Keynote Speaker

Wanda Barfield, MD, MPH, FAAP
Director of the Division of Reproductive Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

Wanda Barfield, MD, MPH, FAAP, is the Director of the Division of Reproductive Health (DRH) within the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (NCCDPHP) at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). She is a retired Assistant Surgeon General in the U.S. Public Health Service. Dr. Barfield’s research focuses on maternal/infant morbidity and mortality, early child health services utilization, improving access to risk-appropriate perinatal care, and advancing the quality of maternal, infant, and reproductive health data for public health action. She has published over 120 scientific articles in these areas. As DRH Director, Dr. Barfield has led efforts to provide optimal and equitable health to women, infants, and families through improved surveillance and applied public health research during the critical junctures of population health; pregnancy, infancy, and adolescence.

She received her medical and public health degrees from Harvard University and subsequently completed a pediatrics residency at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, and a neonatal-perinatal medicine fellowship at Harvard’s Joint Program in Neonatology (Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Beth Israel Hospital, and Children’s Hospital, Boston). Before joining CDC, Dr. Barfield served as a medical officer, pediatrician, and neonatologist in the U.S. Army. In addition, Dr. Barfield is an Associate Professor of Pediatrics with the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences and an Adjunct Assistant Professor at Emory University School of Medicine. She continues to do clinical work in neonatology, providing care to premature and other critically ill newborns.

Stephen and Tiffany Bowen
Founders, Skyler’s Gift Foundation

Stephen Bowen has successfully transitioned from one of the premier Defensive Linemen in professional football to the Head of Game Initiatives of the National Football League. After spending five seasons with the Dallas Cowboys and four seasons with the Washington Redskins (and helping them become NFC East Champions as a team captain), Stephen finished his playing career with the New York Jets. Stephen graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies from Hofstra University and a Masters of Business Administration from the George Washington University.

Tiffany Bowen wears many hats including running a popular NYC restaurant and lounge and supporting several philanthropic initiatives. She also sits on the board of directors for the New York City Hospitality Alliance and is the treasurer of the National Restaurant and Bar Association. Tiffany received her Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from Hofstra University, Masters of Arts in Teaching from the University of Southern California, Masters of Business Administration from the George Washington University and Doctorate of Education from the University of Southern California.

Stephen and Tiffany found Skyler’s Gift Foundation in 2011 after the loss of their son Skyler to prematurity related causes. Skyler’s Gift pays for burial and cremation cost for families who have lost their premature infants, as well as grief counseling. Stephen and Tiffany served as Ambassadors for the March of Dimes- National Chapter in 2012 and 2013. Together the Bowen’s have raised hundreds of thousands for infant health research and familial bereavement services. Stephen and Tiffany’s greatest joy are their three children, Trinity, Stephen III, and Skyler.

Emily Briggs, MD, MPH, FAAFP
Family Medicine Physician, Briggs Family Medicine

Emily Briggs, MD, MPH, FAAFP is a Board Certified Family Medicine physician in New Braunfels, TX. She provides her patients full scope family medicine services, including operative obstetrics. Dr. Briggs received her medical degree in Family Medicine as well as a Masters in Public Health from University of Texas at Houston HSC. Dr. Briggs has a long standing history of actively serving with the AAFP, TAFP, and TMA. Over the years she has served as New Physician Board Member to the AAFP, President for the Alamo Chapter of TAFP, and President of the TMA Comal County Medical Society. She just completed serving 2 years as Chief of Staff at Christus Santa Rosa Hospital in New Braunfels. Currently she serves as a board member of the TAFP, the Chair of the TMA’s Reproductive Women's and Perinatal Health Committee, the Chair of the Perinatal Advisory Council for DSHS under HB 15, and remains active her in local community serving as Medical Director for both Comal ISD and New Braunfels ISD.

Nancy Byatt, DO, MBA, MS, FACLP
Medical Director, MCPAP for Moms

Nancy Byatt is a psychiatrist, physician-scientist, and perinatal mental health expert who is focused on improving health care systems to promote maternal mental health. She is an Associate Professor of Psychiatry, Ob/Gyn, and Quantitative Health Sciences at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. She is the inaugural Medical Director of MCPAP for Moms, a statewide program that has impacted state and national policies regarding perinatal mental health and increased access to perinatal mental health care for thousands of women. Dr. Byatt has several federal grants that focus on developing and testing scalable interventions for addressing depression in obstetric settings. She frequently serves on national advisory boards and expert work groups focused on improving perinatal mental health. Her academic achievements have led to over 100 peer-reviewed publications, book chapters and national presentations and numerous national awards.

Joseph Cantey, MD, MPH
Associate Professor of Pediatrics, UT Health San Antonio
Dr. Cantey is an Associate Professor of Pediatrics for UT Health San Antonio within the divisions of Neonatology and Pediatric Infectious Diseases. In that role, Dr. Cantey studies congenital and perinatal infections in newborns as well as how to optimize antibiotic stewardship and infection prevention in the nursery setting. He also runs the congenital and perinatal infection clinic for mothers and babies. Prior to joining UT Health San Antonio, Dr. Cantey attended the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, residency at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore, MD and fellowships in infectious diseases and neonatology at UT Southwestern in Dallas, TX. He has published more than 60 journal articles, helps to edit the AAP’s Nelson’s Pediatric Antimicrobial Therapy and Red Book, and has authored 2 textbooks on neonatal infections. He lives in San Antonio with his wife, children, and puppy.

