Dorothy Cilenti

Violence and substance use among North Carolina pregnant women.

OBJECTIVES Prenatal patients were studied to examine the proportion of women who had been violence victims, womens patterns of substance use (cigarettes, alcohol, and illegal drugs) before and during pregnancy, and relationships between violence and substance use. METHODS More than 2000 prenatal patients in North Carolina were screened for violence and substance use. Relationships between violence and patterns of substance use before and during pregnancy were examined, as well as womens continuation of substance use during pregnancy as a function of violence and sociodemographic factors. RESULTS Twenty-six percent of the women had been violence victims during their lives. Before pregnancy, 62% of the women had used one or more substances; during pregnancy, 31% had used one or more substances. Both before and during pregnancy, violence victims were significantly more likely to use multiple substances than nonvictims. Continuation of substance use during pregnancy was significantly more likely among violence victims than nonvictims. CONCLUSIONS Care providers should screen women for violence as well as for substance use and should ensure that women are provided with appropriate interventions.

Violence in the Lives of Pregnant Teenage Women: Associations with Multiple Substance Use

Using data from a consecutive sample of approximately 700 prenatal patients aged 12 to 19, the extent of violence and substance use in the lives of these women was examined, as were associations between violence and substance use. The findings show that 29% of the study participants had been victims of violence, with 15% experiencing physical violence only, 5% sexual violence only, and 9% both physical and sexual violence. Adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) from logistic regression analyses showed that, after controlling for confounding factors, victims were more likely than nonvictims to use cigarettes, alcohol, and illicit drugs, with victims of both physical and sexual violence being the most likely to use each type of substance. Ordinal logistic regression analysis found that, compared to nonvictims, violence victims were more likely to have more severe patterns of substance use (use multiple types of substances), with victims of both physical and sexual violence being the most likely to be multiple substance users. These findings underline the importance of both violence and substance use as health concerns among our youth.

What predicts local public health agency performance improvement? A pilot study in North Carolina.

Local public health agencies (LPHAs) are faced with many challenges in their role as an integral part of the public health system. It is important to better understand the demands on and the capacity of LPHAs to respond to these challenges. Determining what factors can improve LPHA performance is critical to helping LPHAs face their challenges.The objective of this study was to determine what factors are associated with LPHA performance improvement in North Carolina from 1999 to 2004. In North Carolina, several data sources regarding predictors of LPHA performance, including LPHA workforce, LPHA characteristics, public health expenditures, and population characteristics, are available. Improvement in LPHA performance was measured by nine indicators across diverse services that were collected over multiple years. Linear regression was used to evaluate the significance of predictor variables.Our findings indicate that workforce characteristics such as occupational classification and experience of the workforce, LPHA characteristics such as number of full-time employees, as well as population characteristics are important predictors of LPHA performance.This study provides insight into what is needed to better address LPHA performance improvement. More importantly, study findings indicate which workforce characteristics can be targeted to enhance LPHA performance improvement over time.

Pregnancy following minilaparotomy tubal sterilization an update of an international data set

Abstract Seventeen pregnancies were reported from an intetnational tubal sterilization data set comprising 1,862 minilaparotomy cases between 1978 and 1984. Of these 17, seven (41.2%) were diagnosed as luteal-phase pregnancies. Of the 10 pregnancies due to sterilization failure, one was an ectopic pregnancy which occurred much later (20 months poststerilization) than the intrauterine pregnancies (10 months or less). Poststerilization pregnancy risk was greater among gravid women (those undergoing sterilization at the time of abortion or soon after childbirth) than among non-gravid women (those undergoing interval sterilization). These findings are, in general, consistent with those of previous studies using a much larger data set of primarily laparoscopic sterilizations. Pregnancies occurred with every type of mechanical tubal occlusion techniques included for study (the tubal ring, the Rocket Clip, the Secuclip and the Filshie Clip), and frequently reported reason for failure was incorrect placement of the device. No pregnancies occurred in women sterilized with the non-mechanical Pomeroy/modified Pomeroy techniques. Findings of this analysis suggest that in minilaparotomy sterilization, for the mechanical tubal occlusion techniques to be as effective as the Pomeroy/modified Pomeroy techniques, more care and skill are required tor the operator.

