Summit Registration for Planning Committee, MIH Division Staff, Exhibitor/Sponsor Staff, and other VIPs.

Fostering academic and community-engaged research to conduct maternal health research with a focus on Black maternal health and eliminating inequities should be everyone's goal! Learn about the visions and rationale to protect the Black birthing experience by advocating for quality, equitable, and respectful care in childbirth. The center seeks to create a world where Black women can safely, efficiently, and comfortably receive equitable access to healthcare services without having to navigate through racism and/or discrimination in medical settings.

This presentation will focus on the Urgent Maternal Warning Signs (UMWS). UMWS are a set of warning signs that may indicate serious maternal conditions requiring medical care. We will go through how to implement them, and also provide patient advocacy language and actions for when patients are not feeling heard.

Racial, ethnic, and language concordant Community Health Workers (CHW) working in the maternal and child health arena (MCH) provide innovative perinatal services that combine the specific expertise of maternity care with the community connections and cultural congruity of CHWs. CHWs also diversify the health care workforce and the Advancing Healthy Births - An Equity Plan for MI recommends “to expand access to, and equitable reimbursement of, an expanded birthing care team including Community Health Workers... and home visitors.” The purpose of this presentation is to share the health and health care impacts of a home visiting model (Strong Beginnings) where MCH CHWs partner with and complement licensed nurses and social workers in Michigan’s MIHP (Maternal Infant Health Program) program to better engage, serve, and deliver culturally tailored perinatal interventions to high-risk Medicaid-insured Black and Hispanic birthing individuals. However, numbers are only part of the story, thus, a CHW will discuss what CHWs do, how they engage and serve their clients, and how they partner with MIHP providers. A program supervisor will describe how supportive supervision and other strategies empower CHWs to care for their high-risk clients (38% have co-occurring medical, behavioral, and health-related social need risks; many live in neighborhoods of historical injustices yet have improved birth outcomes and service utilization). Last, strategies to create a sustainable funding path for initiation and sustainability of MCH CHW care in Michigan will be discussed.

Many factors are known contributors to the persistent and disparate outcomes faced by mothers and infants in Michigan and the United States. While we may hope that the providers and systems that deliver healthcare do so with perfect equity and without bias towards patients, we have not yet achieved this goal. Therefore, one sometimes overlooked factor contributing to poorer health outcomes for minority parents and families could be - how often are those seeking pregnancy care being treated worse than people of other races or cultures?  This interactive session will center around the collective voices of the population of Michigan mothers, as recorded within the Michigan Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (MI PRAMS) survey. Together we will learn about race-based mistreatment in the healthcare system as reported directly from Michigan mothers to MI PRAMS. Uncomfortable, yet vital, topics often raise many questions. Aside from an introduction to the data and some basic information on the prevalence of race-based mistreatment in Michigan across 2016-2022, the content of this session will be built around answering questions posed before the conference by session participants themselves. Participants are highly encouraged to submit their questions ahead of the session to allow time to examine the MI PRAMS data set for, effectively, answers from Michigan mothers themselves.

Father engagement plays a positive role in birth outcomes and child development and well-being, as evidenced by a growing body of research. However, fathers - the missing "F" in "MIH" - are usually an afterthought in program and policy development, at best. The Michigan Action Plan for Father Involvement (MAP-FI) is a state-level interagency and cross-sectoral coalition working to increase father engagement through multiple initiatives. Presenters will survey audience members on how their agency or program currently engages fathers and tracks any metrics around father engagement, and presenters will make a case for why fathers should be proactively engaged. Resources will be provided for programs to increase father engagement through collaborative partnerships, and presenters will provide updates on state-level fatherhood initiatives. The diverse panel of MAP-FI presenters will also include lived experience testimony from fathers.

