The Development of a Team-Based, Hybrid Inter-university Graduate Certificate Program Focused on Maternal Child Health Professionals

INTRODUCTION: Pregnancy, childbirth, and child well-being are identified by Healthy People 2030 as priority topics for improving the health of all Americans. New Mexico is the fifth largest state geographically with most of the state’s 33 counties considered rural or frontier. Accessing health care services is challenging in this resource-poor environment. The need to provide maternal and child health (MCH) education in the state was the impetus for developing a graduate certificate in maternal and child public health. METHODS: The hybrid MCH graduate certificate engaged professionals in formal training that included a public health approach to addressing MCH issues in the state’s diverse communities. Grant funds paid for the tuition, books and travel for students providing an opportunity to individuals who otherwise could not have pursued graduate education and professional development. RESULTS: Over a 4-year period, two cohorts were recruited, educated, and evaluated. The evaluations reflected an increase in competency knowledge scores for all students. DISCUSSION: This model of MCH education was successful at delivering public health graduate education to MCH practitioners and increasing their knowledge and skills. Listening to students and communities as to what their MCH public health needs are and responding with a flexible educational model provided individuals with information and tools that could be used to improve maternal and child health and reduce health disparities in rural, tribal, and underserved communities.