Bulls gain leadership training and more in Denver
Students from the USF Maternal and Child Health Leadership Training Program attended the fourth annual Making Lifelong Connections Conference in Denver, Co., on May 8-9.
Bulls who attended the conference (from left): Lindsay Womack, doctoral student in the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics; Laura Merrell, doctoral student in the Department of Community and Family Health; Jeannese Castro, MPH student in the Department of Community and Family Health; Anna Stroman of LEAH in Boston (not with USF); Ankita Patel, MPH student in the Department of Community and Family Health; and Salem Mengistu, MPH student in the Department of Global Health.
The USF delegation connected with current and former trainees from MCH Bureau-funded training programs around the country, including former USF MCH trainee Paul Milford, MSW. He serves as the social work program consultant for Children’s Medical Services in Ft. Myers, Fla. All attendees were selected on a competitive basis to attend the conference.
“Leadership, networking, and career development for MCH trainees” was the focus of the conference. The event included presentations by keynote speakers, as well as attendees who presented their submitted abstracts. USF graduate student Jeannese Castro was selected to present on “Breastfeeding and the Prevalence of Asthma.”
“The conference was a great platform for both current and future MCH leaders to network and build on both career and personal leadership skills,” said Ankita Patel, an MCH trainee and secretary of USF’s Maternal and Child Health Student Organization. “The attendees greatly enjoyed the conference and hope to attend again in years to come.”
The Maternal and Child Health Leadership Training Program is funded by a grant from the MCH Bureau, located in the Health Resources and Services Administration of the Department of Health and Human Services. The program focuses on promoting health equity through an interdisciplinary and collaborative approach that is culturally competent and family-centered.
Through the traineeship, graduate students receive stipends, tuition waivers, and a specialized curriculum involving intensive mentoring and leadership training in maternal and child health.
The USF College of Public Health is the parent organization for the MCH Leadership Training Program. Its academic home is the Department of Community and Family Health.