2024 Mississippi CHAMPS Conference

CHEER Director, Executive Director and Founder of CHEER International Group (CHEERing)

Anne Merewood, PhD, MPH, is the Executive Director of the Center for Health Equity, Education, and Research (CHEER) and Executive Director and Founder of the CHEER International Group (CHEERing) a nonprofit organization working with refugees in Greater Athens, Greece. Additionally, Dr. Merewood is an Associate Professor of Pediatrics at the Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine, an Associate Professor of Community Health Sciences at the Boston University School of Public Health, Affiliate Faculty at the Boston University Center on Forced Migration, and visiting Associate Professor at the University of Nicosia School of Medicine, Cyprus. 

For years, Dr. Merewood has led millions of dollars’ worth of funded projects that have successfully increased breastfeeding rates and reduced disparities in Mississippi, Louisiana, and Southern Texas and among Tribal Communities in Alaska, Arizona, Montana, New Mexico, and Oklahoma, by increasing the number of Baby-Friendly designated hospitals in those regions. Due to the documented success of the CHAMPS (Communities and Hospitals Advancing Maternity Practices) and Dr. Merewood’s other previous work with hospitals in Massachusetts and New Jersey, CHEER earned a 3-year cooperative agreement with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to replicate the success of CHAMPS nationally.

Dr. Merewood has coauthored over 80 peer-reviewed publications, spoken at conferences nationally and internationally, and served as a member of the American Public Health Association, the International Society for Research into Human Milk and Lactation (ISRHML), and the Society for Prevention Research. She is the former Editor in Chief of the Journal of Human Lactation and current editorial board member for the Journal of Maternal Child Nutrition. Dr. Merewood has also served as a consultant for the National Institute for Children’s Health Quality, the DHHS Indian Health Service, and is a current consultant for the World Health Organization and UNICEF.

CHEER Associate Director

Laura Burnham, MPH, is the Associate Director at the Center for Health Equity, Education, & Research (CHEER) at Boston Medical Center. Her work focuses on quality improvement and program implementation in the field of maternal and child health, with a particular focus on breastfeeding and maternity care practices. Laura manages CHEER’s CHAMPS (Communities and Hospitals Advancing Maternity Care Practices) programs, which assist birthing hospitals to safely implement the Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding. 

Reaching Our Sisters Everywhere (ROSE) Interim Chief Executive Officer

Andrea Serano, B.S., CLC, IBCLC, holds a Bachelor of Science in Maternal Child Health with a focus on Human Lactation from Union Institute and University. Currently, she is pursuing a Master of Public Health at Georgia Southern University. Ms. Serano's dedication to breastfeeding advocacy arises from her commitment to addressing maternal and infant health disparities, especially within communities of color. She views breastfeeding as a key preventative measure in reducing infant mortality, maternal morbidity, and the health inequities that disproportionately affect African American families.

In 2012, Ms. Serano played a pivotal role in coordinating the inaugural breastfeeding and equity summit for Reaching Our Sisters Everywhere (ROSE), titled “Reclaiming an African American Tradition.” Following the summit, she relocated from North Hollywood, California, to Atlanta, Georgia, where she now serves as the Executive Director of ROSE. In this role, she supports and coordinates local and national ROSE initiatives to improve health outcomes for mothers, infants, and families.

In addition to her leadership at ROSE, Ms. Serano is the Chair of the Stork’s Nest Committee for the Phi Omicron Zeta chapter of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc., serving Rockdale and Newton counties in Georgia. She has also served on the Board of both the Georgia Breastfeeding Coalition and the United States Breastfeeding Committee. Ms. Serano was selected as a member of the Center for Social Inclusion’s (CSI) National 2016 First Food Racial Equity cohort, where she facilitated workshops on equity and action planning for community organizations. Additionally, she has provided direct lactation support to families in two Baby-Friendly designated hospitals in Metro Atlanta.

Louisiana Pregnancy-Associated Mortality Review and Louisiana Perinatal Quality Collaborative Medical Director, Senior Site Lead and Section Head of Women’s Services at Ochsner Kenner

Dr. Veronica Gillispie-Bell is a Board-Certified Obstetrician and Gynecologist and Associate Professor for Ochsner Health in New Orleans, Louisiana. Dr. Gillispie-Bell is a leader in women’s health, serving as the Senior Site Lead and Section Head of Women’s Services at Ochsner Kenner and as the Director of Quality for Women’s Services across the Ochsner Health System. She is also the Medical Director of the Minimally Invasive Center for the Treatment of Uterine Fibroids. Clinically, she is renowned for her proficiency in advanced laparoscopic and robotic-assisted procedures, particularly in the management of heavy menstrual bleeding due to fibroids. 

