Past Webinars
A Journey to Freedom: Family-Focused Recovery
Friday, June 07, 2024
3:00PM ET

Following the completion of this course, learners should be able to:

  1. Understand how trauma may impact individuals
  2. Discuss the Trauma-Informed Care Continuum and apply Trauma-Informed Approach to care
  3. Explain the Freedom House Women's Addiction Recovery Program
Jennifer Hancock
Jennifer Hancock, MSW, BASW

Jennifer Hancock is the President and CEO of Volunteers of America of Mid-States. Jennifer earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in social work from the University of Kentucky, where she began a career dedicated to social justice and community building. 

Jennifer has served in many capacities during her more than 20 years of professional leadership in the nonprofit sector and in her 16 years advancing the mission of VOA.  Under her leadership, VOA has become a nationally recognized expert in providing family-focused and results-oriented solutions for the opioid and addiction crisis.  Working closely with a wide range of elected officials and community leaders, the organization has earned consistent recognition for providing best practice care across nearly 50 programs. 

Understanding Black Parental Concerns about CPS Involvement to Improve Pediatric Care
Friday, March 22, 2024
1:00PM EST

Following the completion of this course, learners should be able to:

  1. Review the relationship between patient and community experiences and how fear, specifically related to CPS and healthcare, can negatively impact health.
  2. Outline opportunities to build trust and promote the sense of safety through improvements in direct patient care, clinical systems, and community connections.
  3. Describe efforts of Department for Community Based Services to facilitate system improvements to strive for health equity and promote a healthier Kentucky.
Amber Pendleton, MD
Amber Pendleton, MD

Dr. Amber Pendleton is a general pediatrician at Norton Children’s Medical Group – Novak Clinic, professor at the University of Louisville School of Medicine, and the Associate Division Chief for the General Pediatrics division at UofL. She attended medical school at University of Kentucky, Pediatrics residency at University of Virginia, then came to care for children in Louisville over a decade ago. She has served on the Community Access to Child Health national committee at the American Academy of Pediatrics for many years and has primary interest in addressing the mental and social needs of families in primary care through prescribing community and coordinating multi-disciplinary care. 

Chelsea Harrod
Chelsea Harrod

Chelsea Harrod is the Child Protection Branch Manager in the Division of Protection and Permanency with the Department for Community Based Services. Chelsea began her career with the Cabinet as a frontline, investigative social worker in 2014. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Family Science with a minor in Community and Leadership Development from the University of Kentucky. Chelsea strives to assist the families in Kentucky while ensuring the safety of the children throughout the Commonwealth!

Improving Interventions and Assessments for Women and Birthing Families in the Perinatal Period
Friday, January 19, 2024
1:00PM EST

Following the completion of this course, learners should be able to:

  1. Understand the importance of screening women and birthing people for perinatal mental health disorders.
  2. Identify at least one well established screening tool to utilize in their practice with women and birthing people.
  3. Identify at least one intervention or evidence-based practice to treat women who screen positive for a perinatal mental health disorder.

 

Amy Young, PsD, MSEd, HSP, PMH-C
Amy Young, PsD, MSEd, HSP, PMH-C

Dr. Young received her Psy.D. in Counseling Psychology from Carlow University. Dr. Young’s passion for social justice concerns previously connected her to Mercy Behavioral Health, a legacy program of the Sisters of Mercy of the America’s ministry in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. There she provided comprehensive mental health and substance abuse services to underserved populations for eleven years. Her research interests include trauma-informed services for women, harm reduction psychotherapy and the clinical implications of bias in the therapeutic relationship. She is a member of both the American Psychological Association and Kentucky Psychological Association.

Norah A. Chapman, PhD, HSP, PMH-C
Norah A. Chapman, PhD, HSP, PMH-C

Dr. Chapman earned her Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from the University of Kentucky. Her primary research interests are in evaluating components of psychotherapy process and outcome, both in person and via telepsychology, to develop evidence-based practices that increase the access to and quality of mental health care amongst underserved populations. Although Dr. Chapman uses an integration of interpersonal process, cognitive behavioral therapy and mindfulness theories to inform her work, her clinical approach is ultimately informed by a client-directed outcome-informed (CDOI) model. She is currently a member of the APA Division 17 Section for the Promotion of Psychotherapy Science, is involved with the Society for Psychotherapy Research and the KPA.

Building Your Motivational Interviewing Toolbox
Friday, December 15, 2023

ollowing the completion of this course, learners should be able to:

  1. Differentiate MI skills appropriate vs potentially inappropriate for birthing hospitals.
  2. Develop strategies for implementing MI in birthing hospital settings.
  3. Identify key strategies for MI improvement and coaching.
Devin Oller, MD
Devin Oller, MD
Building Your Motivational Interviewing Toolbox
Friday, December 15, 2023

Following the completion of this course, learners should be able to:

  1. Differentiate MI skills appropriate vs potentially inappropriate for birthing hospitals.
  2. Develop strategies for implementing MI in birthing hospital settings.
  3. Identify key strategies for MI improvement and coaching.
Devin Oller, MD
Building Your Motivational Interviewing Toolbox

Dr. Devin Oller is a primary care and addiction medicine physician at the University of Kentucky. He is a graduate of The College of William and Mary and the Temple University School of Medicine. Dr. Oller completed residency in Internal Medicine and a fellowship in Rural Health Leadership at the Massachusetts General Hospital. Prior to his academic appointment at University of Kentucky College of Medicine, he served as faculty at Harvard Medical School.

