786: CDC’s “Hear Her” Campaign for Maternal Health, PHIG Funds Leadership Program

JANSON SILVERS: 

This is the award-winning Public Health Review Morning Edition for Wednesday, November 6, 2024. I'm Janson Silvers. Now, today's news from the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials.

WANDA BARFIELD: 

The "Hear Her" campaign is an opportunity that shares potentially life-saving messages about maternal urgent warning signs that can occur during and after pregnancy.

SILVERS: 

Dr. Wanda Barfield, with the CDC, says the CDC'S "Hear Her" campaign hopes to take aim at the national maternal mortality crisis.

BARFIELD: 

And it seeks to improve the communication between healthcare providers and their pregnant and postpartum patients so that they can get timely and appropriate care.

SILVERS: 

As we know, the crisis is multifactorial. Barfield says a CDC study came out last year that found some women felt mistreated during maternity care.

BARFIELD: 

Last year, we released a report that found about one in five women reported mistreatment during maternity care, and that that number was actually for Black, Hispanic and multi-racial women, more closer to one in three.

SILVERS: 

Barfield wants state and territorial health officials across the country to use the resources the CDC has to offer.

BARFIELD: 

And that's, you know, the opportunity to really tie the "Hear Her" campaign, which is, you know, a way that health departments can actually use these resources; because it is an opportunity at the state, local, and tribal health departments to really co brand some of the hear her resources.

SILVERS: 

Barfield says at least 16 states are already implementing the campaign. We have a link to the CDC hear her web page in the show notes.

South Carolina's Department of Public Health used the public health used the public health infrastructure grant to create the Leading The Way program. Naasira Taylor says that they wanted the program to develop more public health leaders.

CYNTHIA NAASIRA TAYLOR: 

The program was initially a pilot to address a gap in leadership development for the public health staff. It was because they wanted to be able to attend the Associate Public Manager Certification Program through the state, but they had limited spaces in that cohort.

SILVERS: 

Taylor, with the South Carolina Department of Public Health, says the program included the same requirements as the state program and additional requirements for public health. The program was formalized and paid for with funding from the Public Health Infrastructure Grant, also known as PHIG.

TAYLOR: 

What we did with the grant money was break-in speakers who had expertise in the field of the four initiatives that we have for the program. So that's team leadership, presentation mastery skills, strength-based leadership and again, the Associate Public Manager Certification, which kind of focuses on supervisory skills.

SILVERS: 

Taylor wants to continue using PHIG funding in the future to continue growing the program.

TAYLOR: 

For the 2026 and the 2027 cohorts, I'd like to explore some ideas of doing field trips to site visits, so that the cohort can see front-facing public health, you know, at its core, and also partner with our larger training partners with region four public health.

SILVERS: 

Also today, did you know the Public Health Infrastructure Grant has its own newsletter? Important information, like deadlines, events, resources, and opportunities are all included. Sign up today and everything PHIG will be in your inbox.

Finally, before we go, a reminder also to follow this newscast on your podcast player and connect with ASTHO on social media. We're on LinkedIn, Facebook, and X.

That'll do it for today. We're back tomorrow morning with more ASTHO news and information. I'm Janson Silvers. You're listening to the award-winning Public Health Review Morning Edition. Have a great day.