Long-term follow-up of laparoscopic sterilizations by electrocoagolation, the Hulka clip and the tubal ring

A follow-up study of 499 women who underwent sterilization between August 1973 and May 1976 at the Siriraj Hospital in Bangkok, Thailand, and had long-term (4-12 years post-surgery) follow-up is described. Women were sterilized through participation in one of three studies conducted at this hospital. In the first study, 124 underwent sterilization using the Hulka clip via laparoscopy; 67.7% of these women returned for a long-term follow-up visit. In the second study, 300 women were randomly allocated to the Hulka clip or to unipolar electrocoagulation (cautery) via laparoscopy; 70.7% of the women from this study returned for a long-term follow-up visit. The final study was a randomized trial comparing the tubal ring and unipolar electrocoagulation occlusion techniques in 300 cases. Long-term follow-up visits were recorded for 207 women (69.0%) from this study. Five technical failures (procedures not performed or completed as planned) and six non-interval cases were excluded from follow-up analyses. A total of 713 interval patients were eligible for follow-up. Long-term follow-up was initiated in 1978 and continued through 1986. Late sequelae of sterilization, including pregnancies and pelvic surgery, are discussed with regard to type and time of tubal occlusion. One intrauterine and two ectopic pregnancies were reported among women who were sterilized with cautery; one ectopic pregnancy was reported by a woman sterilized with the Hulka clip. Pelvic or abdominal surgeries were reported in 27 cases. Most (greater than 98%) women indicated that they were satisfied with their sterilization procedure.

Building the Evidence for Decision-Making: The Relationship Between Local Public Health Capacity and Community Mortality

OBJECTIVES We examined associations between local health department (LHD) spending, staffing, and services and community health outcomes in North Carolina. METHODS We analyzed LHD investments and community mortality in North Carolina from 2005 through 2010. We obtained LHD spending, staffing, and services data from the National Association of City and County Health Officials 2005 and 2008 profile surveys. Five mortality rates were constructed using Centers for Disease Control and Prevention mortality files, North Carolina vital statistics data, and census data for LHD service jurisdictions: heart disease, cancer, diabetes, pneumonia and influenza, and infant mortality. RESULTS Spending, staffing, and services varied widely by location and over time in the 85 North Carolina LHDs. A 1% increase in full-time-equivalent staffing (per 1000 population) was associated with decrease of 0.01 infant deaths per 1000 live births (P < .05). Provision of women and childrens services was associated with a reduction of 1 to 2 infant deaths per 1000 live births (P < .05). CONCLUSIONS Our findings, in the context of other studies, provide support for investment in local public health services to improve community health.

Title V Workforce Development in the Era of Health Transformation

Purpose The National Maternal and Child Health Workforce Development Center at UNC Chapel Hill (the Center), funded by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau, provides Title V state/jurisdiction leaders and staff and partners from other sectors with opportunities to develop skills in quality improvement, systems mapping and analysis, change management, and strategies to enhance access to care to leverage and implement health transformation opportunities to improve the health of women and children. Description Since 2013, the Center has utilized a variety of learning platforms to reach state and jurisdiction Title V leaders. In the intensive training program, new skills and knowledge are applied to a state-driven health transformation project and include distance-based learning opportunities, multi-day, in-person training and/or onsite consultation, as well as individualized coaching to develop workforce skills. Assessment The first intensive cohort of eight states reported enhanced skills in the core areas of quality improvement, systems mapping and analysis, change management, and strategies to enhance access to care which guided changes at state system and policy levels. In addition, teams reported new and/or enhanced partnerships with many sectors, thereby leveraging Title V resources to increase its impact. Conclusion The Center’s provision of core workforce skills and application to state-defined goals has enabled states to undertake projects and challenges that not only have a positive impact on population health, but also encourage collaborative, productive partnerships that were once found to be challenging—creating a workforce capable of advancing the health and wellbeing of women and children.

Changes in North Carolina maternal health service use and outcomes among medicaid-enrolled pregnant women during state budget cuts.