April Chavez
Maternal Sepsis Spokeswoman, END SEPSIS, the Legacy of Rory Staunton

April Chavez is a maternal sepsis survivor and patient advocate. She serves as the maternal sepsis spokeswoman for END SEPSIS, the Legacy of Rory Staunton and is a member of the National Family Council on Sepsis. April’s goal as a patient advocate is to help educate others about the symptoms of sepsis and the importance of advocating for your own health or the health of those around you. She has bravely shared her story with local and national outlets, including WebMD, in an effort to spread sepsis awareness. April lives in Lubbock, Texas with her husband, son and basset hound.

Michelle Cook, PhD, MPH
Director of the Maternal and Child Health Epidemiology Unit, Texas Department of State Health Services

Dr. Michelle Cook is the Director of the Maternal and Child Health Epidemiology Unit for the Texas Department of State Health Services. In that role, Dr. Cook provides strategic oversight to the state’s maternal and child health epidemiology unit, offers expert guidance in maternal and child health epidemiology, and oversees and conducts research projects. Prior to joining DSHS in 2019, Dr. Cook was the Vice President of Research at the American Association of Nurse Practitioners. In that role, she provided professional opinion as a liaison to the Community Preventive Services Task Force and the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society. She lives in Manor, TX with her two rescue boxers. Michelle and her boxer, Sky, are a certified pet therapy team where they were visiting nursing homes and listening to children read before the pandemic.

Christina Davidson, MD
Vice Chair of Quality, Patient Safety & Equity for the Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Baylor College of Medicine

Dr. Christina Davidson is a board-certified Maternal Fetal Medicine specialist at Baylor College of Medicine. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from Howard University and her medical degree from the University of Texas Medical School at Houston. Her training includes a residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at St. Joseph Hospital in Houston, TX, followed by a fellowship in Maternal Fetal Medicine at the University of Texas Medical School at Houston.

Dr. Davidson joined Baylor College of Medicine in 2007 and works at Ben Taub Hospital and the Texas Children’s Pavilion for Women in the Texas Medical Center. She served as the Chief of the Obstetrics and Gynecology Service at Ben Taub Hospital from 2011-2016 and is now the Vice Chair of Quality, Patient Safety & Equity for the Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology at Baylor College of Medicine as well as the Chief Quality Officer for Obstetrics & Gynecology at Texas Children’s Hospital. She is a co-chair of the Obstetrics committee of the Texas Collaborative for Healthy Mothers and Babies, which is the state perinatal quality collaborative. She is also Vice Chair of the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine Patient Safety and Quality Committee. Dr. Davidson’s areas of interest include learner education, medical complications of pregnancy, VBAC, and healthcare disparities and equity.

Catherine Eppes, MD, MPH
Chair of Maternal Fetal Medicine Physician, Baylor College of Medicine; Chief of Obstetrics, Ben Taub Hospital; Chair of TCHMB

Dr. Catherine Eppes is a maternal fetal medicine physician at Baylor College of Medicine, and the Chief of Obstetrics for Ben Taub Hospital. She received dual degrees in molecular biology and psychology from the University of Texas, Austin. She received her MD from The University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio and completed residency at Johns Hopkins. Her fellowship, and masters of public health, were received from Northwestern University. Her primary areas of focus are quality and safety and infectious diseases in pregnancy. Recently, she has been focused on Zika virus during pregnancy, including numerous collaborations with the CDC, ACOG, and the Texas Medical Association. She has travelled with to Brownsville to partner with the department of public health in their efforts to stop local spread. She also was the course director for the Society of Maternal Fetal Medicine Zika and other infectious disease course in 2017. She has given grand rounds and plenary presentations in multiple venues, in efforts to educate providers and patients about Zika virus. She is currently the ACOG District XI (Texas) patient quality and safety chair, Chair of the Texas Collaborative for Healthy Mothers and Babies executive committee, and member of the Texas fetal and infant review of HIV and Syphilis. She holds several grants with the CDC for influenza and HIV in pregnancy.

Charleta Guillory, MD
Director of the Neonatal-Perinatal Public Health Program, Texas Children’s Hospital

Charleta Guillory, MD, MPH, FAAP, is an Associate Professor of Pediatrics in the Section of Neonatology at Baylor College of Medicine and Director of the Texas Children’s Hospital Neonatal-Perinatal Public Health Program. She is the immediate past Director of the Texas Children’s Hospital Level II Neonatal Intensive Care Unit having served for over 20 years in that capacity. She earned her doctor of medicine degree from Louisiana State University Medical School and completed her pediatric residency at Louisiana State Medical Center and the University of Colorado. She received her post-doctoral fellowship training in neonatal-perinatal medicine at Baylor College of Medicine and is board certified in both pediatrics and neonatal-perinatal medicine. She received her Master’s in Public Health from the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston. Her primary research focus addresses the issue of decreasing black infant mortality and morbidity.