Dr. Devin Oller directs KY-OPEN, the state-wide education series on issues related to the care of people living with substance use disorders. He also serves as the director of the Primary Care Internal Medicine residency program at UK. Dr. Oller is well published in the peer-reviewed literature, he is a prominent regional, national and international speaker, he leads numerous trainings targeting both students and peers, and he participates in peer review for several prominent publications.  Dr. Oller is a member of the American Society of Addiction Medicine and the Kentucky Medical Society.

Working Toward an Intersectional Approach for Mothers Experiencing Violence
Friday, September 22, 2023

Learning Objects:

  1. Identify and describe the intersectional relationship between experiences of violence, substance misuse, and mental health challenges, particularly for women who experience intimate partner/domestic violence. 
  2. Illustrate the importance of identifying and engaging clients/patients who have experienced violence to connect them with appropriate services. 
  3. Formulate preliminary ideas for integrating violence screening into your everyday practice.

 

April Schweinhart, PhD
April Schweinhart, PhD

April Schweinhart, PhD, earned her doctorate in Experimental Psychology at the University of Louisville in the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences in 2015. She continued study as a Postdoctoral Associate at Rutgers University in Newark in the Department of Mathematics and Computer Sciences. Dr. Schweinhart has been working at the Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation (PIRE) since 2016, where she is now a Research Scientist.

Ashley Simons-Rudolph, PhD
Ashley Simons-Rudolph, PhD

Ashley Simons-Rudolph, PhD, promotes engagement through interdisciplinary, community, and policy-related research. Dr. Simons-Rudolph has expertise in gender and social policy, research-to-practice, community-based participatory research, substance misuse, family formation/stability, and qualitative methodologies. She has worked in diverse communities ranging from townships in sub-Saharan Africa, to Indigenous reservations in the Midwest. She is currently leading/actively contributing to projects in Kentucky, Massachusetts, New Mexico, and Oklahoma. She has 25 years of experience conducting research in academic and practice-based settings in the U.S. and abroad. In addition to her role at PIRE, Dr. Simons-Rudolph is the Outreach and Communication Specialist for community-based research with the Society for Community Research and Action and the former Editor in Chief of Gender Issues, a multinational and interdisciplinary research journal published quarterly by Springer Nature.

St. Elizabeth Healthcare Multi-Pronged Management to Decrease Persistent Post-Childbirth Opioid Use
Friday, July 21, 2023

Learning Objects:

Understand the importance of creating a robust hospital-based program to decrease opioid use in the labor and delivery unit.

Evaluate the role of combining providers’ education and data monitoring to effect institutional culture change.

Illustrate the importance of establishing institutional program metrics and goals in comparison to regional or national benchmarks.

Ayesa Hilvano, MD

Dr. Ayesa Hilvano completed her training in anesthesia at the Robert Wood Johnson Hospital in New Brunswick , NJ.  She was the Director of Anesthesia until 2022 and currently serves as a Lead on the the Obstetric Anesthesia Team at St Elizabeth Healthcare - Edgewood Hospital in Edgewood, KY, she is involved in the Respiratory Failure Project and she is a council member with the Women Health Institute at St Elizabeth Healthcare. Dr. Hilvano also serves as the Board Director at Seven Hills Anesthesia in St Elizabeth Division and Chairs the Compliance Committee at Seven Hills Anesthesia. Dr. Hilvano is a Diplomate in the American Board of Anesthesiology. Dr. Hilvano also serves as a KyPQC OB Leads and she is a member of the KyPQC MM Task Force.

Plan of Safe Care: Strategic Planning and Next Steps
Friday, May 19, 2023

This course will provide an overview of Quality Improvement (QI) in the collaborative setting for stakeholders in the Kentucky Perinatal Quality Collaborative (KyPQC).

Learning Objectives:

1.    Outline the principles and values inherent in a Recovery Oriented System of Care (ROSC).
2.    Describe the SAMHSA definition of a ROSC.
3.    Identify best practices for supporting Pregnant and Parenting Families with SUD.

Maggie Schroeder, MS, MA, LCADC
Maggie Schroeder, MS, MA, LCADC

Maggie Schroeder is currently the Program Manager for the Adult Substance Use Treatment and Recovery Services Branch at the Division of Behavioral Health, Developmental & Intellectual Disabilities for the State of Kentucky.  Ms. Schroeder has Master’s Degrees in Clinical Psychology and Political Science and is a Licensed Clinical Alcohol and Drug Counselor (LCADC).  She has over 30 years of experience in providing behavioral health and substance abuse services to individuals and their families including case management and therapeutic interventions services as well as providing clinical and administrative supervision.

Developing, Testing and Implementing Interventions to Improve Care
Friday, March 24, 2023

Learning Objectives:

At the conclusion of this presentation, learners will be able to:
1.    To demonstrate how a team can develop a key driver diagram to create plan for improvement. 
2.    To develop and test interventions using "Plan-Do-Study-Act" cycles to generate learning about how the intervention impacts an outcome or aim.
3.    To identify the difference between the testing and implementation phases of a quality improvement project. 
4.    To determine strategies to sustain interventions to maintain gains in improvement.