A panel that explores the multifaceted experiences, challenges and triumphs faced by lactating persons, partners, and advocates from diverse backgrounds. But it’s not just about stories; it’s about action! So, be prepared for a moderated question and answer segment, to dive deep into the journeys of our panelists. This panel isn't just an insightful discussion; it's a call to action. Whether you're a policymaker, healthcare professional, community leader, or a concerned parent, this session will leave you with plenty of real life action items, ideas and solutions of how to support lactation in your practice. We want to move toward building communities that embrace and support diverse lactation journeys. Join us in exploring narratives, fostering understanding, and working to create tangible change for lactating individuals and families.

This is a repeat session, please only select one mobile experience slot.

There are stark and undeniable difference in maternal and infant outcomes between Black birthing people and White birthing people in the US. Delivering While Black is a short documentary focused on Birth Justice in Grand Rapids, MI. These statistics are more than just numbers, these are real lives impacted and unjustly lost due to systemic and institutionalized racism.  

"Understanding hospital drivers that affect Michigan's Black mothers birthing experience" will highlight themes discovered in a mixed-methods pilot research through qualitative and quantitative interviews. The participants must have birthed at Bronson Kalamazoo, Hurley Flint, or Detroit Medical Center - Hutzel within the last 2 years. Mothers were asked questions around bias, discrimination, respectful care, complications, and their autonomy and role in decision making during their most recent delivery.

In 2023, Michigan, along with other states, rolled out doula services covered under medi-caid as an attempt to increase accessibility and leverage doulas as a response to the overwhelming perinatal health disparities in the United States. Over the last year, our organization (Birthworkers of Color Collective) and our doulas, have seen the barriers and successes in navigating this new benefit and the impacts of it on our communities. As the visibility and awareness of doulas is rapidly shifting, there is a sense of urgency and also the need for reflection from all directions on how to move this benefit forward. We will share stories and perspectives of doulas and medi-caid recipients. We will share action steps on how to improve access to the medicaid doula benefit, how perinatal health workers and institutions can collaborate with CBOS and doulas to increase positive birth experiences, and ultimately how we can move beyond doulas being positioned as the answer to systematic problems they did not cause.

Short Session Description Maternal weathering or allostatic load can have significant impact on maternal health during pregnancy. Chronic stress and the resulting dysregulation of stress response systems can lead to a range of physiological and psychological changes that can affect a woman's well-being. Chronic or toxic stress is a concept that most clinician are familiar with. However, the question often confronted is how much do is understood about the clinical implications of the allostatic load our patients endure. This session will be an opportunity to explore the patient perspective, as well as become empowered with the tools necessary to provide comprehensive, thoughtful care. This session will provide insight from a patient, physician, and community engagement counselor that will demonstrate allostatic load and its harmful effects. We will also be able to provide actionable, measurable strategies to improve the healthcare delivery for patients with a focus on health equity. 

Loss moms sharing their tragic experiences of stillbirth and how they have turned those experiences into advocacy work through legislative changes, medical training and social awareness. This presentation explores a holisitic approach to preventing stillbirth and providing information to medical providers and patients related to trauma-informed care from recent studies, hope and support in an effort to prevent expectant parents from experiencing the tragedy of stillbirth.

People are born with the need to communicate. Hearing loss affects this ability. What happens in a child's life before age 3 lays the foundation for the future socially, educationally, and vocationally. Today’s children can reach their full potential when parents are educated and empowered. As with most aspects of parenting, there is no easy route. Each family needs to identify their goal and have a professional team to support them. 95% of children who are congenitally deaf are born to parents with typical hearing (Caselli N, Pyers J, Lieberman AM. 2021). The focus of this session is on what parents need for their children with hearing loss to learn to listen and talk.

This is a repeat session, please only select one mobile experience slot.

