MCH Bridges: The Official AMCHP Podcast

This episode is dedicated to Taryn Bailey, daughter of Dawn Bailey, who passed away on March 27, 2026. Our thoughts are with Dawn and her family.   In this special episode of MCH Bridges, recorded live at the 2026 AMCHP Annual Conference in Washington, DC, this year’s theme, The Power of Connection, is at the heart of a conversation between our CEO Terrance E. Moore and immediate Past Board Presid...

In this bonus episode of MCH Bridges, guest speakers Terrance E. Moore, Chief Executive Officer of AMCHP, and Marcus Allen, immediate Past-President of the AMCHP Board of Directors, discuss the meaning of effective partnerships and relationships and their role in strengthening maternal and child health (MCH).  Through a candid chat recorded live at the 2025 AMCHP Annual Conference , they walk us t...

October is Down Syndrome Awareness Month . In this episode of MCH Bridges, guest host and Lettercase Program Director Dr. Stephanie Meredith reviews some of the findings from her recent study focused on the experiences of parents receiving a prenatal diagnosis of Down syndrome. Dr. Meredith approaches her research as the mother of a 24-year-old son with Down syndrome. Additionally, listeners will...

This episode dives into the world of care mapping, as a continued conversation from a skills-building session at the 2024 AMCHP Annual Conference. Care mapping serves as a powerful tool to help families and professionals coordinate and enhance support and care for children and youth with special health care needs. By visualizing the complex network of care, these maps improve communication and fos...

Our new MCH Bridges podcast episode addresses the critical importance of planning for and responding to the needs of women, children, and families, particularly those requiring complex care, during public health emergencies. The efforts described in this episode reflect the panelists' personal and professional experiences advocating for and implementing a state-level policy change to do just...

Our newest MCH Bridges and What the Health?! crossover episode, led by AMCHP’s Youth Voice Amplified (YVA) committee, talks about the food insecurity crisis in the United States from a systems and lived experience point of view, and how these perspectives impact each other. This episode shares an overview of the state of food insecurity in this country, a background of different terms in the food...

According to the Kaiser Family Foundation’s Medicaid Enrollment and Unwinding Tracker , as of February 1, over 16.4 million Medicaid and CHIP enrollees nationwide have been disenrolled and lost their coverage. Over 70% of people are losing coverage because of paperwork reasons , such as missing notices from the state Medicaid office and an inability to produce wage statements. Out of the states re...

November is National Youth Homelessness Awareness Month . Severe weather, extreme temperatures, and natural disasters present vastly increased challenges for homeless communities. Listen to our latest MCH Bridges and What the Health?! crossover episode, led by AMCHP’s Youth Voice Amplified (YVA) committee, to learn about how climate change is directly affecting people experiencing homelessness. Yo...

Listen to this MCH Bridges episode to hear three members of The Adolescent Champion Teen Advisory Council (TAC TAC), Melanie Avila, Fanta Guindo, and Yeina Han, share what adolescent and young adult mental health looks like in their communities, what they have experienced, and what needs to change. This episode talks about important concepts like positive youth development, youth-friendly services...

In this MCH Bridges, we talk with AMCHP’s State Public Health Autism Resource Center’s (SPHARC) Autistic Faculty about the Autistic experience in a world that is centered around neurotypical people. You’ll hear from Autistic Faculty members Dave Caudel, Morénike Giwa Onaiwu, and Haley Moss about neurodiversity, ways that Autistic and non-Autistic people are similar and how we are all connected as...

This bonus episode captures the experience of attending the AMCHP Annual Conference from a variety of perspectives. As past attendees, our guest speakers shared what they learned, some pro tips for taking advantage of conference opportunities, and why it's important that we encourage and support youth and young adults, family leaders, community-rooted organizations, tribal government represen...

This interview episode highlights the journeys of Kimarie and Dalecia as they found their passion and purpose in helping lactating persons achieve their breastfeeding goals. Intertwining lived experience and the desire to make a difference, you will hear how Dalecia and Kimarie found their calling in breastfeeding work. You will learn about how breastfeeding has been a healing journey and a way to...

