October 29, 2025

The Maternal and Child Health (MCH) program at Drexel University's Dornsife School of Public Health is proud to be named a Center of Excellence in Maternal and Child Health Education, Science and Practice. Drexel's program was selected by the Health Resources and Services Administration’s Maternal and Child Health Bureau (HRSA MCHB) as one of only 13 MCH Centers of Excellence in the United States.

Renee Turchi, MD, MPH, FAAP, clinical professor of community health and prevention at Drexel Dornsife School or Public Health and professor of Pediatrics at Drexel University College of Medicine, is the principal investigator and center director. She is leading the center with Renee Davis, MD, MPH, coordinator and senior research associate, also at Dornsife, who serves a critical role in the Drexel's MCH Center of Excellence (CoE).

Drs. Turchi and Davis have collaborated on the MCH work at Drexel for over a decade. “We are honored at Drexel Dornsife to partner with HRSA MCHB to build on our MCH work in launching the first Drexel MCH Center of Excellence," shared Turchi. "Our faculty, students, and community partners are committed to advancing the maternal and child health workforce through innovation, research, and education."

Other Dornsife faculty will serve as core MCH faculty in the Drexel MCH CoE, including Amy Carroll-Scott, PhD, MPH, associate professor and chair of community health and prevention, Irene Headen, PhD, MS, assistant professor community health and prevention, and Jessie Kemmick Pintor, PhD, MPH, assistant professor of health management and policy—all former HRSA MCH trainees. Additional faculty throughout Drexel University are involved in this important interdisciplinary initiative in maternal and child health. The five-year project runs through May 2030.

The Drexel MCH Center of Excellence (CoE) builds on 10 years (two cycles) of HRSA MCHB funding supporting Drexel as an MCH Catalyst program (2015-2025). Nationally, Centers of Excellence play a vital role in strengthening and expanding the MCH workforce by training graduate public health students and professionals in MCH core competencies while advancing MCH science, research, practice, and policy through collaborations, partnerships, and technical assistance.

This funding supports Dornsife’s Maternal and Child Health training program and its mission to promote MCH education and research, inform policy, and train MCH public health leaders to improve the health and well-being of women, children, adolescents, and families. By providing public health training in maternal and child health to a diverse group of trainees, the new CoE funding will help to provide critical knowledge and skills to current and future MCH professionals, building the capacity of the MCH workforce.

Formal training opportunities include an MCH graduate minor (open to all Drexel graduate students), an online MCH certificate (open to students and working professionals), and doctoral programs focused on MCH public health research. An array of interdisciplinary webinars, symposia, leadership workshops, community partnerships, and professional development activities will be available to student trainees and professionals in public health and related fields.

Student trainees will be supported to participate in MCH research and practical experiences with local and regional MCH community and government public health programs and departments as well as engage in MCH-specific mentorship and networking activities. The Drexel MCH CoE will continue to partner with and support the robust MCH Student Organization at Drexel and will provide technical assistance to MCH community and governmental partners and programs.

“It’s a privilege to work with this committed team of faculty, students, community, and government partners working toward a healthier future for women, children, adolescents, families, and communities," said Davis.

Undergraduate and graduate (masters and doctoral level) students from across Drexel who are interested in maternal and child health are encouraged to contact the MCH Center at MCH@Drexel.edu for more information about center opportunities.

Learn more about the Drexel Maternal and Child Health Center of Excellence

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