Dr. Joycelyn Elders, former US Surgeon General

The conference entitled, "Prematurity and Low Birth Weight in the Hudson Valley Region: Developing a Regional Action Plan to Eliminate Racial and Ethnic Disparities" featured Dr. Joycelyn Elders, former US Surgeon General as the keynote speaker and Pediatric Grand Rounds lecturer, the State of the Regional Perinatal Centers and Regional Perinatal Forum, presented by Dr. Edmund LaGamma, Chief, Division of Newborn Medicine, Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital at Westchester Medical Center, Dr. C.D. Hsu, Director of OB/GYN and Chief, Maternal Fetal Medicine at Westchester Medical Center, Stephanie Sosnowski, Maternal Child Health Coordinator, Maternal Infant Services Network of Orange, Sullivan and Ulster Counties, and Cheryl Hunter-Grant, Executive Director, Lower Hudson Valley Perinatal Network and the Public Health Commissioners (or Directors) for each of the seven counties of the Hudson Valley Region.

Stephanie Sosnowski, ICCE, Maternal Child Health
Coordinator, MISN, Sherlita Amler, MD, Putnam County
Commissioner of Health, M. Joycelyn Elders, MD,
Robert Amler, MP, Dean, New York Medical College,
School of Public Health, and Dyan Campbell, RN, BSN, MPH,
Executive Director, MISN

Dr. Elders’ Grand Rounds lecture, Health Care in the 21st Century and keynote address, Health Care Issues in the Minority Community focused on national issues of health care, while the State of the Regional Perinatal Center and Regional Perinatal Forum and seven county health commissioner panel addressed local county level challenges and programs addressing prematurity and low birth weight.

More than 300 conference participants listen
to Dr. Joycelyn Elders' riveting presentation.

Physicians, Nurses, Social Workers, Community Health Workers, Administrators, Lactation Consultants, Parent Involvement Specialists, Nursing Students, Medical Students, Residents, Fellows, Public Health Educators, Health Department Workers and Officials, Research Scientists, Family Assessment Workers, Case Managers, Psychologist and Counselors were among those who attended the all day session. Both verbal feedback and completed evaluation forms rated the conference very highly.

Dr. Michael Gewitz, Physician-In-Chief,
Maria Fareri Children's Hospital at
Westchester Medical Center;
Joycelyn Elders, MD, Former US Surgeon General;
Edmund LaGamma, M.D.

The ongoing work of developing a Regional Action Plan will be conducted through the 3 Action Committees of the RPF: Data Management, Access to Care and Breastfeeding. Anyone interested in joining a committee should contact the committee chairs:

Data Management
Dr. Heather Brumberg, 914-493-8491
heather_brumberg@nymc.edu

Access to Care
Cheryl Hunter-Grant, 914-493-6435
hunter-grantc@lhvpn.net

Breastfeeding
Stephanie Sosnowski, 845-928-7448 x 15
Stephanie@misn.us