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FROM THE PRESIDENT
By Stephanie Birch, RNC, MPH, MS, FNP
I am always excited to start a new year. For me, it speaks to the opportunity to try things new or revisit the old. 2011 was quite a year as states’ adjusted to massive spending cuts, reorganization of health departments or MCH programs, and the implementation of several new programs, such as the maternal, infant and early child home visiting program. It was a busy year for the AMCHP staff as well. [more]
FROM THE CEO
Looking Forward, Looking Back
By Mike R. Fraser, PhD CAE
Happy New Year! This issue of Pulse is one of my favorites to put together each year. It captures all that we have done in 2011 to move state maternal and child health (MCH) programs forward -- and we have done a great deal -- and it also lays out some of the things that we anticipate facing in 2012. This issue is presented with a great sense of pride in all that AMCHP accomplished in 2011, and a cautious optimism about 2012 despite all the challenges we know we will face this year. [more]
FEATURES
The Year in Title V MCH Policy -- Looking Back (At Bullets We Largely Dodged) and Looking Forward (To Living in the Era of Tightening Budget Caps)
By AMCHP Policy Staff (Brent Ewig, Carolyn Mullen & Karen VanLandeghem)
While AMCHP, along with our members and partners, worked to meet our strategic goal of effectively voice the critical importance of maternal and child health issues, this past year was marked by continued, and perhaps deepening, divisiveness here in Washington, D.C. In practical terms, this means that nothing gets done in Congress until the last moment -- and usually only then with maximum acrimony. This political posturing from both parties overshadows a year in which the number of people living in poverty and without health insurance reached record highs.
Against these stark determinants of MCH status, the year was also marked by intense budget battles and continued planning for both implementation and challenges to the Affordable Care Act. This column takes a look at highlights from the AMCHP work in both categories.[more]
A Look Back at AMCHP Programs in 2011
By Lauren Raskin Ramos, MPH , Director of Programs, AMCHP
With contributions from the AMCHP Program Team
2011 was another busy year for AMCHP staff working to support state Title V programs and advance the AMCHP strategic plan by providing resources, technical assistance, analysis and training to Title V programs. Throughout the year, AMCHP enhanced efforts to support state implementation of the life course perspective; supported peer-to-peer exchange among states to build systems of care for children and youth with autism and other developmental disabilities; provided ongoing capacity-building for state MCH epidemiology programs; supported state innovation in adolescent health; grew Innovation Station by collecting and disseminating best practices in MCH; and provided leadership development for new Title V directors and family leaders. Importantly, AMCHP also strengthened evaluation efforts across the organization supporting continuous quality improvement to ensure that our work is relevant and timely for state Title V programs. [more]
AMCHP Programs: A Look Ahead to 2012
By Lauren Raskin Ramos, MPH , Director of Programs, AMCHP
With contributions from the AMCHP Program Team
2012 is off to an exciting start for AMCHP programs, with many new efforts already underway! A preview of what you can expect in the coming months is highlighted below, including how each of our activities is working to support state Title V programs and advance the AMCHP strategic plan. Look for resources to support states to improve birth outcomes and reduce infant mortality; a Web-based resource for states to implement the life course perspective; assessment of effective models for maternal mortality reviews; technical assistance for state implementation of home visiting programs; enhanced efforts to support state preconception health; and new tools and resources to support state systems building in adolescent health, and autism and developmental disabilities. [more]
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