What is your main source of data collection?Case workers? Public Interface?Institution/Organization? #mchdata

— Allan Stamm (@GoBeyondMCH) May 17, 2012

For our #mchdata: VS is electronic & surveys are mail, phone @GoBeyondMCH

— Ohio Dept of Health (@OHdeptofhealth) May 17, 2012

Here is our version of the #mchdata cycle – what are your thoughts? What would you add or remove from the 5 points? twitter.com/GoBeyondMCH/st…

— Allan Stamm (@GoBeyondMCH) May 17, 2012

@GoBeyondMCH What about including a step about implementation? #mchdata

— Ohio Dept of Health (@OHdeptofhealth) May 17, 2012

Does anyone gather data in relation to family networks? Here is a bit about how we do it: youtu.be/73afQYQrbmE #mchdata

— Allan Stamm (@GoBeyondMCH) May 17, 2012

These are just a few tweets from the beginning of the chat…a few others to follow on Twitter are @RealityworksInc, @JennieJoseph, @Leesgoodfood, @MOfamily2family and @OHdeptofhealth.

The overall response from the chat was very positive and we will look at a late June/early July date for a second chat on #mchdata. Next time we will come ready with even more examples of innovative uses of data. We have the opportunity to work with local and state level programs across the US and are always impressed with the way they are moving their programs forward. Stay tuned for more!

And don’t forget to add your events to our calendar – we will help spread the word of any webinar, events, chats, etc!

We invite you to join us today at 4pm on Twitter using #MCHdata on your tweets. For more information on how to participate in a Twitter Chat you can read our recent blog post, “8 Frequently Asked Questions about Our Upcoming #MCHdata Twitter Chat.”

Here is a sneak peak at the questions we will pose to you and our fellow MCH professionals. We are by no means experts, we simply build the information and technology solutions that are meant to adapt to the MCH industry’s changing data and case management needs. We welcome your point of view and expertise on these topics. We hope you will join in and find interest in the following questions:

1. How do you collect data?

2. What data is most relevant or most meaningful to your program?

3. What would change if your community was able to collaborate findings and set benchmarks?

4. How would your community benefit from sharing data and setting unified benchmarks and goals?

5. How are you bringing collaboration into the data collection mix? How do you collaborate when analyzing data?

6. What do you see as the future of data?

We will also share some of the work we have been involved with lately. We are seeing a need for technology to rapidly adapt to MCH program needs – a fundamental shift towards collaboration and more robust, meaningful data. Join us today at 4pm Eastern Time for more!

Coming up on Thursday, May 17, 2012 we are hosting a Twitter Chat about  the relationship between MCH programs and technology.

As funding sources are becoming harder to secure we need to all work towards efficiency while not giving up outcomes.

We will look at new ways of using technology to gather data, using information systems to measure outcomes over the course of life versus a short period of time and explore new opportunities that are closer than you think. We even have special guest hosts! The information sharing is going to be spectacular.

With the excitement of this Twitter Chat building we have received some emails that have a common theme…you all want more information about how to participate in the chat. Here are 8 FAQs:

1. What is a Twitter Chat?

A Twitter Chat is an online meeting where people with common interests come together to chat about a designated topic.

2. What is a hashtag?

A hashtag is the symbol “#”. You use this #symbol before relevant keywords or phrases in your Tweet. This basically serves as a searchable tag for your tweet. You know when you hear about things “trending” on Twitter? This is how trends are created and measured – through the use of hashtags.

3. How do I follow along during the Twitter Chat?

Very simply. Type in #MCHdata in the top search bar within Twitter and ALL tweets with that hashtag will display.

4. How do I contribute to the Twitter Chat?

You participate in the same way you follow the Twitter Chat – you use the #MCHdata hashtag. Place the  #MCHdata hashtag in all of your tweets.

5. Can I ask questions during the Twitter Chat?

Of course! We hope you do! We certainly don’t want to talk to ourselves. We are going to be online from 4-5 opening up discussions and encouraging you to do the same thing!

6. Is it OK if I follow people I don’t know but “meet” during the Twitter Chat?

Yes! Twitter – and social media in general – opens up a new world to us all. You may never meet someone in person but you can share ideas and learn from each other online. As always, be careful of privacy but sharing general information around a common topic is typically very safe.

