August 25, 2020

In June 2020, the Health Resources and Services Administration’s Maternal and Child Health Bureau (HRSA MCHB) named the Dornsife School of Public Health a recipient of their Track 2 Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Public Health Catalyst Program grant.

Renee Turchi, MD, MPH, clinical professor of community health and prevention, will be the principal investigator with the support of Renee Davis, MD, MPH, program coordinator and senior research associate, both at Dornsife. The project runs from June 2020 through May 2025.

The MCHB-funded MCH Public Health Catalyst Program builds on the previous HRSA MCHB Catalyst grant at Dornsife (2015-2020) and plays a critical role in further developing and expanding MCH curricula at schools of public health to meet workforce needs. The Program recruits students from underrepresented backgrounds to expand and diversify the next generation of MCH public health professionals and leaders. The MCHB also acknowledges the important role that Catalyst faculty, trainees, and graduates play in improving the health and well-being of women, children, and families.

This funding allows Dornsife’s Maternal and Child Health Program to expand their mission to promote MCH education and research, inform policy, and train leaders to improve the health and well-being of women, children, and families and expand the future MCH workforce.

“We are thrilled to be partnering with HRSA MCHB to continue this important MCH work at Dornsife with our students, faculty, and community partners. Our school's Maternal and Child Health minor and Maternal and Child Health certificate programs increase student exposure to MCH leadership competencies and fosters growth of our future MCH workforce," said Turchi. "Students also gain valuable hands on experience by working with our MCH partners and participating in MCH events and conferences.”

The MCH Program is partnering with Dornsife's Urban Health Collaborative and Amy Carroll-Scott, PhD, MPH, associate professor of community health and prevention at Dornsife, as well as St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children, and other local MCH organizations and partners.

Learn more about the HRSA's Maternal and Child Health Bureau