Beyond her clinical work, Dr. Gillispie-Bell is deeply committed to improving maternal health outcomes. As the Medical Director of the Louisiana Perinatal Quality Collaborative and Pregnancy Associated Mortality Review for the Louisiana Department of Health, she spearheads initiatives aimed at enhancing birth outcomes for all birthing persons in Louisiana and addressing the Black-White disparity gap in maternal health. Her dedication to this cause has led her to testify before Congress, lead Congressional briefings, and speak at The White House Maternal Health Day of Action.

Ascension St. Vincent Hospital, CHAMPS National Consultant

Michelle Owens, MD, is a clinical professor of maternal and fetal medicine at Ascension St. Vincent Hospital, lead for maternal health in the state of Mississippi, and consultant physician on CHAMPS National. She is currently the National Assistant Secretary for the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and President of the MS State Board of Medical Licensure. Dr. Owens is a passionate advocate for women’s health and health equity both locally and nationally.

Dr. Owens’ research and clinical interests are in hypertensive and substance use disorders in pregnancy, maternal and infant mortality, sickle cell disease, and health disparities. She has authored numerous articles and book chapters, and is the inaugural host of Mississippi Public Broadcasting’s “Southern Remedy for Women,” a talk-radio show focused on health issues for women and the people who love them.

CHEER Senior Research Project Manager, CHAMPS National Coach

Trendle Samuel, MPH, BSN, RN, CLC, is a Senior Research Project Manager at CHEER and CHAMPS National hospital coach. She has been a registered nurse for more than 25 years, and was even named one of Alabama’s 10 Top Nurses in 2021. Before CHEER, Trendle served as one of five Perinatal Coordinators in the state who examined infant and fetal mortality as well as maternal mortality as a committee member.

Trendle’s career in nursing was primarily inspired by the caring for others she witnessed through her own family. After 16 years of experience as a clinical nurse, she went to work at a Federally Qualified Health Center, serving uninsured, underinsured, and/or underserved patients. In her role at the Alabama Department of Public Health, Trendle reviewed why patients became sick and how we could do things differently to prevent infant mortality and other poor health outcomes. She has collaborated with agencies, organizations, and advocates to better understand families’ experiences and make recommendations come to life.

CHAMPS National Consultant

Patricia Francisco is a CHAMPS National Consultant, with focused work on accurate information and translations, breastfeeding education, access to inclusive special education, and neurodiversity awareness. Additionally, Patricia serves as an Outreach Health Educator aiming to mitigate the impact of mental health illness on vulnerable families by developing, testing, and disseminating strategies through novel care delivery systems. She also teaches clients problem-solving skills and how to advocate for themselves and their families, Previously, Patricia worked at Project Solve, Vitamin D status among 4-month-old infants in New England, The Latino Health Insurance Program, Project Viva, Interpreter Errors, Children’s Health Study, and The Epidemiology of Preterm and Low Birth Weight.

Holly Horan, MA, PhD is a medical anthropologist and a birth and postpartum doula of 12 years. She is currently an Assistant Professor in the Division of Global and Rural Women's Health in the Department of OB/GYN at the University of Alabama's Heersink School of Medicine. Dr. Horan's research focuses on perinatal stress and mental health, trauma-informed support, doula care, collaborative perinatal care, and maternity care deserts in the US and Puerto Rico. She is also adjunct faculty member in the Department of Anthropology at the University of Alabama, the Co-Director of the Collaborative Perinatal Care Laboratory, and the President of the Board of Directors for the Birthwell Community Doula Project. She is also the former program coordinator for one of the first Medicaid funded community doula programs in Oregon.  Holly is currently in part-time doula practice, providing volunteer services for Medicaid-eligible families in Central Alabama and was covered by Medicaid during her pregnancy and birth with her daughter.

Juan Irby is the Owner and Founder of Dad to Dudla, an initiative focused on empowering fathers and families through birth and postpartum support. As a birth and postpartum doula, new parent educator, and passionate advocate for paternal involvement in maternal health, Juan brings a unique perspective to the world of caregiving. His mission is to equip dads with the tools, knowledge, and confidence to be active, supportive partners and nurturing parents. Based in Huntsville, AL, Juan is dedicated to reshaping the narrative around fatherhood and creating a more inclusive space for men in maternal and infant care.