7.  Are there any tools that make a Twitter Chat easier to follow?

Certainly! We use http://tweetchat.com/. It is a really simple website that serves as a tool to help you only see the tweets relevant to the Twitter Chat you are participating in. Type in #MCHdata in the field at the top and click GO. You can sign in and enable tweets all from this screen.

8. Can I retweet during a Twitter Chat?

You definitely can retweet. Retweeting is a great way to promote tweets that you find interesting and that will be helpful and well received by your followers. Be careful, though, not to only retweet. Don’t be shy, get involved and make some original tweets!

That is about it…if you have more questions reply to us on Twitter @GoBeyondMCH or email us and ask your question in private. And please make sure to share this event with your peers and colleagues! The more we have invovled on the chat the better ideas and sharing we will have!

Following our usual curiosities we did a bit of research on Mother’s Day around the world. Here is a visual representation of Mother’s Day celebrations around the globe:

via chartsbin.com

Again, Happy Mother’s Day and we wish you all a wonderful, relaxing Sunday with your loved ones!

-The Go Beyond Team

72 Resource Mothers Sites, 3 Federal Healthy Start Programs and 5 MIECHV Programs with Nurse Family Partnership, Parents as Teachers and Healthy Families Integration. 

I gained professional and leadership skills during the workshops and learned about a variety of MCH initiatives and projects. Attending the conference expanded my academic and research experiences by giving me exposure to leaders in a diversity of settings.

I took the opportunity to learn more about advocacy and policy before and during the conference, and making a Hill visit to my Congressman was another great learning experience.

I’m amazed at all I did and learned, and the number of MCH leaders I met in just four days during the AMCHP conference. And I felt extremely welcomed and supported the entire time.

In addition, I am so thankful for the portion of the scholarship for educational expenses. It has helped me cover costs of completing my dissertation research and of disseminating my research by presenting at conferences that otherwise would have been unaffordable to me as a student.

Overall, the scholarship has opened many new doors for me, and I can’t wait to begin combining research and practice in my future leadership role in MCH.

~Aimee Eden

You can also view a clip from the 2012 AMCHP Conference on our YouTube Channel:

A Conversation with Mike Fraser, Stephanie Birch and Aimee Eden

Source: nphw.org

Today kicked off the start of National Public Health Week. Hosted by the American Public Health Association (@NPHW) the chat covered a variety of health topics and several hundred people joined in! Thanks to @CityMCH for the email reminder this morning so we didn’t forget! You can check out the full transcript here – there are tons of links that are worth checking out!

In case you missed the chat today here is brief glimpse into the range of topics covered:

#NPHWChat question not answered? Don’t despair! @NPHW will be answering more questions via its blog: nphw.blogspot.com

— APHA (@PublicHealth) April 2, 2012

Premium Differentials are being used by more US employers – linking health insurance to medical tests #tchat #NPHWchat ow.ly/a1YP9 — Alere Wellbeing (@AlereWellbeing) April 2, 2012

#NPHWchat had good questions about systems- the #PHSSR research agenda is a good roadmap for these important Qs: ow.ly/a1ZpZ — AcademyHealth PHSR (@PHSR_AH) April 2, 2012

Experts estimate 75% of $2 trillion spent on medical care by businesses is attributable 2 preventable illness ow.ly/a1ZEC #NPHWChat

— HoagExecHealth (@HoagExecHealth) April 2, 2012

“@HHS_DrKoh: Our responsibility is to help educate the public on how to prevent disease & lead, longer healthier lives.” Enjoying #NPHWchat!

— CDC NPIN (@CDCNPIN) April 2, 2012

@NPHW The teen birth rate in the US has declined since the 90s, but it could be on the verge of rising again. #NPHWchat americashealthrankings.org/ALL/TeenBirth/… — AHR_Rankings (@AHR_Rankings) April 2, 2012

@publichealth Very important that children not be exposed to second hand smoke from a lung perspective and a growth perspective #NPHWchat GB — NPHW 2012 (@NPHW) April 2, 2012

It’s National Public Health Week. Help America be healthier, learn about preventable health conditions: scr.bi/GVSiAX #NPHWchat

— USA.gov (@USAgov) April 2, 2012

@TulaneMCH @GoBeyondMCH great to see #MCH leaders join us! @NPHW thanks for acknowledging importance of reproductive health #NPHWchat

— CityMatCH (@CityMCH) April 2, 2012

Make sure to check out the National Public Health Week website and join in throughout the week!

