{"id":1540,"date":"2026-02-02T17:17:17","date_gmt":"2026-02-02T17:17:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mchleads.com\/?p=1540"},"modified":"2026-02-02T17:17:18","modified_gmt":"2026-02-02T17:17:18","slug":"learning-leading-and-listening-my-journey-in-mch-8-honoring-lived-experience-11-systems-approach","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mchleads.com\/?p=1540","title":{"rendered":"Learning, Leading, and Listening: My Journey in MCH [8: Honoring Lived Experience & 11: Systems Approach]"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Oluwatosin Adeniyi-Miller<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Oluwatosin (Tosi) Adeniyi-Miller<\/strong> is a maternal health advocate, public health researcher, and community wellness leader dedicated to advancing health equity for women and families. She is currently pursuing her Master of Public Health at Emory University\u2019s Rollins School of Public Health<\/a>, with a concentration in Maternal and Child Health<\/a> (MCH). Tosi is a participant in the MCH program through the MCH Center of Excellence<\/a>, where she contributes to research, training, and community-engaged initiatives focused on improving MCH outcomes, particularly for Black women and marginalized communities. Her work centers on culturally competent preventive care, community-based interventions, and the integration of digital health tools to strengthen trust, access, and continuity of care across the perinatal period. In addition to her academic training, Tosi is the co-founder of Criado,<\/a> an Atlanta-based reproductive health nonprofit focused on transforming the delivery and accessibility of health education for women and girls. She brings a holistic, people-centered approach to her work, informed by her background in prenatal yoga, qualitative research, and community storytelling. Connect with Tosi on LinkedIn<\/a>. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

About Oluwatosin Adeniyi Miller<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is your Maternal and Child Health (MCH) focus area? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

My MCH focus is on women\u2019s health and body literacy<\/a>, with a strong emphasis on preconception education as a foundation for lifelong and intergenerational health. I am particularly interested in how culturally relevant, community-based education and femtech<\/a> can empower women to understand their bodies, advocate for their care, and engage in preventative health behaviors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What do you want other MCH students to know about this particular issue within our field? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Education is often treated as supplemental material in healthcare, but it is a critical first step to true health and autonomy. Addressing gaps in preconception care, especially for Black women, creates opportunities to improve maternal outcomes long before pregnancy begins.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What sparked your interest in MCH? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

My interest in MCH grew through my work in prenatal yoga and community wellness spaces, where I saw how many women lacked basic understanding of their bodies and reproductive health. I noticed that by the time women entered the healthcare system during pregnancy, many opportunities for prevention and preparation had already been missed. This realization motivated me to focus on education as an entry point to better maternal and child health outcomes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why is it important for you to explore MCH (versus other disciplines or areas of public health)? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

MCH allows me to address health at a critical point in the life course where education, access, and trust can shape long-term outcomes for women and families. It also creates space to reimagine preconception care as proactive, culturally responsive, and community-rooted work, all of which I actively pursue at Criado.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What are words you use to describe yourself? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    Multi-passionate, Empath, Determined <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Project or Practicum Experience<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Describe a specific project, practicum or internship you participated in. What was your role and what did you work on? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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      During my Applied Practice Experience (APE), I worked on the Afterglow Initiative at the Center for Black Women\u2019s Wellness<\/a> as part of the national Alliance for Innovation on Maternal Health \u2013 Community Care Initiative (AIM CCI)<\/a> postpartum chronic condition bundle. In my role, I supported the implementation and evaluation of a community-based postpartum care model for Black mothers with chronic conditions such as anemia during the first year postpartum. My work included qualitative data collection and analysis, process mapping of referral and care-continuity workflows, and supporting Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycles<\/a> to strengthen coordination between clinical teams and community partners like doulas and Family Support Specialists. This experience deepened my understanding of how trust, education, and culturally-rooted support can improve postpartum outcomes and highlighted the importance of centering women\u2019s lived experiences in maternal health interventions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Which MCH Leadership Competency (or competencies) most connects to this work? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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        This work most strongly aligns with Competency 11: Systems Approach<\/strong>, as it required understanding and strengthening the connections between clinical care, community-based services, and postpartum support systems for Black mothers with chronic conditions. It also reflects Competency 10: Interdisciplinary\/Interprofessional Team Building<\/strong>, through collaboration with clinicians, Family Support Specialists, and community partners to improve care coordination. Additionally Competency 7: Creating Responsive and Effective MCH Systems<\/strong> and Competency 8: Honoring Lived Experience<\/strong> were central, as the project intentionally centered culturally responsive care and the voices of pregnant\/postpartum women in program design and quality improvement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        What were key outcomes or impacts from your project\u2014on the community, organization\/agency or yourself?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        A key outcome of the project was the impact of an anemia-focused training delivered to Family Support Specialists (FSSs), which significantly deepened their understanding of the role of anemia and the importance of consistent prenatal vitamin use for their clients. Just two months after the training, FSSs shared how the information had already changed the way they educated and supported pregnant and postpartum women, making their counseling more intentional and evidence-informed. Unexpectedly, many FSSs also reflected on how the training influenced their own<\/em> health behaviors and awareness, highlighting the ripple effect of education when community-based staff are empowered with knowledge. This experience reinforced for me how health and body literacy, when extended to those who support families, can lead to meaningful, immediate improvements in care and community well-being.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        If you have experience working in\/with Title V<\/em>: please share a story about how you helped inform, contribute to or analyze a Title V initiative or program. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

