TY - JOUR
T1 - Maternal and Child Health Pipeline Training Programs
T2 - A Description of Training Across 6 Funded Programs
AU - Moerchen, V.
AU - Taylor-DeOliveira, L.
AU - Dietrich, M.
AU - Armstrong, A.
AU - Azeredo, J.
AU - Belcher, H.
AU - Copeland-Linder, N.
AU - Fernandes, P.
AU - Kuo, A.
AU - Noble, C.
AU - Olaleye, O.
AU - Salihu, H.
AU - Waters, C. R.
AU - Brown, C.
AU - Reddy, M. M.
N1 - Funding Information:
In 2006, the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) initiated funding for undergraduate MCH pipeline training that continues today. This funded initiative was called MCH Pipeline from 2006 to 2021 and is now referred to as Leadership Education and Advancement in Undergraduate Pathways (LEAP) for funding from 2021 forward. These Pipeline/LEAP programs specifically address the critical lack of diversity in the MCH workforce with the goal of ensuring the health of mothers, children and families from underserved and vulnerable populations. The purpose of the HRSA-funded MCH Pipeline Training Program (MCHPTP) is “to promote the development of a culturally diverse and representative health care workforce by recruiting undergraduate students from economically and educationally disadvantaged and racially/ethnically diverse backgrounds into maternal and child health (MCH) professions” (MCHB/NOFO, , p 1). Economic and educational disadvantage include growing up in an educationally underserved community, having received services and supports due to low socioeconomic status, and having the potential to be first generation college educated. Racial and ethnic diversity for this program is defined as African American, Hispanic/Latino, Asian, Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, and American Indian/Alaskan Native.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2022, The Author(s).
PY - 2022/8
Y1 - 2022/8
N2 - Purpose: The HRSA-funded maternal and child health pipeline training programs (MCHPTPs) are a response to the critical need to diversify the MCH workforce, as a strategy to reduce health disparities in MCH populations. These MCHPTPs support students from undergraduate to graduate education and ultimately into the MCH workforce. Description: The models and components of training across the six MCHPTPs funded in 2016–2021 are summarized, to examine the design and delivery of undergraduate pipeline training and the insights gained across programs. Assessment: Strategies that emerged across training programs were organized into three themes: recruitment, support for student persistence (in education), and pipeline-to-workforce intentionality. Support for student persistence included financial support, mentoring, creating opportunity for students to develop a sense of belonging, and the use of research as a tool to promote learning and competitiveness for graduate education. Finally, the link to Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB) long-term training and other MCHB opportunities for professional development contributed significant nuance to the pipeline-to-workforce objectives of these programs. Conclusions: The MCHPTPs not only increase the diversity of the MCH workforce, they also actively prepare the next generation of MCH leaders. The intentional connection of undergraduates to the infrastructure and continuum of MCH training, underscores the comprehensive impact of this funding.
AB - Purpose: The HRSA-funded maternal and child health pipeline training programs (MCHPTPs) are a response to the critical need to diversify the MCH workforce, as a strategy to reduce health disparities in MCH populations. These MCHPTPs support students from undergraduate to graduate education and ultimately into the MCH workforce. Description: The models and components of training across the six MCHPTPs funded in 2016–2021 are summarized, to examine the design and delivery of undergraduate pipeline training and the insights gained across programs. Assessment: Strategies that emerged across training programs were organized into three themes: recruitment, support for student persistence (in education), and pipeline-to-workforce intentionality. Support for student persistence included financial support, mentoring, creating opportunity for students to develop a sense of belonging, and the use of research as a tool to promote learning and competitiveness for graduate education. Finally, the link to Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB) long-term training and other MCHB opportunities for professional development contributed significant nuance to the pipeline-to-workforce objectives of these programs. Conclusions: The MCHPTPs not only increase the diversity of the MCH workforce, they also actively prepare the next generation of MCH leaders. The intentional connection of undergraduates to the infrastructure and continuum of MCH training, underscores the comprehensive impact of this funding.
KW - Maternal and child health training programs
KW - Pipeline
KW - Under-represented
KW - Undergraduate
KW - Workforce development
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85126216002&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/s10995-022-03375-9
DO - 10.1007/s10995-022-03375-9
M3 - Article
C2 - 35286520
AN - SCOPUS:85126216002
SN - 1092-7875
VL - 26
SP - 137
EP - 146
JO - Maternal and Child Health Journal
JF - Maternal and Child Health Journal
ER -