Birth Justice as defined by Black Women Birthing Justice “exists when women and trans folks are empowered during pregnancy, labor, childbirth and postpartum to make healthy decisions for themselves and their babies. Birth Justice is part of a wider movement against reproductive oppression. It aims to dismantle inequalities of race, class, gender, and sexuality that lead to negative birth experiences, especially for women of color, low-income women, survivors of violence, immigrant women, queer and trans folks, and women in the Global South.” All healthcare providers should receive ongoing training on cultural humility and implicit bias. Doing so improves the individual’s self-awareness which over time leads to changes in their interactions with community members thereby improving community relationships. Racism in healthcare will be called out and will not be tolerated.

This panel discussion with Nicole White of Birth Detroit, Cassy Jones-McBryde of the Michigan Chamber for Reproductive Justice, and Sen. Erika Geiss will center the importance of birth justice in reproductive health.

The midwifery model of care is one of the world's oldest professions and in current times, has been noted as a critical missing link in reducing maternal morbidity and mortality in Black and Brown communities. Participants in this session will learn the impact of midwifery and birth center care and the importance of ensuring this type of care is available to all families who want it.

Congenital syphilis (CS) remains a significant global health challenge despite available preventive measures. In Michigan case numbers of CS are the highest they have been since the early 90’s, despite changes to Michigan Perinatal Screening Law. This abstract delves into the issue of missed opportunities in congenital syphilis prevention, with a specific focus on prenatal care. The presentation will examine trends in syphilis and congenital syphilis, with a focus on epidemiology, prevalence, and associated risk factors. Through an examination of the current landscape, this objective seeks to offer a background in comprehending the persistence of congenital syphilis despite available preventive measures. The data has been compiled from the Michigan Disease Surveillance System (MDSS), vital records, and the CDC-funded Surveillance for Emerging Threats to Mothers and Babies Network (SET-NET) project. The SET-NET project is a longitudinal surveillance approach established to identify how infectious exposures, including syphilis, affect pregnant persons and their infants. This is achieved by tracking pregnancy outcomes, birth defects, and developmental problems. The data collected through the SET-NET project provides valuable insights into missed opportunities or care gaps by analyzing identified trends, including lack of timely testing and adequate treatment, absence of traditional prenatal care, and other risk factors. In conclusion, addressing the persistent challenge of congenital syphilis requires a broad and collaborative approach. The presentation will further explore these facets, aiming to contribute to a substantial reduction in CS cases. The comprehensive analysis derived from the SET-NET project aims to inform targeted interventions and policies to address challenges in CS prevention.

The value of doulas in improving the experience of labor, birth and postpartum as well as outcomes for patients and newborns is well documented. There is a gap however, in the support that doulas are allowed to provide when facilities do not allow them to accompany their clients to the operating room (OR) during a cesarean birth. At our facility, doulas were occasionally, but not routinely invited to accompany clients to the OR. To provide consistent, trauma-informed care, a quality improvement project was implemented to facilitate doulas accompanying clients to the OR.

This presentation focuses on the significant impact that active father involvement can have on maternal and infant health, suggesting a journey from mere presence to meaningful impact.

This is a repeat session, please only select one mobile experience slot.

In 2023, the Region 6 Perinatal Quality Collaborative worked with the Michigan Public Health Institute initiate a region-wide birth equity assessment to identify disparities and gaps in maternal and infant care, fostering an action-oriented approach for strategic planning to address these issues comprehensively. This pioneering effort marks the first-ever region-wide birth equity assessment, aiming to drive targeted interventions and promote equitable outcomes for all mothers and infants across the region. Assessment results were used to develop a birth equity action plan that will guide activities for addressing maternal infant health disparities in the region. This presentation will provide an overview of the birth equity assessment and planning process to support others in replicating and adapting the assessment in their community or region. The presenters will share information on frameworks for assessing birth equity, examples of qualitative (community voice) and quantitative methods to collect assessment data, how to make sense of data and identify priorities, and using assessment findings to develop specific and actionable strategies to achieve birth equity. All participants will receive a toolkit and guide to apply what they’ve learned about undertaking a birth equity assessment in their own work for advancing healthy births and addressing disparities.