Hannah Fischer, MD

Hannah Fischer is an Associate Professor in the Division of Neonatology at the University of Louisville. She has completed the Intermediate Improvement Science Series and Advanced Improvement Methods courses through Cincinnati Children’s Hospital and currently serves in the role of Director of Quality Improvement and Safety for the division of neonatology. She has led many quality improvement projects locally and is inspired by the improvement in outcomes that can be achieved. Regionally, she is involved in the Kentucky Perinatal Quality Collaborative to improve maternal and infant outcomes across the state. She aspires to teach others to improve their healthcare systems and has developed the Neonatal Fellows Quality Improvement Curriculum and provides lectures on quality improvement in multiple venues to further this goal.

Community Health Workers and Improving Maternal Outcomes
Friday, January 27, 2023

Learning Objectives

At the conclusion of this presentation, learners will be able to:

1. Define “Community Health Worker” and articulate their role.

2. Identify at least two (2) types of settings where CHWs may be integrated to improve outcomes.  

3. Describe at least two (2) ways which CHWs can improve maternal outcomes.

Laura Eirich, MPH
Laura Eirich, MPH

Laura Eirich, MPH is a graduate from Carroll University Waukesha, WI with a Bachelor of Science in Public Health and Psychology. She completed a Master of Public Health (MPH) from Rutgers School of Public Health Piscataway, NJ. Her current position is the administrator for the Kentucky Office of Community Health Workers (KOCHW. Laura Eirich is responsible for overseeing the Kentucky Office of Community Health Workers (KOCHW), which includes leading, recruiting, training, and supervising staff, managing statewide human resource need. She manages a 2.8-million-dollar CDC grant “Community Health Workers for COVID-19 Response and Resilience.” She also established and administers the statewide Community Health Worker certification process and stablished and manages the CHW Training Organization Certification to ensure that trainings meet set criteria and are competency-based. She maintains engagement and collaboration with Community Health Workers, partners, and stakeholders across the Commonwealth, which involves convening statewide CHW Advisory Workgroup to facilitate conversations around policy updates, resource sharing, and facilitate networking. Laure Eirich represents the Kentucky Department for Public Health Office of Community Health Workers on local, state, regional, and national workgroups.

Connie White, MD, MS, FACOG
Connie White, MD, MS, FACOG

Dr. Connie White practiced as an OB/GYN physician in Frankfort, Kentucky, for over twenty years. She retired from clinical medicine and first worked at the Kentucky Department for Public Health (KDPH) as the Director of the Division of Women’s Health from 2009-2010. She then joined the College of Public Health as a Clinical Professor at the University of Kentucky (UK) from 2011-2012 in the Department for Health Behavior. Dr. White returned to KDPH as Deputy Commissioner in 2014. She has served as the Principal Investigator for several grants that included Diabetes, Heart Disease and Stroke, Colon Cancer Screening, Medication for Opioid Use Disorder (MOUD) for Pregnant and Parenting Women, Obesity/Physical Activity, among others. Dr. White is a graduate of Kentucky Wesleyan College with a BS degree in Chemistry. She earned an MS in Toxicology from the University of Kentucky and worked as a researcher in Teratology at the National Center for Toxicological Research in Little Rock, Arkansas. She completed medical school training at UK and an OB/GYN residency at University of Louisville. She is certified in OB/GYN by the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Dr. White’s professional activities include serving as a District Officer in the American College of OB/GYN (ACOG), her professional organization.

Applying Trauma-Informed Care into Clinical Practice
Thursday, December 15, 2022

Learning Objectives

Following the completion of this course, learners should be able to do the following:

  1. Understand how stigma and bias impact health care delivery.
  2. Describe how to apply Trauma-Informed Care principles when caring for a pregnant women impacted  by substance use disorder.
  3. Identify 2-3 practice changes you will make.
Annie Lewis-O'Connor, PhD, NP-BC, MPH, FAAN, DF-LAFN, DF-AFN
Annie Lewis-O'Connor, PhD, NP-BC, MPH, FAAN, DF-LAFN, DF-AFN

Annie Lewis-O'Connor, PhD, NP-BC, MPH, FAAN, DF-LAFN, DF-AFN is a dually Board Certified Pediatric and Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner. She is the founder and director of the C.A.R.E Clinic (Caring Approach to Resilience & Empowerment) and is co-chair of the Mass General Brigham Trauma-informed Care Initiative. The clinic is committed to providing patient centered and trauma-informed health care to people who have experienced individual, interpersonal and collective trauma. Dr. Lewis-O’Connor addresses violence from four pillars: Research, Policy, Education, and Clinical practice. Dr. Lewis-O’Connor is published in peer-reviewed journals and academic books on the topic of violence against women and children, trauma-informed care, and the effects of trauma, violence and abuse on health. Her current research is focused on measuring Trauma-Informed Care models of care in adult health care settings and exploration of best ‘screening’ (inquiry) methods for trauma, violence and abuse. Dr. Lewis-O’Connor was a Clinical Scholar with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (2018-2021) focusing on health care leadership using a health equity lens.  Her current funding is exploring the return on investment when TIC models are utilized, trauma inquiry and use of trauma-informed care plans. She served as chair of the National Health Collaborative on Violence and Abuse advancing policy and clinical practice for survivors of violence and abuse. Since 2010 she has served on the Executive Board of Casa Myrna Vasquez, the oldest and longest standing shelter in Mass for women and children. She received her Master’s in Nursing from Simmons College in Boston, a Master’s in Public Health from Boston University and PhD from Boston College.

The Implications of Smoke-Free Policy on Maternal and Neonatal Outcomes
Friday, September 30, 2022

Learning Objectives

At the conclusion of this presentation, learners will be able to:

  1.  Describe the historical context and current state of smokefree legislation related to maternal and neonatal health at the state, national, and international levels.
  2. Compare and contrast the potential effects of comprehensive smokefree municipal policy compared to moderate to weak or no policy on preterm birth rates in Kentucky.
  3. Identify strategies to promote comprehensive smokefree policy in their communities.
Kristin B. Ashford, PhD, WHNP-BC, FAAN
Kristin B. Ashford, PhD, WHNP-BC, FAAN

Kristin Ashford is a professor at the University of Kentucky College of Nursing where she serves as the associate dean of Undergraduate Faculty and Interprofessional Education. She has recently completed her first year in Washington DC as a RWJF health policy fellow at the National Academy of Medicine and the U.S Committee on Energy and Commerce, Health Subcommittee. Dr. Ashford received her BS at Washburn University in Kansas and completed her training as a board-certified women’s health nurse practitioner at the University of Louisville. She further completed her PhD and NIH postdoctoral fellowship, Building Interprofessional Research Careers in Women’s Health (BIRWCH), at the University of Kentucky.

Lisa M. Blair, PhD, RN
Lisa M. Blair, PhD, RN

Dr. Lisa M. Blair received her PhD in Nursing with an interdisciplinary graduate specialization in Quantitative Research Methods at The Ohio State University. She is a registered nurse with clinical experience working with critically and chronically ill infants. Her postdoctoral training focused on data science and the impact of perinatal substance use on neonatal and child health and development. Her research and career development have been well funded by the National Institute for Nursing Research, National Institute of Minority Health and Health Disparities, and the National Institute on Drug Abuse through two institutional training grants, two intramural research training awards, and an individual predoctoral fellowship. In her current role as an Assistant Professor at Wayne State University College of Nursing, Dr. Blair employs her data science expertise and health disparities focus to examine child outcomes in health and development after prenatal exposures to tobacco, electronic nicotine delivery systems, cannabis, and opioids.

Kentucky’s Plan of Safe Care: Supporting Families Affected by Substance Use Disorder
Friday, August 26, 2022


This course will provide an overview of the Plan of Safe Care Program in Kentucky.

Learning Objectives

  1. Examine the guiding principles and values inherent to a Recovery Oriented System of Care (ROSC).
  2. Discuss Best Practices for Pregnant and Parenting Families with Substance Use Disorders across community-based health and social service systems.
  3. Introduce the Wrap-around model for cross sector support of Pregnant and Parenting Families with SUD.
Maggie Schroeder, MS, MA, LCADC
Maggie Schroeder, MS, MA, LCADC

Maggie Schroeder is currently the Program Manager for the Adult Substance Use Treatment and Recovery Services Branch at the Division of Behavioral Health, Developmental & Intellectual Disabilities for the State of Kentucky. Ms. Schroeder has Master’s Degrees in Clinical Psychology and Political Science and is a Licensed Clinical Alcohol and Drug Counselor (LCADC). She has over 30 years of experience in providing behavioral health and substance abuse services to individuals and their families including case management and therapeutic interventions services as well as providing clinical and administrative supervision.

Substance Use During Pregnancy and Postpartum
Friday, May 27, 2022

Learning Objectives

By the end of this course, learners will be able to:

  1. Identify the 4 types of stigma and the impact of language.
  2. Identify considerations for delivery and immediate postpartum periods.
  3. Understand Adverse Childhood Experiences and how they effect our moms.
  4. Understand what a recovery-oriented system of care is.
  5. Understand the KY Moms MATR program and how it can enhance existing services of pregnant and postpartum individuals. 
Katie Stratton, MS

Katie Stratton, MS is currently a Program Administrator at the Kentucky Department of Behavioral Health, Developmental and Intellectual Disabilities in the Adult Substance Use Treatment and Recovery Services Branch for KY Moms Maternal Assistance Towards Recovery, a program for pregnant and postpartum individuals with substance use concerns. She is a 2009 Graduate of Capella University with a Masters Degree in Clinical Psychology, a 2001 Graduate of Eastern Kentucky University with a Bachelors of Science Degree in Child and Family Studies with a minor in Women’s Studies. She collaborates with several agencies within Kentucky working to assist in creating and establishing a System of Care for women with substance use concerns and their families. Before her involvement with DBHDID, Katie was a child and adolescent therapist licensed as an LPCA in a Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facility for almost 5 years and an outpatient therapist for 2 years. There she was able to gain insight into the effects of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) and how ACE scores effect a person’s development and functionality in various environments. In her spare time, she is a youth archery coach for a Scholastic 3D Archery club in Lawrenceburg, KY.

The Kentucky BLOSSOM Initiative: Babies Living Out Success Stories is Our Mission
Friday, January 28, 2022

This course will learn about data sources that inform resources and programs aimed at improving health for Kentucky children.

Learning Objectives

  1. Learner will identify prominent risks to the health and well-being of Kentucky children.
  2. Learner will list and describe programs offered through the Cabinet for Health and Family Services designed to address specific risks to the health and well-being of Kentucky children.
  3. Learner will gain an understanding of the methodological sources that inform the development, design, management, and evaluation of programs that improve child health and well-being in Kentucky.
Matthew Walton, PhD, MSSW
Matthew Walton, PhD, MSSW

Dr. Matthew T. Walton, PhD, MSSW is the lead researcher in the Office of Health Data and Analytics within the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services. The Office of Health Data and Analytics is a team of data analysts, database experts, statisticians, and researchers that serve the Cabinet by studying policy-relevant questions, with the aim of advancing health and wellness in Kentucky. In this role, he supports the health and social science research activities of the Cabinet; both by conducting sponsored research and data science projects as well as supporting the work of faculty researchers in Kentucky’s university community. Prior to initiating his career as a researcher, Dr. Walton worked as a medical social worker in a variety of healthcare settings, including an academic medical center, psychiatric settings, and an addiction treatment center. His particular research interests sit at the intersection of social work, child welfare, economics, and public health. Specifically, he is interested in helping to develop new insights to guide policy and practice to promote the safety and wellness of children and families; including investigations of social and health policy, and interventions to assist families that are simultaneously impacted by substance use disorders and cases of child maltreatment.

COVID Vaccine and Pregnancy
Wednesday, December 08, 2021

This course will provide an overview of the COVID-19 response in the obstetrics setting and best practices when caring for OB patients.

Learning Objectives

  1. Learner will demonstrate the ability to counsel patience on safety and importance of COVID-19 vaccination in pregnancy.
  2. Learner will gain the ability to discuss the impact of coronavirus infection on pregnancy and on the postpartum mother and baby.
  3. Learner will show the ability to form an evidence-based treatment plan for pregnant patients with COVID-19.
Sara Petruska, MD
Sara Petruska, MD

Dr. Sara Petruska is a generalist obstetrician-gynecologist at the University of Louisville, where she serves as Medical Director for Labor and Delivery and Medical Student Clerkship Director. She graduated from Boston College with a B.S. in 1994 and from the University of Florida with an M.D. in 2000. She completed residency training in 2004 and a fellowship in Medical Education in 2008 at the State University of New York Stony Brook. In 2008, she relocated to Louisville with her husband Jeff as they joined the faculty of UofL together. She believes we are at our best when we are a team with the patient at the center.

John, O'Brien, MD
John, O'Brien, MD

Dr. John O’Brien specializes in Obstetrics and Gynecology Maternal-Fetal Medicine at the University of Kentucky, where he serves as Medical Director for Labor and Delivery and Professor of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Dr. O’Brien graduated from Kalamazoo College in Michigan with a B.A. in Biology and from Wayne State University in Detroit with an M.D. in 1988. He completed his residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology in 1992 and a Fellowship in Maternal Fetal Medicine in 1994 at the University of Tennessee.

WHY Breastfeeding: Why Breastfeeding Promotion and Protection is Key to NAS Policy
Friday, September 24, 2021

This course will provide guidelines for breastfeeding for infants with NAS.

Learning Objectives

  1. Learner will demonstrate an understanding of current evidence based breastfeeding guidelines for infants with a diagnosis of NAS.
  2. Learner will learn strategies to overcome the current educational and functional barriers to breastfeeding.
  3. Learner will gain and understanding of the nutritional, medical and nonmedical benefits of breastfeeding.
Paula K. Schreck, MD, IBCLC, FABM
Paula K. Schreck, MD, IBCLC, FABM

Paula K. Schreck MD, IBCLC, FABM attended the University of Michigan Medical School. She completed her Pediatric Residency at the University of California, San Diego.  She is the creator and medical director of the St. John Mother Nurture Network, a WK Kellogg Foundation-supported innovative and far-reaching breastfeeding initiative that spans her urban hospital and the surrounding community. She is also medical director and co-creator of The Lactation Consultant Program, a unique Pathway 2 academic lactation consultant training program.  She leads quality improvement and Baby-Friendly initiatives for many Ascension Michigan hospitals and also leads quality improvement collaboratives in Michigan, Louisiana, Wisconsin, and Kentucky.   She serves as the Chief of Clinical Strategy of Coffective, LLC and she is on the Board of Directors of the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine.

"A really great, easy to follow, and informative presentation."

- --Participant
CMV Infection in Pregnancy
Friday, July 23, 2021

This course will provide the background and overview of the CMV screening, diagnosis, and management in the prenatal period as well as guidance to reduce the risk of CMV exposure.

Learning Objectives:

  1. Learner will gain an understanding of the baseline risk of CMV infection during pregnancy.
  2. Learner will master evidence based guidelines regarding prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of CMV infection during pregnancy.
  3. Learner will understand the need to provide education and support that reduces the risk of CMV infection during pregnancy.
Patrick Duff, MD
Patrick Duff, MD

Dr. Duff has served as Professor of Maternal-Fetal Medicine University of Florida in Gainesville since 1989. He completed his undergraduate studies in American Government at Harvard University and subsequently earned a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from the University of Virginia and a Doctor of Medicine Degree from Georgetown University. He then pursued residency training in Obstetrics and Gynecology at Walter Reed Army Medical Center and fellowship training in Maternal-Fetal Medicine at the University of Texas—San Antonio. His research interests center on viral and bacterial infections in pregnancy and student and resident education.