Source: The Business of Being Born

The truth about birth in America is being shared in the public arena like never before. Everyday folk are able to access real information via search engines, social media, film, TV talk shows and even good old fashioned books. They in turn are becoming foot soldiers in this growing movement as America slowly awakens to the possibilities of empowered and natural birth as an alternative to the current norm.  The film ‘The Business of Being Born’ sounded the clarion call and now ‘More Business of Being Born’ consolidates the message  - that with knowledge comes power, and with power ANY woman can reclaim her body, her baby and her birth.

Ricki Lake and Abby Epstein, have covered many topics in their latest work but for me as a practicing midwife, one of the most important is the subject of vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC).  Here American women face the greatest of dilemmas. Their body has become a political hot potato, – tossed back and forth between practitioners, risk managers, attorneys, policy makers, insurance companies and hospital CEO’s. Lip service and double-speak serve to confuse and frustrate all players and abject FEAR rules the day.  With more than a third of childbearing women having surgical births we are talking about a massive issue with untold repercussions for the future of childbirth in the USA.  Women and families are often abandoned to negotiate these murky waters, sort fact from fiction, make informed decisions and exercise their rights while experiencing complete dependence on the very practitioners who are themselves caught up in this vicious cycle.

Is VBAC really so dangerous? Unfortunately it depends on who you ask. Like any obstetrical condition, in my opinion, there is always a possibility that an intervention may be needed. Careful weighing of odds, individual circumstances, practitioner skills and mindset all should go into formulating a plan of care. The greater risk of cesarean section, major abdominal surgery, should not be ignored either though. As the rise in surgical births continue an increase in maternal illness and death is also being noted. Ultimately the polarized opinions that all too often impede calm decision making have taken away the trust between many women and their providers.  True informed consent is the only way forward, respectful dialogue and listening, on both sides of the debate, is imperative. Anything less is a disservice to ALL involved.

‘More Business of Being Born’ has a section which addresses the VBAC situation head-on, calling on experts and women to share their thoughts and opinions, giving practical, achievable tips and seeking to empower parents by once again sharing the truth about childbirth in America.  Kudos to Ricki and Abby for engaging their celebrity friends to candidly discuss their choices in birth, for helping to make ‘midwife’ and ‘doula’ everyday language and for continuing on this journey to educate us about the domestic maternity care crisis.  Every woman deserves the opportunity to have her baby in the safest way possible and documentaries such as this one provide access to the information she needs to fully explore her options.

Jennie Joseph LM, CPM
Midwife
Executive Director, Commonsense Childbirth Inc.
Founder of The JJ Way® Maternal Child Health system
“….because every woman deserves a healthy baby”

www.commonsensechildbirth.org

www.jenniejoseph.com

“Pathways.org is uniquely dedicated to increasing knowledge about the gift of early detection and the benefit of early therapy for infants and children with sensory, motor, or communication delays. Through the years, many families have benefited from Pathways’ message and the promise of early intervention. We honor and support parents by providing knowledge, information, and a sense of community as they guide their children on life’s journey.

Aside from providing valuable tools and resources to families, Pathways.org also provides valuable information to healthcare professionals. We invite you to explore our website and learn more about early detection, intervention, and therapy for early developmental delays.” Source: Pathways.org

Resources available on their website include brochures, handouts and informational videos for parents and medical providers. Video, brochure and handout topics include:

• 5 Essential Tummy Time Moves
• Early Detection and Early Intervention
• Recognizing Early Motor Delays
• Early Infant Assessment Redefined
• Is My Baby Okay?
• Early Intervention Pediatric Therapy
• Growth and Development Chart
• Typical/Atypical Development Comparisons
• And More!

Take a few minutes to explore Pathways.org and as always, we invite you to take advantage of our community blog and submit an article or resource today!