About Us

The MCH Leads blog provides an outlet for maternal and child health (MCH) students affiliated with the HRSA-funded Centers of Excellence (COE) in MCH Education, Science, and Practice programs or Catalyst programs to share their experiences and apply the 12 MCH core competencies to their work. This student-run resource provides an excellent opportunity for MCH trainees to:

• Showcase their work and provide insight into their experiences and what they have learned.
• Learn from their fellow trainees’ research, volunteer, or practicum experiences.
• Be connected to professionals and agencies looking for their specific experiences and skillset.
• Help demonstrate to prospective students the depth and breadth of work that MCH students engage in.
• Learn more about the MCH core competencies and apply them to their work.

The MCH Leads blog is hosted by the Center for Leadership Education in Maternal and Child Public Health at the University of Minnesota and the Maternal and Child Health Catalyst Program at the University at Albany. Meet our editors.

Read the FAQ section or email us at mchlead1@gmail.com if you are an MCH student (or a recent graduate) affiliated with a HRSA-funded program and are interested in contributing a post.

MCH Core Competencies

I. SELF

1. MCH Knowledge Base/Context

2. Self-Reflection

3. Ethics

4. Critical Thinking

II. OTHERS

5. Communication

6. Negotiation and Conflict Resolution

7. Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accesibility (Previously Cultural Competency)

8. Honoring Lived Experience (Previously Family-Professional Partnerships)

9. Developing Others through Teaching, Coaching, and Mentoring

10. Interdisciplinary and Interprofessional Team Building

III. WIDER COMMUNITY

11. Systems Approach (Previously Working with Communities and Systems)

12. Policy

Past MCH Leads Blog Features

Making Lifelong Connections Conference 2022

Our 2020-2022 co-editors, Alexis and Alyssa, had the opportunity to reflect on their progress with the blog by creating and presenting a research poster about the blog’s impact for the Making Lifelong Connections 2022 national conference in San Diego, hosted by the University of Washington Pediatric Pulmonary Center. Read the poster to about their lessons learned and the blog’s future directions! For a larger version of the poster, click here.

Funding provided by the Center for Leadership Education in Maternal and Child Public Health at the University of Minnesota and the University at Albany School of Public Health Maternal and Child Health Public Health Catalyst Program, which are supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). This information or content and conclusions of related outreach products are those of the authors and should not be construed as the official position or policy of, nor should any endorsements be inferred by HRSA, HHS or the U.S. Government.