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Maternal and Child Health Epidemiology (MCH EPI) Program Description

The MCH EPI Program accomplishes its mission to promote and improve the health and well-being of women, children, and families by building capacity at the state, local, and tribal levels to effectively use and apply epidemiologic research and scientific information to maternal and child health programs and policies. This mission is accomplished at the local, state, national, and international level by developing MCH EPI leaders, promoting peer exchange forums, supporting continued education and training, and providing fellowship opportunities.

MCH EPI’s many partners in this effort include organizations that provide direct services or influence policy and practice guidelines, state health departments, tribes, local universities, and others.

Developing MCH EPI Leaders

MCH EPI has made a significant contribution to epidemiologic research and applied science in the field. The use of applied research and the activities targeting capacity building in MCH epidemiology has allowed states and localities to improve the overall health of mothers, children, and families. The purpose of the program includes the following:

• Provide direct assistance to public health agencies through assigning senior CDC MCH epidemiologists and fellows.
• Promote analytic capabilities.
• Increase the ability to apply scientific and research evidence at the agencies where the senior MCH epidemiologists are assigned.

In 2009, 12 MCH epidemiologists and 7 MCH fellows sponsored by the MCH EPI program have been assigned to 19 public health agencies.

CDC Sponsored MCH Epidemiologists—FY 2009

Current Sponsored States: Alaska, Delaware, Georgia, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, Virginia, Washington D.C., Wisconsin, Wyoming, and the U.S.-Mexico Border.

Past Sponsored States: Alabama, California, Colorado, Indiana, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Washington, and West Virginia.

MCHEPI Publications, 2004 to present

Promoting Peer Exchange Forums

MCH EPI Listserv: Consists of almost 400 scientists and program directors, and provides quick peer exchange and technical assistance on "hot topics" and informs participants of upcoming events and opportunities. To be added to the MCH EPI Listserv, please e-mail us at MCHEPI@cdc.gov.

DataSpeak: Sponsored by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau at the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), DataSpeak is a series of Web conferences that feature special topics related to Maternal and Child Health (MCH) data, including research on children with special health care needs (CSHCN). Each event features one or more speakers who are considered experts in their field. Visit the archived events for streamed archives of past DataSpeak programs.

Supporting Continued Education and Training

In partnership with others, the MCH EPI Program supports diverse training opportunities in epidemiology, biostatistics, program evaluation, and scientific writing to improve the data and analytic skills of staff from state and local public health agencies, including the following:

• Skills-building workshops targeting identified critical needs.
• Short-term MCH epidemiology courses for new staff.
• Graduate certificate training in MCH epidemiology using distance technology.
• Year-long, team-based training on effectively using analyzed data for public health action.
• Peer exchange and research collaboration through conferences, Webcasts, and other mechanisms.

MCHB-HRSA/CDC Training: The Maternal and Child Health Bureau at HRSA and CDC collaborate on multiple projects and training in MCH epidemiology. This includes an MCH EPI short course and a doctoral training program.

AMCHP*: The Association of Maternal and Child Health Programs (AMCHP) represents state public health leaders and others working to improve the health and well being of women, children, youth and families, including those with special health care needs. CDC partially funds MCH Epi Training Resource Guide, Matrixed Analytic Training for Reproductive Infant and Child Health Services (MATRICHS), and the Annual Data Skill-Building Training.

CityMatCH*: CityMatCH is a freestanding national membership organization of city and county health departments' maternal and child health (MCH) programs and leaders representing urban communities in the United States. CityMatCH is partially funded by CDC for their Data Use Institute* and Perinatal Periods of Risk* initiative.

Fellowship Opportunities

CSTE*: The Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE) is a professional association of public health epidemiologists in states and territories working together to detect, prevent, and control conditions of public health significance. CSTE and CDC jointly sponsor an applied epidemiology fellowship program.*

EIS: The Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS) is a unique 2-year, post-graduate program of service and on-the-job training for health professionals interested in the practice of epidemiology. Participants have the opportunity to conduct epidemiologic investigations, research, and public health surveillance in the MCH field.

ORISE: Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) provides opportunities for postgraduates, students, and faculty to participate in current research and development activities related to CDC’s critical missions. Program participants are provided opportunities for hands-on participation in research and development, and related technical activities at the MCH EPI program.

GSIP: The HRSA-sponsored Graduate Student Internship Program (GSIP) offers paid internships in state and city health departments to graduate students in public health by providing training in MCH epidemiology.

MCH Data Capacity Tools

The MCH EPI and Data Capacity Assessment Tool (Excel 46KB) was developed to be used in concert with the annual report and annual site visit in reviewing and assessing an agency's past activities and planning for an agency's future. The tool's specific purpose is to track a state agency's MCH EPI and data capacity and activities over time to facilitate assessment, discussion, and planning about an agency's growth in capability.

Reproductive Health ATLAS: This is a Web-based interactive geographic information system (GIS) dedicated to reproductive health issues such as infant mortality, fertility, and low birth weight. The atlas provides viewers with access to a unique collection of geographic datasets that describe reproductive health indicators.

Patient Flow Analysis (PFA) and WinPFA: This software is a public domain computer application that helps to analyze and measure the performance of individual clinics. The reports assist the user in identifying problems in client flow, determining personnel and space needs, and documenting personnel costs associated with client visits.

Data Links and Related Resources

PRAMS: The Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS) is a surveillance project of the CDC and state health departments. PRAMS collects state-specific, population-based data on maternal attitudes and experiences prior to, during, and immediately following pregnancy.

Investigating Troubling Trends: A Report of the AMCHP/CDC State Infant Mortality Collaborative* 548KB PDF: A partnership between AMCHP, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation, this 3-year project supported five multidisciplinary state teams, as they investigated the infant mortality problem in their jurisdictions and made plans to address it as they deemed feasible and appropriate.

SLAITS:  The State and Local Area Integrated Telephone Survey (SLAITS) collects important health care data at state and local levels.

NCHS: As the leading statistics agency, the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) compiles statistical information to guide actions and policies to improve the people's health.

Peristats (http://www.marchofdimes.com/peristats/): This online source for perinatal statistics, developed by the March of Dimes Perinatal Data Center, provides free access to maternal and infant health-related data at the U.S.-, state-, county-, and city-level, and was developed to ensure that health professionals, researchers, medical librarians, policymakers, students, and the media have easy access to this information. Data provided by NCHS are updated throughout the year, and useful for multiple tasks, including fact-finding, health assessments, grant writing, policy development, lectures and presentations.

MCH Library at Georgetown University*: The library offers a variety of electronic resources, including the MCH Alert, knowledge paths, databases, and other materials developed for health professionals, policymakers, and families. The MCH Library is located at the National Center for Education in Maternal and Child Health at Georgetown University.

For more information about the MCH EPI program, please e-mail MCHEP@cdc.gov.

To learn more about PDF files and to download PDF files, you need Adobe Acrobat Reader software, which is available free of charge from Adobe. The HTML version alters the format of the original printed document. Using the PDF version will preserve the document's formatting and graphics.

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Links to non-Federal organizations found at this site are provided solely as a service to our users. These links do not constitute an endorsement of these organizations or their programs by CDC or the Federal Government, and none should be inferred. The CDC is not responsible for the content of the individual organization Web pages found at these links.

Page last reviewed: 5/15/09
Page last modified: 5/15/09
Content source: Division of Reproductive Health, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion