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Rural Maternal, Child, and Family Health

Home > Explore > Center for Rural Maternal, Child, and Family Health
Mission and Vision
Contact Us
Action Plan
Team
Funding
Areas

Mission and Vision of the Center

Mission

The °ÅÀÖÊÓƵ Research Center for Rural Maternal, Child, and Family Health aims to improve birth outcomes for Black birthing people in rural Alabama, focusing on Barbour, Bullock, and Macon counties. The center spotlights the structural inequities at the root of the birth inequities through research, community engagement, and training.

Vision

A world where Black families have the agency to choose childbirth in a culturally safe environment without fear of adverse birthing outcomes.

Contact Information

Center for Rural Maternal, Child, and Family Health

Phone: 334.727.8142
Email: lthomas@tuskegee.edu

Framework for Action Plan

  • Data will be collected and de-aggregated by self-defined communities to track indicators such as traditions around food and nutrition and to understand political barriers affecting maternal and child health (MCH).
  • The center will develop a comprehensive action plan with measurement templates for each objective.
  • Research activities will be conducted under a community Institutional Review Board (IRB) to ensure ethical standards and community involvement.

Leadership Team

  • Dr. Latrina Thomas, Program Director
  • Dr. Deloris Alexander, Interim Dean of the Graduate School and Director of the Bioscience Program, Faculty
  • Dr. ToRhonda Lee, Head of the Department of Graduate Public Health, College of Veterinary Medicine
  • Dr. Jannett Lewis-Clark, Department Head of Allied Health and Interim Program Director of Occupational Therapy
  • Dr. Cordelia Nnedu, Professor, School of Nursing and Allied Health
  • Mr. Abraham George, Director for Research Computing and Student Technology Support

Project Funding

Funding for this project comes from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) funding number 1 UR6MC50341‐01‐00.

This project aims to use collaborative research, community outreach, and education to improve maternal health outcomes for Black families in rural Alabama, setting a precedent for equitable maternal healthcare across the state.

Service Areas

The service areas cover Macon County, Bullock County and Barbour County.

Map of Black Belt generated by EPC of UA

   

Year One Achievements

Strategic Plan

A strategic plan with four cross-functional pillars was created to guide the center’s focus areas.

 

Partnerships

Professional service agreements were executed with the Macon County Health Care Authority, the Tuskegee Area Health Education Center, and the Tuskegee/Macon County Community Taskforce.

Planning Meetings

Weekly planning meetings with Co-Principal Investigators (CoPIs) were established.              

Hire Personnel

After a successful recruitment effort was accomplished, a Program Director was identified and hired.

Pillars for the Next Four Years

Pillar One - Nutrition

Build a culture that fosters sustainable healthy eating habits, focusing on reducing preeclampsia and other pregnancy-related conditions.

Pillar Two - Access to Care

Improve navigation support within healthcare systems and establish long-term programs such as community health centers and mobile healthcare units to reach underserved areas.

Pillar Three - Mental & Physical Health

Increase family health history awareness and promote family planning, pre-pregnancy health advantages, and post-partum warning signs.

Pillar Four - Education & Training

Develop faculty training programs and community health worker certification programs to build local capacity in maternal health.