Outstanding presentation and information. Physician covered important details and appreciated sharing about testing, treatment and medications.

- Participant
Decreasing the Incidence of New Persistent Opioid Users among Opioid Naïve Parturient in SEH (St Elizabeth Hospital) Obstetric Unit
Friday, May 21, 2021

This course will provide the background and overview of the a multi disciplinary hospital based program that both identifies women at risk for persistent opioid use and reduces opioid exposure through the implementation of non narcotic pain management therapies.

Learning Objectives:

  1. Learner will demonstrate an understanding of current risk of opioid exposure in opioid naive patients.
  2. Learner will learn evidence based practice guidelines mitigate the risk of opioid addiction during the perinatal period.
  3. Learner will demonstrate an understanding of the role of effective policy that mitigates opioid exposure during the perinatal period.
Ayesa Hilvano, MD
Ayesa Hilvano, MD

Dr. Ayesa Hilvano currently serves as the Obstetric Anesthesia Director at St Elizabeth Healthcare - Edgewood Hospital in Edgewood, KY and is a council member with the Women Health Institute at St Elizabeth Healthcare. Dr. Hilvano also serves as the Board Director at Seven Hills Anesthesia in St Elizabeth Division and Chairs the Compliance Committee at Seven Hills Anesthesia. Dr. Hilvano is a Diplomate in the American Board of Anesthesiology.

This education should be a mandatory policy for all Physicians caring for patients prenatally and postpartum to provide to their Mother's during prenatal visits.

- Participant
KyPQC Opioid Analgesics Prescribing Practices During the Perinatal Period
Friday, April 23, 2021

This course will provide the background and overview of the Opioid Analgesics Prescribing Practices During the Perinatal Period, which specifically summarizes and outlines data from the KASPER directory of prescribing practices of opioids to women during the prenatal period.

Learning Objectives: 

  1. Learner will demonstrate an understanding of current opioid prescribing practices of providers who treat women in Kentucky during the perinatal period.
  2. Learner will learn evidence-based practice guidelines that address appropriate pain management strategies for women during the perinatal period.
  3. Learner will demonstrate an understanding of the need to provide education and support that reduces opioid prescribing to women in Kentucky during the perinatal period.
     
Connie Gayle White, MD, MS, FACOG
Connie Gayle White, MD, MS, FACOG

Dr. White practiced as an OB/GYN physician in Frankfort, Kentucky, for over twenty years. She retired from clinical medicine and first worked at the Kentucky Department for Public Health (KDPH) as the Director of the Division of Women’s Health from 2009-2010. She then joined the College of Public Health as a Clinical Professor at the University of Kentucky (UK) from 2011-2012 in the Department for Health Behavior. Dr. White returned to KDPH as Deputy Commissioner in 2014. She has served as the Principal Investigator for several grants that included Diabetes, Heart Disease and Stroke, Colon Cancer Screening, Medication for Opioid Use Disorder (MOUD) for Pregnant and Parenting Women, Obesity/Physical Activity, among others. Dr. White is a graduate of Kentucky Wesleyan College with a BS degree in Chemistry. She earned an MS in Toxicology from the University of Kentucky and worked as a researcher in Teratology at the National Center for Toxicological Research in Little Rock, Arkansas. She completed medical school training at UK and an OB/GYN residency at University of Louisville. She is certified in OB/GYN by the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Dr. White’s professional activities include serving as a District Officer in the American College of OB/GYN (ACOG), her professional organization.

This is remarkable data that Kentucky is tracking. 

- Participant
Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome in Kentucky Updates from the 2019 Birth Cohort
Friday, January 29, 2021

This course will provide the background and overview of the Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS) reporting program along with data reporting process and data outcomes.

Learning Objectives: 

  1. Learner will demonstrate knowledge of the magnitude and severity of Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS) among Kentucky newborns.
  2. Learner will demonstrate knowledge of the demographic, behavioral, and biological risk factors in the NAS population.
  3. Learner will demonstrate knowledge of primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention strategies.
  4. Learner will recognize the significance and importance of accurate NAS data surveillance.
     
Emily Ferrell, MPH, CPH
Emily Ferrell, MPH, CPH

Emily Ferrell currently serves as an Epidemiologist for Kentucky Department for Public Health. She coordinates the collection and analysis of data for maternal and child health programs, which includes creating data reports, presentations, and academic manuscripts. She holds an MPH with a concentration in epidemiology from the University of Kentucky and an undergraduate degree from Marshall University in Microbiology. She is in the process of completing a DrPH in Advanced Practice Leadership in Public Health from the University of South Florida. Her research interests include maternal and child health, program evaluation, needs assessment, and data systems linkage.
 

Really appreciate this more personalized reading of data/ concerns- I feel more connected to State

- Participant
Update: KYPQC COVID 19 Response and Caring for OB Patients
Friday, December 04, 2020

This course will provide an updated overview of the COVID-19 response in the obstetrics setting and describe best practices when caring for OB patients.

Learning Objectives:

  1. Gain knowledge of standard practice for patients in the obstetrics setting during the COVID-19 response.
  2. Demonstrate knowledge of best practices for the diagnosis and management of patients with COVID-19 in the obstetrics setting.
  3. Gain knowledge of COVID-19 public health surveillance data and the public health response.