Dr. Guillory is the immediate Past Chair of the Texas Department of State Health Services, Newborn Screening Advisory Committee and is Co-Chair of the Texas Collaborative for Healthy Mother and Babies (TCHMB)-Neonatal Committee. In addition, she serves on the Texas Health and Human Services Perinatal Advisory Council designating levels of neonatal and maternal care. Dr. Guillory received the Texas Pediatric Society (TPS) Sidney Kaliski Award for her many years of leadership as the Chair of the TPS Committee on Fetus and Newborn, her passion for promoting public health, and her role as an advocate in elevating the many issues affecting these vulnerable populations. She has received the American Academy of Pediatrics President’s Cup Award, in recognition of her contributions to improve access to healthcare for children, as a member of the Committee of Federal Government Affairs-Access. She was recently appointed to the AAP National Committee on Fetus and Newborn and is President-Elect of the Texas Pediatric Society for 2021.

Manda Hall, MD
Associate Commissioner of Community Health Improvement, DSHS

Dr. Hall served as the Title V Maternal and Child Health Medical Director, and previously served as the Title V Children with Special Health Care Needs Director. She is a faculty member of the DSHS Preventative Medicine and Public Health Residency Program and serves as a mentor in the University of Texas Health Careers and Mentorship Program.

Dr. Hall received a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from Lamar University and a Doctor of Medicine degree from Texas A&M University Health Science Center College of Medicine. She completed her Internal Medicine/Pediatrics residency and an Allergy and Immunology fellowship at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

June Hanke, RN, MSN, MPH
Strategic Analyst and Planner, Harris Health System

June Hanke is Strategic Analyst and Planner for the Harris Health System and compiles health statistics and provides GIS mapping of health indicators, her clinical nursing experience has been in maternal and infant’s health. She is a member of: The Texas Collaborative for Healthy Mothers and Babies, Co-chair of the Community Committee, the Perinatal HIV Prevention Task Force, the Nurse Family Partnership Community Board and Co-Chair of the March of Dimes’ Maternal Child Health Committee. Ms. Hanke is a member of IMPACT (Impacting Maternal and Prenatal Care Together) a collation of individuals and organization working to address women’s and infant health in Harris County. She is a past member of the Texas Maternal Mortality Morbidity Review Task Force. She lives in Houston with her husband Barry.

Cheyanne Harris, MSN, RNC-OB
Titus Regional Medical Center

CheyAnne Harris is the Women’s & Children’s Clinical Optimization Specialist for Titus Regional Medical Center in Mount Pleasant, Texas. In that role, Mrs. Harris manages the maternal and neonatal programs, drives quality initiatives, manages women’s and children’s nursing compliance, provides unit-based education and simulation while also intermittantly staffing in the labor and delivery unit. Additionally, she has provided missionary medical care in Guatemala and Uganda, Africa. Mrs. Harris is a member of the TexasAIM Hypertension Faculty and the Organizational Education Committee at Titus Regional. She lives in Rockwall, Texas with her husband, Kassidy Harris, and is expecting her daughter, Emeri Reese, at the end of March.

Brianna Harris-Henderson
Founder/President, LetsTalkPPCM

Brianna Harris-Henderson is the Founder/President for LetsTalkPPCM. In that role, Harris shares the story of countless women battling Peripartum Cardiomyopathy. Prior to the founding of LetsTalkPPCM, Harris started as a patient advocate for Baylor Scott& White University. She resides in Grand Prairie, Tx with her husband and 2 children.

Lisa Hollier, MD, MPH, FACOG
Professor, Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Baylor College of Medicine; Chief Medical Officer Texas Children’s Health Plan

Lisa Hollier, MD, MPH, is a Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas and the Chief Medical Officer at Texas Children’s Health Plan. She received her Doctorate in Medicine from Tulane University School of Medicine and Masters in Public Health from Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine. She completed a residency in Ob/Gyn at Baylor University Medical Center and a fellowship in Maternal-Fetal Medicine at UT Southwestern Medical School, both in Dallas. Dr. Hollier recently completed roles as the President and Interim CEO of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, where her initiatives focused on reducing maternal mortality, including updating ACOG’s guidance on pregnancy and heart disease. She has served on numerous committees and in leadership roles for a variety of regional and national organizations. Throughout her career, she has been dedicated to caring for the underserved and improving women’s health by advancing women’s health policy.

Joyce James, LMSW-AP
President and CEO, Joyce James Consulting

Joyce James is President and CEO of Joyce James Consulting, LLC (JJC) where she is the lead racial equity consultant, providing technical assistance, training, and leadership development, using her “Groundwater Analysis” to support systems and institutions in implementing the original Texas Model for addressing Disproportionality and Disparities. The model has proven effective in moving systems towards a racial equity lens, reducing racial inequities, and improving outcomes for all populations.

Ms. James began her professional career as a Child Protective Services (CPS) caseworker and has established an impressive 36-year history in addressing racial inequities in child and family serving systems. She served as the Texas Child Welfare Director from 2004-2009, and as the Associate Deputy Executive Commissioner for the Center for Elimination of Disproportionality and Disparities (the Center) and the Texas State Office of Minority Health at the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) from September 2010 to September 2013.

