CityMatCH Urban Practice Collaborative on Preconception Health
Background: Since the CDC release (MMWR, April 21, 2006) of "Recommendations to Improve Preconception Health and Health Care – United States," several CDC-convened work groups have been working in concert to address implementation through public health practice, clinical care, consumer awareness, and policy/financing, to foster the translation of the recommendations into strategic actions at the national, state and local levels. In June 2006, the Public Health Practice (PHP) Work Group developed a three-part strategy to foster the integration of preconception health in public health practice. One key strategy is to encourage more integrated preconception health practices and policies in public health programs (CDC Recommendations, Action Steps 8a and 8b). The PHP Work Group specifically recommended using a "practice collaborative" model to promote adoption and integration of PCC/PCH in sentinel communities and states. Accordingly, CDC has funded CityMatCH to adapt this model in selected cities.

Pilot Urban Practice Collaborative on Preconception Health: Beginning in October 2006, CityMatCH has convened the Urban Practice Collaborative on Preconception Health (pUPC/PCH) in three cities (Hartford, CT, Los Angeles, CA, and Nashville, TN). Each city has fielded teams of up to five members who collectively cover expertise in community assessment and engagement, prevention programming, clinical practice, policy development and systems integration related to reproductive and women's health.

For more information please contact the following:
Katie Brandert (402-561-7500, kbrandert@unmc.edu) or Dr. Magda Peck (402-561-7500, mpeck@unmc.edu)

AMCHP/CityMatCH Women's Health Partnership
With funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, AMCHP and CityMatCH have formed a Women's Health Partnership to identify and promote unique state and local MCH roles and opportunities to ensure and improve women's health before and between pregnancies. Initial efforts (2005-2007) will focus on the importance of healthy weight among women of reproductive age to improve maternal health and birth outcomes.

Healthy Weight in Women of Reproductive Age Action Learning
Collaborative (ALC)
With guidance from the Women's Health Partnership, AMCHP and CityMatCH will provide ALC teams with technical assistance throughout the project period, including tools for planning and evaluation, informational calls and resource referrals. Upon completion of the ALC, team approaches and lessons learned will be documented and shared to assist replication of women's preventive health efforts nationwide.

Purpose:
During 2006 - 2008, AMCHP and CityMatCH will use an Action Learning Collaborative (ALC) model to:

  • Convene national, state and local maternal and child health (MCH) experts to implement a women's preventive health framework including evidence-based, data-driven strategies to improve preventive health services, policies and financing at state and local levels for women of reproductive age.
  • Bring together teams of state and local MCH leaders to establish or strengthen partnerships to improve preventive health for women of reproductive age
  • Assist state and local MCH teams to assess mutual readiness and priorities to improve preventive health for women of reproductive age.
  • Assist state and local MCH teams to collaboratively incorporate evidence-based strategies from the women's preventive health framework into one-year action plans.
  • Evaluate and share successes, challenges and lessons learned of state and local MCH teams as they collaboratively implement their action plans to improve preventive health for women of reproductive age.

The teams:
Teams selected to participate in the ALC are: LA County, CA; Sonoma County, CA; Duval/Leon/Orange Counties, FL; Boston, MA; Minneapolis, MN; Douglas County, NE; Maricopa County, AZ; Salt Lake Valley, UT.

Teams are organized to successfully address issues that promote healthy weight in women. Each team is composed of a variety of individuals from the community and the state. A travel team is selected from the overall team and will participate in national workshops to receive training, share experiences and complete assignments. These traveling members include: a State Title V/MCH director, MCH leadership from local health department, a data analytic specialist, a professional from an existing community-based health initiative, and a nutrition and/or physical activity professional.