Meet the MH-CIP Teams

Morehouse School of Medicine

The IMproving Preconception Actions and Choices for Tomorrow (IMPACT) project aims to address institutional, interpersonal, and intrapersonal factors that influence Black maternal health outcomes. This will be accomplished by developing and implementing a prepregnancy counseling intervention in Healthy Start program sites and similar locations in Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina. Based on the findings from the Phase I pilot study and guidelines and recommendations from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the intervention focuses on addressing heart-health risks in Black/African American women and men.

Academic Leads: Natalie Hernandez, Ph.D., M.P.H. (Principal Investigator); Latrice Rollins, Ph.D., M.S.W.; Cheryl Franklin, M.D., M.P.H., FACOG; Amy Huebschmann, M.D., M.Sc., FACP (Implementation Science Subject Matter Expert); and Meredith Fort, Ph.D. (Implementation Science Subject Matter Expert)

Community Lead: Danette McLaurin Glass

New York University Langone Health

The bRidging maternal lifestyle Education, and counSeling with communiTy health wORkers and health Equity (RESTORE) study aims to evaluate the impact of carrying out community health worker- and mobile health-supported Starting Early Programs (StEP) to increase accessibility for pregnant women. RESTORE partners with NYC Health + Hospitals and Family Health Centers at NYU Langone, a network of federally qualified health centers in the neighborhoods of Sunset Park, Brooklyn, serving over 125,000 low-income and racially and ethnically diverse patients. 

Academic Leads: Natasha Williams, Ed.D., M.P.H., M.S.W. (Principal Investigator); Gbenga Ogedegbe, M.D., M.P.H., FACP (Multi-Principal Investigator); Mary A. Sevick, Sc.D.; Mary Messito, M.D. (Multi-Principal Investigator); Laura Ibanez Gomez, M.S.; Rachel S. Gross, M.D.; Erinn M. Hade, Ph.D.; Heather T. Gold, Ph.D.; Angela Aifah, Ph.D.; Hye Heo, M.D.; and Wendy Wilcox, M.D., M.B.A., M.P.H.

Community Leads: Lydie Pierre, Juliana Staten, Damalia Jackson, Ashley Vital, Myla Flores, Yomaha Gordon, Victoria St. Clair, Tania Batres, Nathaly Rubio, Marguerite Pierce, and Helena Grant

Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine

The Strategies for Implementing a Postpartum Lifestyle Intervention in Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Clinics: A Cluster Randomized Trial (STRIVE) study’s goal is to increase access to and update the Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) to prevent diabetes in women with recent gestational diabetes. STRIVE is studying a community-based implementation of a program like DPP for low-income women in Louisiana with recent gestational diabetes who also have WIC. 

Academic Leads: Kirsten S. Dorans, Sc.D. (Multi-Principal Investigator); Jiang He, M.D., Ph.D. (Multi-Principal Investigator); Mary E. Schultheis, L.P.N. (Multi-Principal Investigator); Flor Alvarado, M.D., M.P.H., M.H.S.; Alessandra Bazzano, Ph.D., M.P.H.; Hua He, Ph.D.; Leanne Redman, M.S., Ph.D.; Sarah Schrauben, M.D., M.S.C.E.; and Lizheng Shi, Ph.D., M.S.Pharm.

Community Leads: Courtney R. Martin, B.S., C.L.C.; and Celia Bridgeforth, Ph.D., R.D.N., L.D.N. (Community Partner)

Website: https://strivestudy.org/

Center for Women’s Health Research, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Advancing Community and Clinical Care for Childbirth-related Hypertension through Implementation, Engagement, and Valuing Equity (AC3HIEVE) is testing the potential effects of provider- and clinic-based action strategies in adapting, integrating, and carrying out a high blood pressure safety bundle in three federally qualified health centers in North Carolina.

Academic Leads: Kathryn Menard, M.D., M.P.H. (Principal Investigator); Jennifer Leeman, Dr.P.H., M.P.H., M.Div. (Implementation Science Lead); Narges Farahi, M.D. (Clinical Integration Lead); Alexandra Lightfoot, Ed.D. (Community Engagement Lead); and Sarahn Wheeler, M.D., Ms.C. (Health Equity Lead)

Community Leads: Kamara Barnett (Lead Patient Representative) and Jen Medearis Costello, M.S.