Ms. James is a member of the Board of Directors for Black Administrators in Child Welfare (BACW) and former recipient of the BACW Villaria Bullard Black Administrator of the Year award for outstanding service to African American children, youth families in Child Welfare. She is a member of the National Association of Black Social Workers. She is the 2016 recipient of Texans Care for Children Founders Award, in recognition of her “fearless leadership and fierce commitment” to children in Texas.

Janet Jones Dukes, MPH, CHES
Adjunct Faculty, Baylor University; Public Health Doctoral Student, Texas A&M University

Janet Dukes is originally from Houston, TX and currently resides in Jacksonville, FL with her husband Barry and stepdaughter Riley. She has a bachelor’s degree in Child & Family Studies and a master’s degree in Public Health. She is a Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES) and is currently a full-time student at Texas A&M University working towards a Doctorate in Public Health (DrPH) degree in Health Promotion Community Health Sciences. At A&M, in addition to her doctoral studies, she works as a Graduate Research Assistant with the School of Public Health. Prior to this, Janet worked for the City of Waco for 6 years and served as the Lead Public Health Education Specialist at the Waco-McLennan County Public Health District overseeing the creation and implementation of several community health programs focused on maternal and child health and women’s health, chronic disease prevention and obesity reduction, and access to health care. In this role, programs implemented involved reduction of infant mortality and preterm birth, improved pre-/inter- conception healthcare, healthy eating and active living, utilization of Community Health Workers, and reduction in smoking. Mrs. Dukes is Adjunct Faculty at Baylor University teaching both in the Family and Consumer Sciences Department and the School of Public Health. As a member of the TCHMB Executive Committee she serves as co-chair for the Community Health committee and chair of the Race Equity Workgroup. Mrs. Dukes also remains involved in the March of Dimes Maternal & Infant Health Committee, Planned Parenthood community board, and she is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

Laura Kender
Chief of Early Childhood Services (ECS), My Health My Resources (MHMR) of Tarrant County

Laura Kender is Chief of Early Childhood Services (ECS) for My Health My Resources (MHMR) of Tarrant County. In that role, Kender oversees the largest Early Childhood Intervention (ECI) program in Texas and operates grant-funded initiatives, such as HealthySteps, Family Connects, Help Me Grow, and Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation (IECMHC). In 2019, Kender developed two workgroups, Racial Equity and Fatherhood Engagement, to address diversity, equity, and inclusion, which have become a part of ECS strategies, culture, and trainings. In 2020, Kender received the T. Berry Brazelton, M.D. Infant Mental Health Advocacy Award by First3Years and was name Outstanding Leader by the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) Prevention and Early Intervention (PEI). Kender is a certified Trust-Based Relational Intervention (TBRI®) Practitioner and earned an Infant Mental Health Endorsement (IMH-E® IV) from First3Years.

David Lakey, MD
Vice Chancellor of Health Affairs and Chief Medical Officer, UT System

David Lakey is Vice Chancellor for Health Affairs and Chief Medical Officer for The University of Texas System. He is also Senior Adviser to the President at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler. He previously served on federal public health advisory committees for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Defense Health Board. Currently he serves on the March of Dimes Board of Trustees and the Trust for America’s Health Board of Directors.

Dr. Lakey served as Commissioner of the Texas Department of State Health Services from January 2007 to February 2015. As Commissioner, Dr. Lakey led one of the state’s largest agencies with a staff of 12,000 and an annual budget of $3.3 billion and oversaw programs such as disease prevention and disaster preparedness, family and community health services, environmental and consumer safety, regulatory programs and mental health and substance abuse prevention and treatment programs. During his tenure as Commissioner, Dr. Lakey served as president of the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) in 2011‐2012, and received several national awards including the AMCHP President’s Award, the March of Dimes President’s Public Health Leadership Award, and the Arthur T. McCormack Award.

He earned a Bachelor of Science in chemistry, graduating with high honors from Rose‐Hulman Institute of Technology in Terre Haute, Indiana, and received his medical degree with honors from Indiana University School of Medicine. Dr. Lakey was a resident in internal medicine and pediatric medicine and completed a fellowship in adult and pediatric infectious disease at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee.

Abbot Laptook, MD
Medical Director of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Women and Infants Hospital, Professor of Pediatrics at the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University

Abbot Laptook, MD is the Medical Director of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Women and Infants Hospital and Professor of Pediatrics at the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. In that role, Dr. Laptook oversees the only NICU in the state of Rhode Island which cares for 1200-1300 admissions per year. Prior to joining Women and Infants Hospital of RI, Dr. Laptook was Professor of Pediatrics at the UT-Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas from 1981-2003. Dr. Laptook’s focus of interest is the importance of temperature as a therapy for hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy and the challenges in avoiding excessively low or high temperatures at birth for high risk infants. He lives in North Kingstown, Rhode Island with his wife.