Keisha is a DONA-TRAINED, FULL-SPECTRUM DOULA AND POSTPARTUM DOULA trained through Black Birth Justice Inc. She has attended many births and has helped many women have great pregnancy outcomes.  Her passion as a doula is to help bring babies into the world as safely as possible and make sure that the parent is knowledgeable with the process.  She wants to be sure she could walk a mom through prenatal, birth and postpartum care.  Keisha believes that being a doula is something either "you have or you don't" and is important because she can be the bridge between patients and the healthcare teams.  Her goal is to make her patients' birth experience be as safe as possible and memorable.  

Keisha was born and raised in Louisville, Kentucky.  She's been married for 13 1/2 years and she is the mother to two sons and a daughter.  She enjoys shopping, spending time with friends and family, and traveling.  Keisha regularly attends services at Southeast Christian Church-Southern Indiana Campus.

Currently, I lead the community organization Una Doula para-Cada Familia, which has been providing services throughout Puerto Rico since 2014. My journey of being a Doula began 14 years ago, after becoming certified as a Breastfeeding Educator in 2010. The challenges I faced in this field prompted me to further train myself to support Puerto Rican families. Over time, I became certified as a Doula and then as a Perinatal Educator, with the goal of offering comprehensive service to families throughout their reproductive cycle.

Since 2014, I have been leading a clinical program for apprentice Doulas and have collaborated with organizations such as Safe Infant Feeding (Justice for Childbirth-2022-23) coordinating Childbirth and Postpartum Doula services. Currently, I am the Clinical Director at Doula Caribe Internacional and I collaborate as a Perinatal Educator and Doula at the MAM Center.

Since 2021, I am also a Doula service provider for the Healthy Beginning program (Grupo Nexos and Urban Strategies) in the West and South-Central regions of Puerto Rico.

Every Mother Co-Director, CHAMPS National Coach

Cathy Carothers, BLA, IBCLC, FILCA, is a CHAMPS National hospital coach and consultant, a national breastfeeding promotion and support expert, and Co-Director of Every Mother, Inc., a nonprofit organization providing counseling and lactation training for health professionals across the United States. Cathy is an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant since 1996; past president and Fellow of the International Lactation Consultant Association; and past chair of the United States Breastfeeding Committee. She currently serves as the North American representative to the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA) Steering Committee. She has provided more than a thousand training events in the field of lactation in every US state and territory and many countries. She was honored in 2014 with the National Leadership Award in the “Friend of WIC” category from the National WIC Association.

In addition, Cathy serves as the national project director for numerous USDA Women, Infants, and Children curriculum development projects, including project director for the new WIC Breastfeeding Curriculum, a comprehensive breastfeeding staff training curriculum for all levels of WIC staff. She also developed the national WIC peer counseling program training curricula and management materials. Cathy previously worked with the HHS Office on Women’s Health (OWH) and Maternal Child Health Bureau (MCHB) to develop national resources for supporting breastfeeding employees and their employers, including the MCHB Business Case for Breastfeeding, and the OWH Supporting Nursing Moms at Work national initiative. She has provided state-level workshops for employers and community advocates on worksite lactation support in 37 US states. 

CHEER Director, Executive Director and Founder of CHEER International Group (CHEERing)

Anne Merewood, PhD, MPH, is the Executive Director of the Center for Health Equity, Education, and Research (CHEER) and Executive Director and Founder of the CHEER International Group (CHEERing) a nonprofit organization working with refugees in Greater Athens, Greece. Additionally, Dr. Merewood is an Associate Professor of Pediatrics at the Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine, an Associate Professor of Community Health Sciences at the Boston University School of Public Health, Affiliate Faculty at the Boston University Center on Forced Migration, and visiting Associate Professor at the University of Nicosia School of Medicine, Cyprus. 

For years, Dr. Merewood has led millions of dollars’ worth of funded projects that have successfully increased breastfeeding rates and reduced disparities in Mississippi, Louisiana, and Southern Texas and among Tribal Communities in Alaska, Arizona, Montana, New Mexico, and Oklahoma, by increasing the number of Baby-Friendly designated hospitals in those regions. Due to the documented success of the CHAMPS (Communities and Hospitals Advancing Maternity Practices) and Dr. Merewood’s other previous work with hospitals in Massachusetts and New Jersey, CHEER earned a 3-year cooperative agreement with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to replicate the success of CHAMPS nationally.