OBJECTIVES The recent recession has weakened the US health and human service safety net. Questions about implications for mothers and children prompted this study, which tested for changes in maternal service use and outcomes among North Carolina women with deliveries covered through Medicaid before and after a year of significant state budget cuts. METHODS Data for Medicaid covered deliveries from April-June 2009 (pre) and from April-June 2010 (post) were derived from birth certificates, Medicaid claims and eligibility files, and WIC (Special Supplemental Food Program for Women, Infants and Children) records. These time periods represent the quarter immediately before as well as the final quarter of a state fiscal year 2010 (July 2009-June 2010) characterized by substantial state budget cuts, including an October 2009 reduction in reimbursement rates for maternity care coordination. We examined how often women received medical care, maternity care coordination, family planning services, and the average numbers of obstetrical encounters, as well as the prevalence of excessive pregnancy weight gain, preterm delivery, and low birth weight. RESULTS By the end of a year of substantial state budget cuts, women covered through Medicaid had fewer obstetrical visits in all trimesters as well as postpartum (P < .001). Maternal weight gain, preterm delivery, and low birth weight were stable. CONCLUSIONS One key aspect of medical service use decreased for women enrolled in Medicaid by the end of a year of major state health and human services budget cuts. Maternal and infant child health outcomes measured in this study did not change during that year. Future monitoring is warranted to ensure that maternal health service access remains adequate.

Developing Collaborative Maternal and Child Health Leaders: A Descriptive Study of the National Maternal and Child Health Workforce Development Center

Purpose An assessment of the National Maternal and Child Health Workforce Development Center (the Center) was conducted to describe (1) effects of the Center’s training on the use of collaborative leadership practices by MCH leaders, and (2) perceived barriers to collaboration for MCH leaders. The Center provides services to strengthen MCH professionals’ skills in three core areas: Change Management/Adaptive Leadership, Evidence-Based Decision Making, and Systems Integration. Description This descriptive qualitative study compares eight interview responses from a sample of the Center’s participants and findings from a document review of the training curriculum against an existing framework of collaborative leadership themes. Assessment Systems thinking tools and related training were highly referenced, and the interviewees often related process-based leadership practices with their applied learning health transformation projects. Perceived barriers to sustaining collaborative work included: (1) a tendency for state agencies to have siloed priorities, (2) difficulty achieving a consensus to move a project forward without individual partners disengaging, (3) strained organizational partnerships when the individual representative leaves that partnering organization, and (4) difficulty in sustaining project-based partnerships past the short term. Conclusion The findings in this study suggest that investments in leadership development training for MCH professionals, such as the Center, can provide opportunities for participants to utilize collaborative leadership practices.

Innovations in Maternal and Child Health: Pairing Undergraduate and Graduate Maternal and Child Health Students in Summer Practica in State Title V Agencies

Objective As part of the National MCH Workforce Development Center, an innovative internship program placed MCH undergraduate and graduate students in summer practica in state Title V agencies. Graduate student mentoring of undergraduates and leadership and professional development training and support are key features of the program. The objective of this paper is to report on the results of the evaluation of the MCH Paired Practica Program in its pilot years, 2014–2016. Methods Students completed pre and post internship questionnaires which included closed as well as open-ended questions. In addition, the Title V state health agency preceptors completed a questionnaire at the end of each summer. Results Over the 3-year pilot project, a total of 17 teams participated. Students were from 6 of the 13 graduate Centers of Excellence in MCH programs in Schools of Public Health and two undergraduate MCH Pipeline Programs. There were 11 participating states. After the practicum experience, there was a significant increase in students’ confidence in a number of measures related to working in complex, dynamic environments and in their ability to contribute to improvements in MCH population health. Students reported having more confidence in their ability to function effectively as an informal/formal MCH leader (p = 0.02), more confidence in their ability to contribute to improvements in MCH population health (p = 0.04), and being more prepared to enter the workforce after the practicum experience (p = 0.07), although there was no significant change in students’ (n = 22) interest in seeking a job in a Title V agency or a community based organization with a MCH focus. Nearly 60% of the students did state at the posttest that they would likely seek additional education in MCH. Overall, the Title V preceptors (n = 14) were very positive about the program although in some instances there was less confidence in the knowledge and skills of the undergraduate students. Conclusion The MCH Paired Practica Program is a unique effort to go beyond the academic training of undergraduate and graduate MCH students to provide them with direct exposure to the field, as well as leadership, mentorship, and professional development training. While some challenges emerged related to differences in skills between undergraduates and graduate MCH students, participating students demonstrated clear improvements in their leadership skills including increased confidence in their ability to take initiative, provide opinions and feedback, to function informally or formally as leaders, and to contribute to improvements in MCH population health.