Hospital Quality Improvement usually focuses on adjusting and streamlining processes and protocols within the system, but almost never takes into account those who are most likely to be affected by these processes.  What if the community members- true experts on what would best improve the quality of the hospital experience- were actually part of the QI process?  And, what if the hospital actually listened? This is especially important on the birthing unit, when every action or inaction can mean life or death for two or more patients. Our presentation focuses on the outcomes of a partnership between a hospital system and the communities they serve. Community leaders from Battle Creek and Kalamazoo initially began their partnership with Bronson Health System through QI-TRACS, but have grown far beyond the initial project to create true community/ hospital partnership that is literally saving lives. By creating a more welcoming atmosphere for doulas and community-based lactation supporters, Bronson has seen an uptick in patient satisfaction as well as a decrease in racially based birth and breastfeeding disparities. As a result of participation in QI-TRACS, the relationship built between birthing unit staff and community leaders has led to the creation of multiple hospital supported community touchpoints.

Racial, ethnic, and language concordant Community Health Workers (CHW) working in the maternal and child health arena (MCH) provide innovative perinatal services that combine the specific expertise of maternity care with the community connections and cultural congruity of CHWs. CHWs also diversify the health care workforce and the Advancing Healthy Births - An Equity Plan for MI recommends “to expand access to, and equitable reimbursement of, an expanded birthing care team including Community Health Workers... and home visitors.” The purpose of this presentation is to share the health and health care impacts of a home visiting model (Strong Beginnings) where MCH CHWs partner with and complement licensed nurses and social workers in Michigan’s MIHP (Maternal Infant Health Program) program to better engage, serve, and deliver culturally tailored perinatal interventions to high-risk Medicaid-insured Black and Hispanic birthing individuals. However, numbers are only part of the story, thus, a CHW will discuss what CHWs do, how they engage and serve their clients, and how they partner with MIHP providers. A program supervisor will describe how supportive supervision and other strategies empower CHWs to care for their high-risk clients (38% have co-occurring medical, behavioral, and health-related social need risks; many live in neighborhoods of historical injustices yet have improved birth outcomes and service utilization). Last, strategies to create a sustainable funding path for initiation and sustainability of MCH CHW care in Michigan will be discussed.

As doulas become more integrated into Michigan's healthcare system, it's important to recognize exactly why they improve outcomes. Doulas don't just rub backs and say comforting words, they are also advocates for their clients' right to make decisions about their bodies, their babies and their births. What exactly is the doula's advocacy role? What's appropriate and what's not, according to training and certifying organizations? We'll discuss medical professionals and doulas working together for optimal, respectful care for families as outlined by organizations like ACOG, ACNM and AWHONN. Although this session is designed for medical staff, doulas are also welcome.

This is a repeat session, please only select one mobile experience slot.

Implicit bias has been well documented as directly linked to the Black maternal mortality crises and high rates of Black infant deaths. However, there is an underlying issue that drives Black maternal/ infant mortality; systemic racism that leads to biased care that does not support healthy pregnancy, birth and successful breastfeeding for Black women. This session will focus on discussing findings from analysis from the Irth App, a robust database of Black patient experiences of maternity and infant care. Irth (as in Birth, but without the B for bias) is the first-of-its-kind review and recommendation engine designed for Black and brown women and birthing people to find and leave reviews of prenatal, birthing, postpartum and pediatric experiences of care.

This is an exclusive event for Doulas! Join us after the Summit ends on Day 1, June 17th at the Lansing Center from 5:00 p.m.-8:30 p.m. for doula related activities and networking. (Please note that you must be a doula to attend.)

Please apply to to become a presenter today! You may come back and edit your account at anytime. Deadline to apply and upload all information is January 7th.

Please consider a contribution to scholarship a deserving person to attend the Summit who otherwise would not be able to attend due to financial hardship.