Henry Lee, MD
Chief Medical Officer, California Perinatal Quality Care Collaborative

Henry Lee is Associate Professor of Pediatrics at Stanford University School of Medicine and Chief Medical Officer of the California Perinatal Quality Care Collaborative. In that role, Lee helps to administer the quality improvement and research programs of this network of 138 neonatal intensive care units. Prior to joining Stanford, Lee was Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at the University of California, San Francisco. He is co-Chair of the Neonatal Resuscitation Program Steering Committee of the American Academy of Pediatrics. He lives in San Mateo, CA with his wife and 4 children ranging from 6 to 21 years old.

Kay Matthews
Founder, Shades of Blue Project

Kay Matthews lives in Houston Texas and is the Founder of The Shades of Blue Project. Graduating with a 2 year Degree in Early Childhood Development from North Harris College located in Houston Texas, and furthered her education in the Mental Health field by becoming a Licensed Community Health Worker. She has also received numerous awards from both her community and her peers, and sits on the Board and is Partners with several National organizations. Along with writing her first Best Seller a Self-Help Journal: 365 Days To Recovery “Finding Your Way Out Of The Darkness” and Recovery State of Mind Daily Journal, Kay is actively teaching and speaking to women of all ages to help them to better understand how important it is to advocate for themselves before during and after childbirth. Helping them to realize that they have the ability to have a successful birth outcome and assuring that they know of the resources available in which it pertains to maternal mental health. To Kay this is the most important aspect of the work she does within the community and it is the motivation that she uses to continue to educate communities worldwide.

Barbara O’Brien
Director of the Office of Perinatal Quality Improvement, Oklahoma Perinatal Quality Improvement Collaborative

Barbara O’Brien, M.S., R.N. began her career as an RN in a tertiary hospital Labor & Delivery unit 34 years ago and has 18 years’ experience as the Director of the Office of Perinatal Quality Improvement within the OU Health Sciences Center College of Medicine. This office leads the work of the Oklahoma Perinatal Quality Improvement Collaborative (OPQIC) providing collaborative education to perinatal care clinicians and leading quality improvement activities within Oklahoma birthing hospitals advancing the vision of a culture of safety, equity and excellence in perinatal care throughout Oklahoma. Oklahoma was the first state to join the Alliance for Innovation on Maternal Health (AIM) in 2015. We have achieved a decrease in severe maternal morbidity of ~ 20% with the implementation of the Hypertension and Hemorrhage maternal safety bundles. We launched the Oklahoma Mothers and Newborns Affected by Opioids Collaborative in 2020. O’Brien is an active member of the Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN) and serves as the national AWHONN representative for the Council on Patient Safety in Women’s Health Care, the group that develops the maternal safety bundles. She is an AWHONN FHMP Instructor Trainer and has authored previous editions of the Intermediate, Advanced and Instructor fetal monitoring courses and is a frequent presenter of these courses. Barbara is a member of the Executive Committee of the National Network of Perinatal Quality Collaboratives. She also serves on the Oklahoma Maternal Mortality Review Committee and the Fetal-Infant Mortality Review of Central Oklahoma’s Advisory Council. She received her BSN from the University of Texas at Houston School of Nursing and her MS from The University of Oklahoma College of Nursing.

Carla F. Ortique, M.D
Clinical Assistant Professor, Baylor College of Medicine Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology

Carla F. Ortique, M.D., is a compassionate physician who has dedicated her medical practice to women’s healthcare issues and the elimination of racial and ethnic healthcare disparities. Dr. Ortique received her medical degree from the University of Illinois College of Medicine where she also completed her residency in family medicine. She began her medical practice at Rockford, Illinois-based Crusader Clinic, a nonprofit, federally qualified health clinic dedicated to championing the needs of the underserved. After three years as a practicing family physician she completed a second residency in obstetrics and gynecology at Regions Hospital, a University of Minnesota affiliate. Board certified in family medicine and obstetrics and gynecology, Dr. Ortique is a fellow of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. She is a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Baylor College of Medicine Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and a partner of The Womens Specialist of Houston at Texas Children’s Hospital Pavilion for Women.

Dr Ortique has served as a member of the Texas Collaborative for Health Mothers and Babies (Texas Quality Improvement Network) Executive Committee and serves as Co chair of the Texas State Maternal Morbidity and Mortality Review Committee. She was recently appointed Chair of the Texas State Subcommittee on Maternal Health Disparity and also serves as Co chair of the Houston Improving Maternal Health Steering Committee. She has received numerous awards including the 2012 Overton Award, which recognizes physicians who have made significant and notable contributions to improving the quality of health care in Texas through support of TMF and its medical peer review and quality improvement activities, the 2017 Houston Medical Forum Physician of the Year Award and the 2018 National Medical Association Woman in Medicine Award. Dr. Ortique volunteers for the March of Dimes and Girl Scouts San Jacinto Council. She is a member of The Links Incorporated and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. She is an active member of Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church and is married to Honorable Morris L.Overstreet

Divya Patel, PhD
Associate Professor and TCHMB Research Director, UT Health Science Center at Tyler

Divya Patel joined the Texas Collaborative for Healthy Mothers and Babies (TCHMB) in November 2015. She is an epidemiologist (Ph.D., 2003, University of Michigan) with a broad interest in women’s health research. Previously, she served on the faculty in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Michigan (2004-2010) and in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences at Yale University (2010-2012). She received a 5-year career development award from the National Cancer Institute for her research focused on the prevention and early detection of human papillomavirus (HPV)-associated cancers in women. She has also worked at the Texas Department of State Health Services and at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on population-level maternal and child health projects. Dr. Patel holds an adjunct position at the University of Texas School of Public Health at Houston - Austin Regional Campus, has taught several graduate-level courses in Epidemiology, and has provided research mentorship to students ranging from undergraduates to medical residents and fellows.

