McDonnell Karen A, Percy Jamal, Anders Lisa, Brown Monique J, Richman Alice R, Deardorff Julianna, Ruiz Monica S, Liu Jihong, Russell Kelli, Snyder Audrey, Marshall Cassondra
Department of Prevention and Community Health, Milken Institute School of Public Health, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, United States.
Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD, United States.
Front Public Health. 2025 Jul 22;13:1606108. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2025.1606108. eCollection 2025.
The public health landscape is constantly evolving to address the strengths and needs of the community. Training for the public health workforce is leading the way, establishing an ecosystem approach that integrates individuals within social, political, and environmental contexts to promote health equity within a framework of social justice. One area of public health that is innovatively preparing the next generation of leaders is maternal and child health (MCH). In the United States, key indicators of health disparities within MCH remain stagnant, highlighting the need for training programs that develop future MCH professionals from diverse backgrounds. These professionals will deliver culturally and linguistically appropriate services for an increasingly underserved and underrepresented population, both in the US and around the world. The MCH Leadership, Education, and Advancement in Undergraduate Pathways (LEAP) training program provides coordinated opportunities for undergraduate students, faculty, agencies, organizations, and communities to work together for developing the future MCH public health workforce. Effective and respectful leadership development in MCH requires investment in fundamental educational, research, and community-engaged practice-based skill sets cultivated in undergraduate programs. Currently, six funded programs in the MCH LEAP portfolio share a collective mission to train undergraduates who have historically had a minimal presence to become MCH leaders of tomorrow. These programs also make changes to organizational structures that reflect the geographic and demographic representation of their communities. Mixed-methods evaluations, encompassing both qualitative and quantitative approaches, illustrate the MCH LEAP training program's effectiveness in introducing and developing the competencies for the next generation of the MCH workforce.
公共卫生领域在不断发展，以满足社区的优势和需求。公共卫生工作队伍的培训正引领潮流，建立一种生态系统方法，将个人融入社会、政治和环境背景中，以在社会正义框架内促进健康公平。母婴健康（MCH）是公共卫生领域中创新性地培养下一代领导者的一个领域。在美国，母婴健康领域内健康差距的关键指标停滞不前，这凸显了开展培训项目的必要性，这些项目要培养来自不同背景的未来母婴健康专业人员。这些专业人员将为美国及全球范围内服务日益不足和代表性不足的人群提供符合文化和语言习惯的服务。母婴健康本科途径中的领导力、教育与提升（LEAP）培训项目为本科生、教师、机构、组织和社区提供了协同合作的机会，共同致力于培养未来的母婴健康公共卫生工作队伍。母婴健康领域有效且尊重他人的领导力培养需要投资于本科项目中培养的基础教育、研究和基于社区参与实践的技能组合。目前，母婴健康LEAP项目组合中的六个受资助项目有着共同的使命，即培训那些以往参与度极低的本科生成为未来的母婴健康领导者。这些项目还对组织结构进行变革，以反映其所在社区的地理和人口构成情况。涵盖定性和定量方法的混合方法评估表明，母婴健康LEAP培训项目在引入和培养下一代母婴健康工作队伍的能力方面是有效的。
