Developing a Public Health Maternal and Child Health Training Program: Lessons Learned from Five Schools of Public Health

Maternal and child health (MCH), as a core sub-field of public health, continues to be an essential area in which additional workforce development and investment are needed. Recent public health workforce assessments in the United States reveal there will be a significant number of vacancies in MCH public health positions in the near future, creating the need for a well-trained and skilled public health MCH workforce. In order to address this potential critical workforce gap, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration's Maternal and Child Health Bureau initiated the Maternal and Child Health Public Health Catalyst Program in 2015 to support the creation of MCH training programs in accredited schools of public health that previously did not have a MCH concentration. This article details the accomplishments and lessons learned from the first five MCH Catalyst Program grantees: Drexel University; Florida International University; Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey; Texas A&M University; and the University at Albany.

Automated summary

Maternal and child health is an important field in public health that requires further training and investment. Recent assessments in the United States show a significant shortage of MCH public health professionals in the near future. To address this gap, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services initiated the MCH Catalyst Program to support the establishment of MCH training programs in accredited schools of public health. This article discusses the achievements and lessons learned from the first five grantees of the MCH Catalyst Program.