Annual Summit 2024
The 18th Annual Delaware Healthy Mother & Infant Consortium Summit
- Chase Center on the Riverfront 815 Justison St, Wilmington, DE 19801
IMAGINE. IMPACT. INNOVATE. Driving Equity in Infant and Maternal Health.
The mission of the Delaware Healthy Mother & Infant Consortium (DHMIC) is to provide statewide leadership and coordination of efforts to prevent infant mortality and to improve the health of infants and women of childbearing age throughout Delaware. The free annual DHMIC Summit brings together expert speakers and community leaders, and engages attendees with breakout sessions and more!
Event Recap
Keynote #1: Imagine, Inspire Birth Equity
Dr. Joia Crear-Perry
Dr. Crear-Perry is a physician, policy expert, thought leader, and advocate for transformational justice who identifies racism as a root cause of health inequities. She is a highly sought-after trainer and speaker who has been featured in national and international publications, including Essence and Ms. magazines.
Morning Breakout Sessions
Perinatal Mental Health
Provides educational and community-based resources for providers, patients, and families to reduce stigma and empower women and families to seek help.
Moderator: Dr. Julius Mullen, Ed.D., LPCMH, NCC, M.Ed., Chief Inclusion Officer, Children & Families First Riverfront Ballroom
Anne DeCaire, PMHNP-BC, PMH-C, President, Perinatal Prana LLC
Ronaldo Tello, Ph.D., Executive Director, Hispanic American Association of Delaware
Mark-Anthony C. Umobi, M.D., FACOG, MRCOG, Physician, Obstetrics and Gynecology
Substance Use Disorder: Addressing the Specific Support and Needs of Women
Discusses evidence-based strategies to help improve access to needed services and support, screenings, and connection to care and treatment for pregnant and postpartum women with a substance use disorder (SUD).
Moderator: Bridget Buckaloo, MSN, RN, Director, Women’s and Children’s Services, Beebe Healthcare
Domenica Personti, M.S., LCDP, CADC, Chief Executive Officer, Impact Life
Erin Booker, LPC, Chief Biopsychosocial Officer, ChristianaCare Health System
Delaware’s Playbook to Address Social Determinants of Health to Advance Health Equity in Maternal and Child Health Panel
A panel discussion about Delaware’s playbook to address the social determinants of health and advance health equity in maternal and child health.
Nancy Fan, M.D., Physician, Obstetrics and Gynecology
Garrett H.C. Colmorgen, M.D., Director of Obstetrics and Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Bayhealth Medical Center
Leandra Casson, M.A., Vice President, External Relations and Development, DEMCO
Amanda Watson, DNP, CNM, ARN, Assistant Professor, University of Delaware School
Kitty Esterly, M.D., Health Equity Champion Awards Presentation
Erica Allen Do Care Doula Foundation
Hispanic American Association of Delaware
Keynote #2: Birthright: A Podcast About Joy & Healing in Black Birth
Live recording of Birthright: A Podcast About Joy & healing in Black Birth
Our afternoon keynote speaker, Kimberly Seals Allers, recorded a live episode of her Podcast Birthright on stage at the Summit.
Kimberly Seals Allers
Kimberly Seals Allers is a maternal health tech founder (Irth App), an award-winning writer and author, and the host of the Birthright podcast. She’s also a maternal and infant health strategist with a bold vision to transform the experience of motherhood for all and to eradicate racial disparities in birth and breastfeeding.
Afternoon Breakout Sessions
Continuity of Care for Well Women: Community Health Workers, Doulas, Birth Workers
Learning to empower women to advocate for themselves, while also fostering positive mental health, access to healthy food, safe environments, opportunities for physical activity, and a social support network.
Moderator: Mona Liza Hamlin, MSN, RN, IBCLC, Nurse Manager, Perinatal Resources, Community Programs, Milk Bank, ChristianaCare
Cindy Biederman, MSN, RN, Project Lead, Community Initiatives, Quality Insights
Erin Ridout, MSW, MPH, Health Equity Program Manager, Women’s Health, ChristianaCare
Erica M. Allen, LPN, Executive Director, DoCare Doula Foundation, Inc.
April L. Lyons-Alls, RN, MSN, MPA, Director of MPA Program, Delaware State University
Strategies to Improve Maternal and Infant Health Outcomes in Medicaid
Discusses community level data on the social determinants of support and care from 60 days to 12 months postpartum, as well as the importance of addressing individual health before pregnancy.
Moderator: Lindsay Ashkenase, M.D., Family Medicine Physician, Director of Women’s Health, Westside Family Healthcare
Dara Hall, MSN, RNC-NIC, Maternal and Child Health Director, Delaware First Health
Kimberly York, LCSW, Maternal Child Health Director, Highmark Health Options
Megan Coalson, MSN, RNC-MNN, Maternal Child Health Director, AmeriHealth Caritas
Deborah Allen, M.D., Chief Medical Officer, AmeriHealth Caritas DE
Black Maternal Health Awareness Week Video Congresswoman Lisa Blunt Rochester
Call-to-Action to Imagine. Innovate. Impact.
Delaware Strategies to Inspire, Innovate, and Advance Health Equity in Maternal and Infant Health
Priscilla M. Mpasi, M.D., FAAP, Chair, DHMIC