 

O'Brien
John M. O’Brien, MD

Dr. John O’Brien specializes in Obstetrics and Gynecology Maternal-Fetal Medicine at the University of Kentucky, where he serves as Medical Director for Labor and Delivery and Professor of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Dr. O’Brien graduated from Kalamazoo College in Michigan with a B.A. in Biology and from Wayne State University in Detroit with an M.D. in 1988. He completed his residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology in 1992 and a Fellowship in Maternal Fetal Medicine in 1994 at the University of Tennessee.

 

Petruska
Sara E. Petruska, MD

Dr. Sara Petruska is a generalist obstetrician-gynecologist at the University of Louisville, where she serves as Medical Director for Labor and Delivery and Medical Student Clerkship Director. She graduated from Boston College with a B.S. in 1994 and from the University of Florida with an M.D. in 2000. She completed residency training in 2004 and a fellowship in Medical Education in 2008 at the State University of New York Stony Brook. In 2008, she relocated to Louisville with her husband Jeff as they joined the faculty of UofL together. She believes we are at our best when we are a team with the patient at the center.

Terrific presentation from both physicians! Please have them update us every few months. Thanks so much for offering this!

- Participant
The Perinatal Quality Collaborative Initiative Life Cycle from Start to Sustainability and the Role of Data
Tuesday, July 28, 2020

This course will provide an overview the life cycle of a perinatal quality collaborative initiative and the role of initiative data.

Learning Objectives: 

1. Understand the “three pillars” for perinatal quality collaborative strategies to support hospital quality improvement teams.

2. Understand the different types of measures used to facilitate quality improvement at your hospital.

King
Patricia Lee King, PhD, MSW

Patricia Lee King is the State Project Director and Quality Lead for the Illinois Perinatal Quality Collaborative working with over 100 hospitals to improve maternal and newborn outcomes in Illinois with her fabulous team and collaborators across the state and nation.

Dan Weiss, MPH
Dan Weiss, MPH

Dan Weiss is a Project Manager at ILPQC for the Mothers and Newborns affected by Opioids OB & Neonatal Initiatives and the upcoming Babies Antibiotic Stewardship Improvement Collaborative (BASIC) Initiative. He received his Masters in Public Health with a maternal and child health concentration in 2015 from the University of Illinois at Chicago School of Public Health.

Very informative - possibly could have been a longer session.

- Participant
Maternal Mortality and Morbidity in Kentucky
Friday, June 26, 2020

This course will provide an overview of Maternal Mortality and Morbidity in Kentucky and the potential impact of COVID-19 on maternal morbidity and mortality.

Learning Objectives: 

  1. Understand factors increasing maternal mortality & morbidity in the USA.
  2. Understand the current work of the Kentucky Maternal Mortality Review Program.
  3. Understand the developing methods for surveillance of maternal morbidity.
  4. Understand the potential impact of COVID-19 on maternal morbidity and mortality.
Barton
John R. Barton, MD

Dr. Barton completed his medical school and residency in Obstetrics & Gynecology at the University of Kentucky Medical Center.  He completed a Maternal-Fetal Medicine fellowship at the University of Tennessee-Memphis under the direction of Dr. Baha Sibai in 1991.  Since then, he has served as the Director of Maternal-Fetal Medicine at Baptist Health Lexington in Lexington, Kentucky.  He serves as voluntary faculty at the University of Kentucky.  He is active in the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine and the Foundation for SMFM.  Dr. Barton served as a member of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists Hypertension in Pregnancy Task Force and contributed to the National Partnership for Maternal Safety Consensus Bundle on Obstetric Hypertension.  He has published over 250 articles and abstracts largely in his field of interest of hypertension in pregnancy and maternal medical complications of pregnancy. 

Outstanding Job Dr. Barton, Dr. White and Team!

- Participant
Kentucky’s Plan of Safe Care Responding to Children and Families and KY-Moms Maternal Assistance Towards Recovery (MATR)
Wednesday, May 27, 2020

This course will provide an overview of Kentucky’s Plan of Safe Care and KY-Moms Maternal Assistance Towards Recovery (MATR) programs.

Learning Objectives: 

  1. Understand that Plan of Safe Care occurs at community level as a safety net that is designed to prevent instances of “falling through the cracks.”
  2. Understand that in Kentucky Plan of Safe Care is not a piece of paper but  a Coordinated, Collaborative System of Care.
  3. Understand that the goal of KY-Moms MATR is to reduce harm to Kentucky mothers and their children from maternal substance use during pregnancy and/or during the postpartum period, while supporting Community Mental Health Centers (CMHC) to provide Medicaid reimbursable case management and prevention services.
Maggie Schroeder, MA, LCADC

Maggie Schroeder is currently the Program Manager for the Adult Substance Use Treatment and Recovery Services Branch at the Division of Behavioral Health, Developmental & Intellectual Disabilities for the State of Kentucky.  Ms. Schroeder has Master’s Degrees in Clinical Psychology and Political Science and is a Licensed Clinical Alcohol and Drug Counselor (LCADC).  She has over 30 years of experience in providing behavioral health and substance abuse services to individuals and their families including case management and therapeutic interventions services as well as providing clinical and administrative supervision.