Terrie E. Price, DNP, RNC-OB
Director of Antepartum, Labor and Delivery, Obstetrical Emergency Department, and Gynecology, St. Luke's Baptist Hospital (TENET)

Terrie E. Price, DNP, RNC-OB, is Texas Section Leader for the Association of Women's Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN) and Director of Antepartum, Labor and Delivery, Obstetrical Emergency Department, and Gynecology at St. Luke's Baptist Hospital (TENET). She has over 30 years of experience in women's health as a staff, charge nurse, educator, manager, and director. Dr. Price earned her Bachelor's of Science in Nursing from University Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio, a Master's of Science in Nursing, Leadership and Management from Western Governors University, and her Doctorate in Nursing Practice for Touro University Nevada. She is an ACOG Maternal Level of Care Surveyor and a member of SIGMA Delta Alpha at Large Chapter.

Nicole Purnell
MoMMA’s Voices Coalition Program Manager, Preeclampsia Foundation

Nicole Purnell is the MoMMA’s Voices coalition program manager for the Preeclampsia Foundation. In that role, Purnell provides technical assistance as a subject matter expert as it relates to effective patient engagement strategies, infant loss and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy and serves of several national committees including the Executive Committee for the National Networks of Perinatal Quality Collaboratives. Purnell’s lived experience includes surviving HELLP, placenta abruption and infant loss. Prior to joining the Preeclampsia Foundation, Purnell was lead volunteer for over 10 years will multiple roles within the organization that resulted in being awarded the 2012 Volunteer of the Year award. She lives in Sanger, Texas with her husband, 5- year old daughter and two dachshunds.

DeWayne Pursley, MD, MPH
Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School; Associate Clinical Chief, Boston Children’s Hospital (BCH) Division of Newborn Medicine

DeWayne Pursley, MD, MPH, is chief of the Department of Neonatology and director of the Klarman Family Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC). He is Associate Professor of Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School (HMS) and associate clinical chief of the Boston Children’s Hospital (BCH) Division of Newborn Medicine.

A graduate of Stanford University, Dr. Pursley earned his medical degree at HMS, and his master’s in public health with a concentration in health policy and management at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Dr. Pursley trained in pediatrics at BCH, remaining for a fourth year as chief resident, and then completed a fellowship in Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine at BIDMC, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and BCH. An elected member of the American Pediatric Society (APS), his scholarship and clinical work has focused on NICU performance improvement and resource utilization, and in neonatal health equity. Dr. Pursley, who currently serves as chair of the Harvard Medical School Financial Aid Committee and on the Promotion and Review Board, was the 2019 recipient of the HMS Barbara J. McNeil Faculty Award for Exceptional Institutional Service. He has previously been recognized by the Medical School with the Excellence in Mentoring Award, the Dean’s Community Service Award, and the Harold Amos Faculty Diversity Award. He has also previously been honoured with the March of Dimes Massachusetts Chapter Franklin Delano Roosevelt Award and the BIDMC Daniel J. Jick Excellence in Leadership Award.

Patrick Ramsey, MD, MSPH
TCHMB Chief Medical Officer, UT Health San Antonio

Dr. Ramsey is Chief Medical Officer for the Texas Collaborative for Healthy Mothers and Babies and Professor and Division Chief for Maternal-Fetal Medicine at UT Health San Antonion. He is an active member of the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, Society of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Infectious Disease Society for Obstetrics and Gynecology, among others. As an active researcher and educator, he has received numerous awards and accolades and published over 80 peer-reviewed papers in major journals. His research interests are clinical trials, prevention of preterm birth, labor management, and management of medical complications of pregnancy.

Sarosh Rana, MD, MPH
Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Section Chief of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, University of Chicago

Dr. Rana is a Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Section Chief of Maternal-Fetal Medicine at the university of Chicago. Her clinical interest includes diagnosis and management of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy. She takes care of pregnant and postpartum patients with high-risk conditions such as preeclampsia, hypertension, kidney transplant, heart failure, and obesity. Dr. Rana provides coordinated care with other subspecialties such as cardiologists and nephrologists. Dr. Rana also performs translational research. For the past 15 years, her lab has worked on finding new biomarkers and treatment of preeclampsia. She is particularly interested in elucidating the role of angiogenic biomarkers in the prediction of adverse maternal and fetal outcomes. Dr. Rana conducts national and international translational studies. She trains medical students, residents, and fellows and also performs high-level ultrasounds.

Rashmin Savani, MD
Professor and William Buchanan Chair of Pediatrics, University of Texas Southwestern

Dr. Rashmin Savani is Professor and William Buchanan Chair of Pediatrics at the University of Texas Southwestern in Dallas. In that role, Dr. Savani leads a large academic division focused on Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine providing care to 20,000 deliveries and 250 NICU beds per year in four hospital systems in Dallas. Prior to joining UT Southwestern, Dr. Savani was at the University of Pennsylvania and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. He has published over 80 peer-reviewed papers and is on the DFW Board of the March of Dimes. He lives in Dallas with his wife. He has three children and three adorable goldendoodles.

