience the faculty will review and augment the available course work as needed. To assure continued education of MCH professionals, we plan two conferences a year in coordination with other MCHB funded training programs, and to plan specific conferences for MCH professionals in Maine. To assist community-based organizations, we plan to augment the provision of technical assistance in the area of program evaluation through student led efforts.

Coordination:

LEND Program at Children’s Hospital, Boston Adolescent Medicine Training Program, Children’s Hospital, Boston Behavioral Pediatrics Training Program, Children’s Hospital, Boston States of Maine and Massachusetts Maine Center for Public Health Centers for Disease Control, Lead Poisoning Branch Simmons College

Evaluation:

Evaluation of academic training will be done through process measures of courses completed and grades achieved, as well as the reports of practical and research experience. Outcome measures will include positions after completion of education, and the diversity of the student population in terms of professions and underrepresented. Evaluation of the continuing education will be through formal reports from attendees and the number of attendees. Evaluation of the technical assistance will be through the number of agencies receiving assistance, reports of the satisfaction of those receiving the assistance and the continued demand for the services. The generation of new knowledge is indicated by the number of publications by the faculty and students.

Experience to Date:

This year we have been successful in goals of recruiting under-represented minorities with 36% of those in the MCH concentration and 33% of those funded in that category. Our students also come from a broad array of disciplines including physical therapy and nutrition. We have expanded the dual degree program with Simmons to include the Social Work department along with nursing. The department masters curriculum has been reorganized to emphasize specific career paths, including the proposed analytic methods, and program planning and evaluation. All students receive the MCH competencies, clearly identifying leadership classes. Funding of doctoral students also requires participation in leadership activities. We are reducing our objective of the number of continuing education conferences to one per year, as experience has suggested that our stated objective was too ambitious. We have developed one student evaluation clinic with the CDC, and look to expanding the idea next year with the Institute for Community Health in Cambridge. We have begun to meet with the folks in Maine. The faculty continues its scholarly productivity and doctoral students are encouraged to participate in MCH epidemiology and APHA meetings.