Katie Stratton, MS

Katie Stratton is currently a Program Administrator at the Kentucky Department of Behavioral Health, Developmental and Intellectual Disabilities in the Adult Substance Use Treatment and Recovery Services Branch for KY Moms Maternal Assistance Towards Recovery, a program for pregnant and postpartum individuals with substance use concerns.    She is a 2009 Graduate of Capella University with a Masters Degree in Clinical Psychology, a 2001 Graduate of Eastern Kentucky University with a Bachelors of Science Degree in Child and Family Studies with a minor in Women’s Studies.  She collaborates with several agencies within Kentucky working to assist in creating and establishing a System of Care for women with substance use concerns and their families.  Before her involvement with DBHDID, Katie was a child and adolescent therapist licensed as an LPCA in a Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facility for almost 5 years and an outpatient therapist for 2 years.  There she was able to gain insight into the effects of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) and how ACE scores effect a person’s development and functionality in various environments.

Wonderful programs and presentation! Thank you for sharing.

- Participant
KYPQC COVID 19 Response and Caring for OB Patients
Wednesday, April 08, 2020

This course will provide an overview of the COVID-19 response in the obstetrics setting and best practices when caring for OB patients.

Learning Objectives:

  1. Understand how to care for OB patients during the COVID-19 response
  2. Understand best practices being used by OB providers when caring for pregnant woman who have tested positive or who are suspected to be positive for COVID-19.
  3. Increase knowledge of the importance of reporting the most accurate data on pregnant COVID-19 cases to the Kentucky Department for Public Health for surveillance.
Sara E. Petruska, MD
Sara E. Petruska, MD

Dr. Sara Petruska is a generalist obstetrician-gynecologist at the University of Louisville, where she serves as Medical Director for Labor and Delivery and Medical Student Clerkship Director. She graduated from Boston College with a B.S. in 1994 and from the University of Florida with an M.D. in 2000. She completed residency training in 2004 and a fellowship in Medical Education in 2008 at the State University of New York Stony Brook. In 2008, she relocated to Louisville with her husband Jeff as they joined the faculty of UofL together. She believes we are at our best when we are a team with the patient at the center.

John M. O’Brien, MD
John M. O’Brien, MD

Dr. John O’Brien specializes in Obstetrics and Gynecology Maternal-Fetal Medicine at the University of Kentucky, where he serves as Medical Director for Labor and Delivery and Professor of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Dr. O’Brien graduated from Kalamazoo College in Michigan with a B.A. in Biology and from Wayne State University in Detroit with an M.D. in 1988. He completed his residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology in 1992 and a Fellowship in Maternal Fetal Medicine in 1994 at the University of Tennessee.

Best webinar I have heard to date regarding the OB population and Covid.  Thank you!

- Participant
KyPQC Tennessee Initiative for Perinatal Quality Care 11 Years of Experience;
Friday, March 27, 2020

This course will provide an overview of Tennessee Initiative for Perinatal Quality Care and how to sustain a successful PQC for 11 years.

Learning Objectives: 

  1. Understand the history of sustaining a successful PQC and the foundation for forming one.  
  2. Review past successful PQCs initiatives and demonstrate understanding of the keys to their success.  
  3. Increase knowledge of common barriers to quality improvement projects and how this information can be used when launching QI projects in Kentucky.
Barker
Brenda Barker, M Ed, MBA

Brenda is the Executive Director of TIPQC and is one of the founding staff members having started in 2008.  She received her Improvement Advisor Certificate in 2010 from the Institute of Healthcare Improvement. Brenda received a Master’s in Education from the University of North Texas and a Master of Business Administration in Healthcare from Lipscomb University in 2016.  Brenda serves on the Tennessee Center for Patient Safety Advisory Council,  Infant Mortality Strategic Plan Advisory Committee, and Chairman of the Board for ONE Tennessee.

Thank you for your great work and modeling the way for other states.

- Participant
Quality Improvement in the Collaborative Setting
Thursday, January 16, 2020

This course will provide an overview of Quality Improvement (QI) in the collaborative setting for stakeholders in the Kentucky Perinatal Quality Collaborative (KyPQC).

Learning Objectives:

1. Review the basics of QI methodology and increase knowledge of developing a QI team, creating aim statements, determining specific measures, and the importance of QI tools such as key driver diagrams and run charts.   
2. Review past successful QI collaborative initiatives and demonstrate understanding of the keys to their success.
3. Increase knowledge of common barriers to quality improvement projects. 

Hannah Fischer, MD
Hannah Fischer, MD

Hannah Fischer completed her training in neonatology at the University of Louisville and joined faculty as an assistant professor in 2015. She has completed the Intermediate Improvement Science Series and Advanced Improvement Methods courses through Cincinnati Children’s Hospital and currently serves in the role of Director of Quality Improvement and Safety for the division of neonatology. She has been involved with or lead many quality improvement projects locally and is inspired by the improvement in outcomes that can be achieved. She aspires to teach others to improve their healthcare systems and has developed the Neonatal Fellows Quality Improvement Curriculum to further this goal. Her work has been recognized by her peers and received the “Pediatrics Outstanding Performance Award” for her quality improvement work from the University of Louisville Department of Pediatrics in 2019. 

This was excellent! Thank you!

- Participant
Upcoming webinars