2nd Maternal & Child Health Symposium
September 28, 2026
8:30 AM - 3:00 PM CT
Full Day
This activity is approved for up to 5 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™.
Malcolm X College
1900 West Jackson Blvd. Chicago, IL 60612
Main Building – 1st Floor - Conference Center Hall 1106-1107
Convenient parking available on campus.
Agenda | Request to Attend Letter | Sponsorship | Lunch | Networking | News Release | Exhibitors
More details soon.
OVERVIEW
The 2nd Institute of Medicine of Chicago (IOMC) Maternal & Child Health Symposium will bring together healthcare leaders, clinicians, researchers, public health professionals, educators, policymakers, and community organizations to explore the latest advances in maternal and child health. This interdisciplinary symposium will focus on the intersection of clinical care, public health, social determinants of health, and community partnerships to improve outcomes for mothers, infants, children, and families.
Through evidence-based presentations and collaborative discussions, participants will examine innovative approaches to addressing maternal health disparities, improving access to care, leveraging emerging technologies, and strengthening community-based solutions. The symposium aims to foster interdisciplinary collaboration and identify actionable strategies that advance health equity and improve maternal and child health outcomes across our communities. Together, we can build healthier futures for all families! We can’t wait to see you there!
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
By attending the symposium, you will be able to:
1. Describe current evidence related to maternal and child health disparities and their underlying social, structural, and clinical determinants.
2. Discuss innovative models of care that improve maternal and infant outcomes through culturally responsive and community-based interventions.
3. Evaluate the opportunities and challenges of artificial intelligence and digital health technologies in advancing maternal health equity.
4. Incorporate evidence-based approaches for managing obesity, oral health, and other factors affecting maternal and child outcomes into clinical practice.
5. Identify interdisciplinary and policy strategies that promote equitable, high-quality maternal and child healthcare.
AGENDA
8:30 AM Registration & Networking
9:00 AM Introduction & Announcements
Deborah Hodges, MA- IDS, Association Manager & Program Manager
9:05 AM Welcome, Objectives & Goals
Beena Peters, DNP, MS, RN, FACHE, FABC, Fellow, IOMC
Chief Clinical Officer, HRTLY
Chair, IOMC Maternal & Child Health Workgroup
PRESENTATIONS
9:15 AM
Simbo Ige, MD, MPH, Fellow, IOMC
Formerly City of Chicago-Commissioner of Public Health
Chicago Infant Mortality Rates Contribute to Racial Life Expectancy Gaps
9:45 AM
Lovelle Reynolds, PhD, APRN, FNP-BC, CPN, CNE
Assistant Professor, Malcolm X College
Structural and Social Determinants of Maternal and Child Health: Implications for Clinical Practice
10:15 AM
Karie Stewart, MPH, MSN, CNM, APRN, FACNM
Certified Nurse Midwife
UI Health - Mile Square Auburn-Gresham Clinic
Ian Jasenof, MD, FACOG, MHA, CPE, Fellow, IOMC
Chief Medical Officer, UI Health – Mile Square
Community Maternal Health Care: A Culturally-Adapted Model
10:45 AM Break
11:00 AM
Jacqueline Hairston, MD
Assistant Professor, Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
Obesity and Obstetric Care
11:30 AM
Melissa Simon, MD, MBA, MPH, Fellow, IOMC
Vice Chair for Research, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology
George H. Gardner, MD, Professor of Clinical Gynecology
Professor, Obstetrics and Gynecology (General Obstetics and Gynecology), Preventive Medicine, Medical Social Sciences(Implementation Science).
Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
Algorithmic Justice: Can AI and FemTech Actually Reduce — Rather Than Deepen — Maternal Health Disparities
12:00 PM Lunch & Networking
12: 45 PM
Aron Sousa, MD, FACP, Fellow, IOMC
President, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science
Improvement in the Health of Moms & Babies through Cash
1:15 PM Panel
Ian Jasenof, MD, FACOG, MHA, CPE, Fellow, IOMC, Moderator
Chief Medical Officer, UI Health – Mile Square
Vice Chair, Maternal & Child Health Workgroup, IOMC
Panelists
Tonia Branche, MD, MPH
Associate Medical Director of Maternal Child Health Initiative, Patrick M. Magoon Institute for Healthy Communities
Integrated, Equity-driven, Clinical and Community-based Support for Maternal & Child Health
Lisa Green, DO, MPH, Fellow, IOMC
CEO / Founder, Family Christian Health Center
Community Centered Maternal Freedom Medicine- Addressing Level II Ultrasounds for High-Risk Patients
Marie Heffernan, PhD
Assistant Professor, Dept. of Pediatrics, Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine
Director, Voices of Child Health in Chicago
Smith Child Health Outcomes, Research, and Evaluation Center | Stanley Manne Children’s Research Institute
Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago
Sensory Overload Research of Parents Experience
Karin Weber-Gasparoni, PhD, DDS, MS
Professor and Head of Pediatric Dentistry - The University of Iowa
Oral Health & Maternal Health – What's the Connection?
2:15 PM Open - Key Take-Aways
Q & A Session
2:45 PM Closing Remarks
Beena Peters, DNP, RN, FACHE, FABC, FAAN, Fellow, IOMC
Chair, IOMC Maternal & Child Health Workgroup
3:00 PM Adjournment
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Physician Credit*
This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the accreditation requirements and policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) through the joint providership of the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine and the Institute of Medicine of Chicago. The University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine is accredited by the ACCME to provide continuing medical education for physicians.
The University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine designates this live activity for a maximum of 5 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
Other Participant Credit
Other participants will receive a Certificate of Participation. For information on the applicability and acceptance of Certificates of Participation for educational activities certified for AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ from organizations accredited by the ACCME, please consult your professional licensing board.
SPONSORS & EXHIBITORS WELCOME
Contact us for sponsorship opportunities at Sponsorship@iomc.org.