Luanne Southern, MSW
Executive Director, Texas Child Mental Health Care Consortium

Luanne Southern currently works at the University of Texas System as the Executive Director for the Texas Child Mental Health Care Consortium, which was created by the 86th Texas legislature in Senate Bill 11 to address gaps in mental health care for children and adolescents in Texas. Luanne most recently provided strategic consulting services to the Texas child welfare system, as a Senior Director for Casey Family Programs, a national operating foundation focused on improving - and ultimately preventing the need for - foster care. She previously served as Deputy Commissioner for the Texas Department of State Health Services. Luanne has many years of national, state and local experience in health and human services, with an emphasis on policies and practices that address the behavioral health needs of children, youth and families. Ms. Southern has an MSW from the University of Texas, and BSW from Goshen College in Indiana.

Michael Speer, MD
Professor of Pediatrics and Neonatology, Baylor College of Medicine; Medical Director, Neonatal Nurse Practitioner Program, Texas Children's Hospital

Michael E. Speer, MD, of Houston, is a full-time neonatologist and medical director of the Neonatal Nurse Practitioner Program at Texas Children’s Hospital, and professor of pediatrics and ethics at Baylor College of Medicine. Dr. Speer graduated from Baylor in 1968 and completed his residency in pediatrics and fellowship in neonatal-perinatal medicine at the same institution. He is board certified in pediatrics and neonatal-perinatal medicine and has been practicing medicine for 37 years. His academic interests include infectious diseases of the newborn and the measurement of quality of care. Dr. Speer has served as president of the Houston Academy of Medicine (1994), as well as president of the Texas Medical Association (TMA).

Julie Stagg, MSN, RN, IBCLC, RLC, CPHQ
Healthy Texas Mothers and Babies Branch Nurse Manager, TexasAIM Program Director, and State Breastfeeding Coordinator, Texas Department of State Health Services

Julie Stagg is the Healthy Texas Mothers and Babies Branch Nurse Manager, TexasAIM Program Director, and State Breastfeeding Coordinator at the Texas Department of State Health Services, where she provides expertise and coordination for public health policies, programs and initiatives to improve women’s maternal, perinatal and infant health. Ms. Stagg completed Maternity Nursing clinical nurse specialty core curriculum before receiving a Master of Science in Public Health Nursing from the University of Texas at Austin. She has worked to promote the health of women and children for over 25 years in hospital, outpatient, community, non-profit, mental health, and public health settings.

Jennifer A. Shuford, MD, MPH
Chief State Epidemiologist, Texas Department of State Health Services

Jennifer A. Shuford, MD, MPH is the Chief State Epidemiologist for the Texas Department of State Health Services. In that role, Dr. Shuford is providing leadership for data-driven activities and policy formation aimed at improving the health of all Texans. Prior to joining the Texas Department of State Health Services, Dr. Shuford worked in Austin, Texas as an infectious disease physician in private practice. She also serves on the faculty of the DSHS Preventive Medicine and Public Health Residency Program. She is a member of Travis County Medical Society and Infectious Disease Society of America. She is also a member of Texas Medical Association, where she serves as a consultant to their Committee on Infectious Diseases. She lives in Austin with her husband and two children.

Stacey D. Stewart, MBA
President and CEO, March of Dimes

Stacey D. Stewart has been President and CEO March of Dimes since January 1, 2017. In this role, Stewart heads the organization leading the fight for the health of all moms and babies. She is responsible for all aspects of the organization's strategy, vision and operations. Stewart came to March of Dimes from United Way Worldwide, where she held several positions, most recently serving as U.S. President of United Way, the nation's largest nonprofit organization. A business veteran, Stewart has also held a number of senior roles, including President and Chief Executive Officer for the Fannie Mae Foundation. Stewart has a master's of business administration in finance from the University of Michigan and a bachelor of arts in economics from Georgetown University. She also holds honorary degrees from Trinity University, Morgan State University, Texas Southern University, Lincoln University and Alabama A&M University. She currently serves on several boards nationally and in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area.

Amanda Wagner, DNP, WHNP-BC, CPHQ, CNE
Quality Improvement Lead, UT Health Science Center at Tyler

Amanda Wagner is a Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner and Certified Nurse Educator whose nursing experience has focused around women’s healthcare. After earning her MSN in maternity nursing from The University of Texas at Austin in 2015, she completed her post-master’s certificate to become a Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner from Vanderbilt University in 2017. In 2019, she completed the Doctor of Nursing Practice program at Vanderbilt University where her capstone project was called: Development of a ClinicalOnboarding Program for an Ambulatory Care Setting. As part of her WHNP coursework, Amanda was part of a team that presented to women in recovery regarding HPV and the HPV vaccine. She’s worked in nursing education as a clinical teaching assistant and guest lecturer for pre-licensure nursing students in their OB rotation. She also has experience in healthcare simulation having been involved in creating the new maternity simulation currently being used at UT-Austin’s School of Nursing. She joined Population Health in 2018 to work as a quality improvement and research nurse for the Texas Collaborative for Healthy Mothers and Babies initiatives.

