Perinatal Health Equity Collective (PHEC) Policy Workgroup
Co-Leaders and Members
Work Group Chairs/ Leads
|
Name
|
Co-Leader Type
|
Title
|
Organization
|
| Belinda Pettiford, MPH | NCDHHS | Section Chief, Women, Infant, and Community Wellness Section | Division of Public Health, NC Department of Health and Human Services |
| Sarah Verbiest, DrPH, MPH, MSW | Community/Organization | Director, Jordan Institute for Families | UNC School of Social Work |
(Revised 1/19/2024)
The purpose of the Perinatal Health Equity Collective (PHEC) Policy Workgroup is to advocate for and promote policies found in the 2022-2026 North Carolina Perinatal Health Strategic Plan through education
and information sharing.
The Perinatal Health Equity Collective’s partner organizations include:
- Alamance Achieves
- Alamance County Health Department
- AmeriHealth Caritas
- AppHealthCare
- Atrium HealthCare
- Birth Sisters Doula
- Blue Cross Blue Shield NC
- Carolina Complete Health
- Carolina Global Breastfeeding Institute
- Chatham County Public Health Department
- Cone Health
- Dogwood Health Trust
- The Duke Endowment
- Duke University
- Durham County Public Health
- Durham Children’s Initiative
- East Carolina University
- Elon University
- Equity Before Birth
- Equity for Moms and Babies Realized Across Chatham (EMBRACe)
- Every Baby Guilford
- Family Connects International
- Forsyth County Health Department
- Foundation for Health Leadership and Innovation
- Greensboro Health Disparities Collaborative
- Healthy Start
- Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)
- Jacaranda Health
- Jace’s Journey
- Kate B. Reynolds Foundation
- MAAME
- March of Dimes
- Mecklenburg County Public Health
- Meredith College
- MomsRising
- Momma’s Village Fayetteville
- Mountain Area Health Education Center (MAHEC)
- National Service Office for Nurse-Family Partnership
- North Carolina Academy of Family Physicians
- North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University
- North Carolina Area Health Education Centers
- North Carolina Association of Certified Nurse Midwives
- North Carolina Black Alliance
- NC Child
- North Carolina Child Fatality Taskforce
- NC Counts Coalition
- North Carolina Coalition Against Domestic Violence
- North Carolina Council of Churches
- North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Public Health
- North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Child and Family WellBeing
- North Carolina Department of Health and
- Human Services, Office of Rural Health
- North Carolina Healthcare Association
- North Carolina Institute of Medicine
- North Carolina Medical Society
- North Carolina Partnership for Children
- Orange County Health Department
- Partnership for Children and Families
- Perinatal Quality Collaborative of North Carolina (PQCNC)
- Piedmont Health Services
- Points True North Consulting
- Racial Equity Institute
- Robeson Health Care Corporation
- Royal Family Ministries
- Sistas Caring 4 Sistas
- Triangle Doulas of Color
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, School of Medicine
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, School of Social Work
- UNC Collaborative for Maternal and Infant Health
- Upstream
- Vidant Health
- Village of Wisdom
- Wake Health
- WellCare
- Winer Family Foundation
- Individuals with lived experience
Priorities
2022-2023 Priorities:
The Perinatal Health Equity Collective Policy Workgroup prioritized the following NC Perinatal Health Strategic Plan (PHSP) strategy that aligns with the 2022 NC SHIP. The numbers included with the prioritized policies refer to the strategy numbers in the PHSP, https://wicws.dph.ncdhhs.gov/phsp/.
- Teen Births
- 12F. Increase same-day access to all methods of contraception
- Early Prenatal Care
- 1E. Perinatal health care providers should participate in training around health equity, implicit bias, and cultural competency
- 7E. Increase the number of Prepaid Health Plans (PHPs) that cover doula services
- 7G. Elevate the role of community health workers in addressing the social drivers of health
- 9A. Expand Medicaid to provide affordable, comprehensive health, behavioral health, and dental insurance coverage, including mobile health and telehealth for all
- 9I. Implement the NC Area Health Education Centers (AHEC) scholars program to recruit and train students of color and students from rural backgrounds to become providers in underserved areas
- 10A. Expand the use of evidence-based and evidence-informed models of perinatal care highlighted in the Maternal Health Innovation Program, including doula services, group prenatal care, group child visits, and community health workers
- Infant Mortality
- 1D. Provide training to all NCDHHS staff and ongoing professional development on equity that builds understanding of and competencies to advance health equity
- 1E. Perinatal health care providers should participate in training around health equity, implicit bias, and cultural competency
- 7E. Increase the number of Prepaid Health Plans (PHPs) that cover doula services
- 7G. Elevate the role of community health workers in addressing the social drivers of health
- 7J. Expand efforts to prevent infant deaths related to unsafe sleep environments
- 9A. Expand Medicaid to provide affordable, comprehensive health, behavioral health, and dental insurance coverage, including mobile health and telehealth for all
- 10A. Expand the use of evidence-based and evidence-informed models of perinatal care highlighted in the Maternal Health Innovation Program, including doula services, group prenatal care, group child visits, and community health workers
- 10F. Adopt maternal and neonatal risk-appropriate levels of care that align with national standards
- 10Q. Support the creation of a statewide 24-hour breastfeeding support hotline
- 12F. Increase same-day access to all methods of contraception
Priority Development Agenda
Action Plan
Meeting Schedule
2023-2024 PHEC Policy Workgroup Meeting Schedule:
- Monday, October 9, 2023, from 11:00 to 12:00 pm, Zoom
Meeting Notes
Readings/Listenings
- 2022-2026: NC Perinatal Health Strategic Plan: https://wicws.dph.ncdhhs.gov/phsp/
- Critical Term: Why Are Black Mothers and Babies Dying: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rN1vtYICJWM&t=4s
- NCDHHS- Community Health Workers (2018): https://www.ncdhhs.gov/divisions/office-rural-health/community-health-workers
- NCDHHS- Perinatal Health Data (2023): https://wicws.dph.ncdhhs.gov/phsp/perinatalData.htm
- Improving Maternal Health Outcomes in North Carolina, NCMJ: https://ncmedicaljournal.com/issue/5393
- NC AHEC Scholars Program: https://www.ncahec.net/health-careers/ahec-scholars/
- North Carolina Early Childhood Action Plan: https://www.ncdhhs.gov/about/department-initiatives/early-childhood/early-childhood-action-plan
- North Carolina Maternal Health Innovation Program (2023): https://wicws.dph.ncdhhs.gov/indfam/innovation.htm
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