Sustainability and Community-Engaged Research Solutions: Insights From the Maternal Health Annual Meeting

This spring, the Community Engagement Technical Assistance Center (CETAC) hosted the Maternal Health Annual Meeting, where partners from the Maternal Health Community Implementation Program (MH-CIP) and the Implementing a Maternal health and PRegnancy Outcomes Vision for Everyone Community Implementation Program (IMPROVE-CIP) coalitions came together for two days of shared learning. Attendees participated in plenaries, roundtables, and breakout group discussions.

Solutioning was a central theme of the meeting. On the first day, the keynote speaker, Dr. Jennifer Callaghan-Koru from University of Arkansas, introduced the concept of “subtractive solutioning”—a strategy that improves systems by removing barriers rather than adding new interventions.  The concept resonated deeply with participants, many of whom are engaged in community-based implementation work where systems are often overburdened. The idea of simplifying and clearing space for what already works—rather than adding complexity—aligned with participants’ lived experience and values. 

Coalition teams highlighted successes and solutions, including the relationships they have built with community partners and the value their partnerships bring to the projects. One interactive session highlighted Photovoice (PV) as a community-based participatory research method that uses photos to capture participants’ lived experiences and perspectives. Julie St. John from Texas Tech shared how they’ve used PV with pregnant women to uncover insights that other methods did not provide. 

Sustainability was another key theme of the meeting. Kirsten Dorans and Denys Symonette Mitchell of Tulane University presented highlights from the coalition’s December 2024 Sustainability Summit, which included the importance of education, advocacy, and demonstrating cost-effectiveness. Their presentation sparked thoughtful discussion about the importance of sustaining not just interventions, but also the community partnerships that drive them. Participants emphasized that lasting impact in maternal health research relies on trust, shared purpose, and collaboration that extends beyond the timeline of any single project.

The Coalition Conversations session offered an opportunity for coalitions to discuss themes relevant to community-engaged implementation research through concurrent roundtable discussions. In addition to encouraging cross-collaboration, the sessions also created space to reflect on staff well-being. Regina Idoate and Aislinn Rookwood with the University of Nebraska Medical Center discussed the emotional labor of maternal and child health work, emphasizing values like humility, love, and respect, and highlighting stress and burnout among public health workers.

The Maternal Health Annual Meeting continues to serve as a collaborative space for researchers and partners to exchange ideas, deepen understanding, and work toward sustainable, community-engaged implementation research solutions to improve maternal health outcomes.