Sarah Wakefield, MD
Associate Professor and Chair of Psychiatry at TX Tech University Health Sciences

Dr. Wakefield is a board certified adult, child/adolescent, and forensic psychiatrist. She attended medical school at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, Texas and a general psychiatry residency at Louisiana State University School of Medicine in Shreveport. Dr. Wakefield completed a fellowship in child and adolescent psychiatry and an additional fellowship in forensic psychiatry also at LSUHealth before joining the faculty at Texas Tech University School of Medicine in 2014. She has served as the Director of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Services and since 2016 and the Medical Director of Medical Ethics until 2020. She is currently chair of the Department of Psychiatry at Texas Tech University School of Medicine and is active in providing psychiatric diagnostic and treatment evaluations for families, for adolescents in the juvenile justice system, and for pregnant or post-partum mothers. Dr. Wakefield is most interested in helping families find their way to understanding, acceptance, and wellness and in ending the school to prison pipeline by intervening at the community level as early as possible.

Phyllis Wan-Huen, MD
Assistant Professor, UT Southwestern Medical Center; Neonatal Transport Medical Director, Texas Health Resource Dallas

Phyllis Wan-Huen is an assistant professor for UT Southwestern Medical Center. In that role, Dr. Wan-Huen is a clinician providing care in our level 3 and 4 neonatal units and participates in quality improvement projects improving nutrition in LBW infants. She is also the Neonatal Transport Medical Director of Texas Health Resource Dallas and participates in the North Texas Regional perinatal quality improvement projects. Prior to joining UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dr. Wan-Huen was assistant professor at SUNY Stonybrook in New York and participated in the NY Statewide CLA BSI reduction initiative. She is an active member of AAP and has presented her regional work in CLABSI and Newborn admission temperatures in various conferences nationally. She lives in Allen, TX with her husband, 3 children, and 2 dogs.

David Weisoly, DO
Medical Director, Pediatrix Medical Group; NICU Medical Director, Memorial Hermann The Woodlands

Dr. David Weisoly is the Medical Director for Pediatrix Medical group, which provides services at 6 hospitals in Houston. He is also NICU Medical Director at Memorial Hermann The Woodlands hospital. He received his medical degree from Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences and did his internship and pediatric residency training at The University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston, where he began research on placental growth factors. For 9 years he was co-director of the Over the next 9 years, he went on to co-direct the Dallas-Ft. Worth NICU Quality Improvement Collaborative, which included 3 level IV NICUs and 29 level II and III NICUs in the DFW area. This collaborative was extremely successful in implementing projects which dramatically reduced or eradicated central line infections, exponentially improved growth and nutrition in thousands of VLBW neonates, dramatically increased breast milk use, standardized blood preparation for transfusions, and greatly reduced ventilator days in NICU babies. In 2014 Dr. Weisoly founded the Mednax Houston Area NICU Quality Improvement Collaborative (HAQIC), which has now grown to include 14 Houston area hospital NICUs. He is Chair of the SETRAC Perinatal Committee and serves on the Leadership Group of the Texas RAC-PCR Alliance.

Tanya Robinson Williams, MSN, RN, NE-BC
Director of Nursing, Newborn Center at Texas Children’s Hospital
Tanya Williams, MSN, RN, NE-BC has been an RN for 17 years with 8 years of leadership experience. She is currently a Director of Nursing at Texas Children’s Hospital with responsibilities for the three Main campus Neonatal ICUs (76 bed level IV NICU, 55 bed level II NICU and a 42 bed blended level II and level III unit) and the two vascular access teams (a dedicated Neonatal team and a Pediatric team).

Meghan Young, MPA
Manager for Medicaid and CHIP Services, Texas Health and Human Services

Meghan Young is a manager for HHSC’s Medicaid and CHIP Services Department, Policy and Program Development unit. In that role, Ms. Young supervises a team of 11 policy analysts and subject matter experts who work on maternal and child health policy and programs, as well as behavioral health policy. Prior to becoming a manager on this team, Ms. Young was the lead subject matter expert for women’s health policy in the Medicaid and CHIP Office of Policy and Program. Ms. Young also previously served as vice president of the LBJ School of Public Affairs Austin Area Alumni Association. She lives in Austin with her spouse and 2-year-old daughter.

Emily Zalkovsky
Deputy State Medicaid Director, Texas Health and Human Services

Emily Zalkovsky serves as the Deputy State Medicaid Director at the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC). In this role, she provides strategic direction and oversees policy, quality, and program management functions for Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program. Previously, Emily served in a variety of staff and leadership roles at HHSC, including as a policy analyst for women’s health programs, the Director for Program Management for managed care, and the Deputy Associate Commissioner for Policy and Program. Outside of state government, Emily also has worked as a health care consultant and in the non-profit sector focusing on housing and health policy. Emily holds a bachelor’s degree and a Master of Public Affairs degree from the University of Texas at Austin. Emily lives in Austin with her husband and a few cats.