Description: We know that respectful and anti-racist maternal care should be the standard for providers, but what does it look like in practice? In this session, we will explore how to deliver respectful and anti-racist maternal care through the following perspectives: obstetrics, midwifery, health equity research, patient safety, and community. Panelists will discuss experiences with respectful/disrespectful and racist/anti-racist maternal care, why change is important, and how we achieve the respectful and anti-racist maternal care for all.

Theme(s): Respectful and Anti-Racist Maternal Care

Dr. Angela Thomas, Vice President, Healthcare Delivery Research
Dr. Tamika Auguste, Chairwoman of Women’s and Infants’ Services at MedStar Washington Hospital Center
Dr. Loral Patchen, Medical Director of MedStar OBGYN Center
Libertad Montoya, MSN-Ed, BSN, RN, Registered Nurse at Medstar Washington Hospital Center

Session A will be streamed live on the following platforms:

Description: This session will explore the family building challenges that LGBTQ+ prospective parents face and highlight available treatment options for individuals and couples including: use of donor sperm/egg; surrogacy and third-party reproduction; In vitro fertilization (IVF); and, Intrauterine insemination (IUI).

Theme(s): Expansive Birth Options, Fatherhood, Infertility, Reproductive Healthcare Needs, Respectful and Anti-Racist Maternal Care

Dr. Carter Owen, Reproductive Endocrinology & Infertility Specialist

Session B will be streamed live on the following platforms:

Description: This presentation will share detailed research findings about where women draw their sense of norms, how their identities influence breastfeeding intentions, examples of how racism acts as a barrier to breastfeeding, and examples of how women resisted and overcame to successfully breastfeed. The presentation will conclude with discussion of how we might apply the results in communication messaging, public health programs, health system changes, and policies to ultimately increase breastfeeding rates for African American women in D.C.

Theme(s): Nutrition, Respectful and Anti-Racist Maternal Care

Dr. Sahira Long, Medical Director, Children’s National Anacostia
Dr. Aubrey Villalobos, Health Scientist, Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences, National Cancer Institute

Session A will be streamed live on the following platforms:

Description: This session will examine implicit bias and how this impacts the way in which a provider might communicate safe sleep information to a family. We review how fathers can be empowered to take an active role in promoting safe sleep and supporting mom in breastfeeding and discuss the DC Safe Sleep Education and Outreach Project. 

Theme(s): Safe Sleep, Fatherhood

Barb Himes, Director of Education and Bereavement Services, First Candle
Dr. Kristinza Giese, Deputy Medical Examiner, Office of the Chief Medical Examiner
Jacqueline Corbin-Armstrong, Fatality Review Specialist, Office of the Chief Medical Examiner
Sharon Brandon, Safe Sleep Program Coordinator, DC Health

Session B will be streamed live on the following platforms:

Description: Children’s National Hospital has identified reducing infant mortality as one of its strategic priorities. In order to develop an infant mortality reduction plan for the Goldberg Center for Community Pediatric Health, a retrospective review of records was deemed necessary to determine the modifiable risk factors. In this session, we will present the Goldberg Center Infant Mortality Risk Identification data and ongoing research endeavors in developing a risk assessment tool and risk stratification system to identify high risk infants and prompt early intervention.

Theme(s): Safe Sleep, Fatherhood

Dr. Katrina Hammond-Jack, Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine Fellow
Dr. ElShadey Bekele, Pediatrician, Children’s National Hospital
Dr. Sahira Long, Medical Director, Children’s National Anacostia

Session A will be streamed live on the following platforms:

Description: Preconception care is one of the most critical, proven-effective, and cost-effective of all strategies to improve pregnancy health, reduce life-threatening complications of pregnancy, birth, and postpartum, and help ensure a healthier lifetime for mom and baby. Preconception is also the perfect time to begin crucial engagement of fathers – to approach the making and nurturing of a baby as a collaborative effort. Participants will leave with a better understanding of opportunities to implement preconception healthcare as a tool for improving maternal and perinatal health outcomes.

Theme(s): Fatherhood, Reproductive Healthcare Needs

Annie Toro, President and Executive Director, The What to Expect Project

Session B will be streamed live on the following platforms:

The panel will discuss the importance and structure of the DCPQC, the use of patient safety bundles and quality improvement initiatives to enhance perinatal health outcomes, the need to address race and place based disparities in health and in health care in the District and how the DCPQC integrates the community into its work on clinical quality improvement.

Theme(s):  Respectful and Anti-Racist Maternal Care, Perinatal Quality

Gayle Olano Hurt, Assistant Vice President of Patient Safety & Quality Operations, DC Hospital Association
Yolette Gray, Senior Manager Public Policy & Community Engagement at District of Columbia Hospital Association
Dr. Melissa Fries, Clinical Director, DC Perinatal Quality Collaborative

Session A will be streamed live on the following platforms:

Description: Two years ago we embarked on a journey to ensure that any birthing person in any of our housing programs would get special support to improve birth outcomes even under stressful circumstances. Building this collaboration was harder than we expected and provides insights into what we can do to work better together. This session will include the perspectives of our perinatal care coordinator, housing case manager, and a program participant.

Theme(s): Social Determinants of Health

Abayea Pelt, Director, Maternal and Child Health Program
Jamilah Muhayman, Perinatal Care Coordination Specialist
Sara Cartmill, Senior Director, Housing Programs
Dr. C. Anneta Arno, Director, Office of Health Equity, DC Health

Session B will be streamed live on the following platforms:

Description: A history of medical racism has removed Black, Indigenous, Queer, Trans, and People of Color from the personal agency to generate and co-create health-centered solutions within our public and private medical systems. Mamatoto Village invites you and your people to the most dignified future where all of us have the resources to safely participate within and alongside health institutions to rectify a history of harm that manifests as risks and adverse health conditions. Participants will review the overlapping tenets of racial justice and self-advocacy to promote personal and institutional investment in culturally congruent healthcare models during the perinatal period and throughout the lifespan.

Theme(s): Expansive Birth Options, Mental Health, Reproductive Healthcare Needs, Respectful and Anti-Racist Maternal Care

Raven Freeborn, Senior Policy & Advocacy Manager

Session A will be streamed live on the following platforms:

Description: This session will highlight the impact of trauma and its impact on birthing people prenatally and postnatally. Participants will explore offerings that Bright Beginnings has to address issues for young parents, birthing people experiencing domestic violence, and safe sleep practices.

Theme(s): Mental Health, Nutrition, Safe Sleep

Ebony Tuzon, Infant and Maternal Wellness Manager
Alexandria Miller, Child & Family Trauma Support Therapist

Session B will be streamed live on the following platforms:

Maternal Health’s Twitter Page: https://twitter.com/MomHealthDC