        During my time as a Title V MCH summer intern with the Minnesota Department of Health in partnership with the Minnesota Breastfeeding Coalition, I supported efforts to address racial and cultural disparities in access to pasteurized donor human milk (PDHM) for premature and medically fragile Black-American and Somali infants. My role focused on gathering and analyzing healthcare providers\u2019 perspectives on PDHM, including their awareness, acceptance, and understanding of the Fatwa supporting PDHM use within Muslim communities. I used quantitative data collection through the creation of a survey to assess how cultural knowledge gaps and institutional practices influenced PDHM utilization in NICU settings. This work will help inform more equitable and culturally respectful breastfeeding and infant-feeding practices across Minnesota. Through this experience, I gained a deeper understanding of how Title V initiatives operate at a systems level, linking cultural context, provider education, and policy guidance to improve access and equity in MCH programs. It reinforced the importance of culturally responsive approaches in translating evidence-based interventions into real-world public health impact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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          Reflection and Growth<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

          How do you define leadership in MCH, and what kind of leader do you hope to be? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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            To me, leadership in MCH is about listening first, understanding the systems that shape health, and using that insight to create change that actually meets people where they are. I hope to be the kind of leader who leads with curiosity and humility\u2014centering education, trust, and lived experience, while bridging community knowledge with data and policy to build more equitable, prevention-focused solutions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            How did mentorship, collaboration or interdisciplinary teamwork contribute to your learning? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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              Mentorship has been central to my learning in MCH, especially through the guidance of Asha Immanuelle<\/strong>, who has supported me throughout my journey and consistently helped me reconnect to my why<\/em> when the work felt complex or overwhelming. Additionally, Elizabeth Rhodes<\/strong> pushed me to deeply articulate my purpose through a reflective exercise focused entirely on my \u201cwhy,\u201d which clarified how I want to show up as a leader in this field. Together, these mentoring experiences grounded my learning, strengthened my confidence, and reminded me that purpose and reflection are just as important as technical skills in MCH work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

              Please reflect on your experience as an MCH student. How do your academics influence your field\/practice-based experiences (and vice versa)? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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                I came into my degree knowing I wanted to work in MCH and alongside a women\u2019s wellness nonprofit, so my academics and practice have always felt deeply connected. I consistently take what I learn in the classroom and apply it directly to the design, implementation, and management of my nonprofit programs. At the same time, my hands-on work in the community helps me better understand the real-world implications of the theories, frameworks, and policies we discuss in class. This ongoing exchange has strengthened my ability to lead thoughtfully, adapt quickly, and ground MCH work in both evidence and lived experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                What is one insight you want to share with a prospective student considering joining the MCH field within public health at large?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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                  One insight I\u2019d share is that MCH is both deeply technical and deeply human. You will learn about systems, data, and policy, but the heart of the work is people and relationships. If you\u2019re willing to stay curious, reflect often, and let community voices guide your work, MCH offers a powerful space to create meaningful, long-term impact across generations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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