This episode highlights the lived experiences of families who have experienced a stillbirth. You’ll hear from Jasmine Abraham and Nneka Hall, who share their personal experiences after Jasmine’s son Qasem and Nneka’s daughter Annaya were born still. You’ll also hear from Rose Horton, a nurse and Executive Director of Women and Infant Services at Emory Decatur Hospital who also created #NotOnMyWatc...

In this special episode, AMCHP's MCH Bridges teams up with the Maternal Health Innovation podcast to explore maternal health policy successes, challenges and opportunities.  Guest host Laura Powis, AMCHP's Evidence-Based Policy and Practice Program Manager, is joined by Indra Lusero, founder of the Elephant Circle ; Demetra Seriki, Midwife at A Mother's Choice Midwifery ; and George...

In this episode, we are joined by Leo Andreas (he/him) and Jenna "JB" Brown (they/he) to explore the unique perinatal mental health experiences of queer, trans, and gender non-conforming people. Leo, a dad of a two-year-old, shares his mental health experiences of his journey to parenthood. And JB, a full-spectrum doula and community educator, explains the positive impact person-centered...

This episode highlights the effects of structural racism and the history of our food system in the United States. It discusses the demonization of cultural foods, the use of Eurocentric dietary standards as the primary baseline for nutrition recommendations, and how these continue to contribute to the gap in nutrition inequality we see today.  Tune in now to hear from guest speaker Sadé Meeks as s...

This episode explores the unique experiences of unaccompanied immigrant children (UICs) and the ways in which immigration impacts mental health. The Young Center , an organization dedicated to promoting immigrant children’s rights, ensures the safety and best interests of unaccompanied children in United States custody by advocating for them as they navigate the immigration system. In this episode...

This episode explores the unique experience of pregnant people navigating substance use disorders and the criminal justice system. Jenna’s Project, a program of UNC Horizons , works to support people in recovery at the North Carolina Correctional Institution for Women. In this episode, a mom shares her journey navigating incarceration while pregnant and recovering from a substance use disorder, an...

In the first part of this episode, we talk with Rhea Goswami, co-founder of the Environmental Justice Coalition (EJC), about why youth engagement is so important, especially when working to address climate change and climate injustices, how MCH can engage with young people, the importance and impact that environmental health has on MCH populations, and the need for environmental and media literacy...

In this episode, we tackle the topic of redefining rest and productivity with Marissa McKool, Career and Life Coach. Marissa shares her personal wake up call on the brink of burnout, explores why we are sometimes hesitant to take time off, discusses how supervisors and managers can be more supportive of staff, the intersection of oppressive systems and thoughts on rest, and shares ideas and tips f...

 In the times we live in, we are constantly facing all sorts of emergencies and preparedness is essential to keep families safe and promote health and wellbeing in challenging situations. In this episode, we explore how Tennessee has intentionally centered communities of color in response efforts and learn about Puerto Rico’s experience facing emergencies like Zika, Hurricane Maria, and the COVID-...

In part two of this episode, a culturally centered perinatal wellness project, the InTune Mother Society, discuss Black entrepreneurship, ingenuity,  how the maternal and child health field can equitably support community-rooted birth justice work. Please complete this short survey to share input on the episode and let us know who or what you’d like to hear about on future episodes: https://bit.ly...

In part one of this episode, a culturally centered perinatal wellness project, the InTune Mother Society, shares their story and experiences connecting families with holistic approaches to wellness and eliminating barriers to accessible perinatal health care.  Part two of this episode will be released February 28th and dives into how the maternal and child health field can support birth justice wo...

The episode features a panel of a parent, teenager, and pediatrician in a conversation on the importance of the COVID-19 vaccine for children and adolescents and strategies to increase the confidence of parents and caregivers in the COVID-19 vaccine for their children. Please complete this short survey to share input on the episode and let us know who or what you’d like to hear about on future epi...

In this inaugural episode of MCH Bridges, we sit down with AMCHP’s President, Dr. Manda Hall, and AMCHP’s Past President, Dr. Shirley Payne, to talk about their MCH journeys, their wishes and hopes for the MCH field, and more!   Please complete this short survey to share input on the first episode and let us know who or what you’d like to hear about on future episodes: https://bit.ly/MCHBridgesPil...