Dr. Merewood has coauthored over 80 peer-reviewed publications, spoken at conferences nationally and internationally, and served as a member of the American Public Health Association, the International Society for Research into Human Milk and Lactation (ISRHML), and the Society for Prevention Research. She is the former Editor in Chief of the Journal of Human Lactation and current editorial board member for the Journal of Maternal Child Nutrition. Dr. Merewood has also served as a consultant for the National Institute for Children’s Health Quality, the DHHS Indian Health Service, and is a current consultant for the World Health Organization and UNICEF.

Project Management Specialist, CHEER

Mariah Banks, MPH, is a Program Management Specialist at the Center for Health Equity, Education, and Research (CHEER) at Boston Medical Center. She received her Master’s in Public Health from Boston University in May 2023, with a special interest in maternal and child health, especially in refugee and immigrant health. Her focus areas included program design, implementation, and evaluation, and health communications and promotion.

Mariah previously supported immigrant and refugee populations in Boston as the Social Media & Communications Specialist and Patient Advisory Council Coordinator at Boston Medical Center’s Immigrant & Refugee Health Center. She also worked as a communications specialist for the nonprofit Nature and Culture International, promoting environmental and community health in Mexico and South America. Additionally, Mariah was the CHEER International Group (CHEERing)’s first ever fellow, coordinating various aspects of CHEERing’s preventative health program in Greece.

Blooming Families Clinic, CHAMPS National Coach

Dr. Lorimar Ortiz, MD, DABFM, IBCLC, NABBLM-C works to improve access to and the quality of healthcare for families in her home, Puerto Rico. She is a family physician and board certified breastfeeding and lactation medicine specialist, dedicated to providing comprehensive primary care, postpartum care, and lactation support to families on the island.

Dr. Ortiz was born and raised in Puerto Rico and completed her studies in general medicine at the University of Puerto Rico – Medical Sciences Campus (UPR RCM). Recognizing a need for quality, affordable postpartum care services, Dr. Ortiz founded Blooming Families Clinic, the first fourth-trimester medical care clinic in Puerto Rico. Through a value-based membership model known as ‘Direct Primary Care,’ the clinic offers comprehensive and compassionate service for its patients.

Dr. Ortiz is also passionate about training future doctors in Puerto Rico. She is a mentor for medical and nursing students from the San Juan Bautista School of Medicine in Caguas and an Assistant Professor of the Family & Community Medicine Department at Ponce Health Sciences University (Ponce, PR). She is a frequent speaker for the medical and healthcare community on the island in topics related to lactation and postpartum care. Additionally, Dr. Ortiz is a Member of the Institute for the Advancement of Breastfeeding and Lactation Education, the Center for the 4th Trimester Care, and current Vice President of the Coalición para la Lactancia Materna de Puerto Rico (In English, Puerto Rico Coalition for Maternal Lactation).

CHEER Director, Executive Director and Founder of CHEER International Group (CHEERing)

Anne Merewood, PhD, MPH, is the Executive Director of the Center for Health Equity, Education, and Research (CHEER) and Executive Director and Founder of the CHEER International Group (CHEERing) a nonprofit organization working with refugees in Greater Athens, Greece. Additionally, Dr. Merewood is an Associate Professor of Pediatrics at the Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine, an Associate Professor of Community Health Sciences at the Boston University School of Public Health, Affiliate Faculty at the Boston University Center on Forced Migration, and visiting Associate Professor at the University of Nicosia School of Medicine, Cyprus. 

For years, Dr. Merewood has led millions of dollars’ worth of funded projects that have successfully increased breastfeeding rates and reduced disparities in Mississippi, Louisiana, and Southern Texas and among Tribal Communities in Alaska, Arizona, Montana, New Mexico, and Oklahoma, by increasing the number of Baby-Friendly designated hospitals in those regions. Due to the documented success of the CHAMPS (Communities and Hospitals Advancing Maternity Practices) and Dr. Merewood’s other previous work with hospitals in Massachusetts and New Jersey, CHEER earned a 3-year cooperative agreement with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to replicate the success of CHAMPS nationally.

Dr. Merewood has coauthored over 80 peer-reviewed publications, spoken at conferences nationally and internationally, and served as a member of the American Public Health Association, the International Society for Research into Human Milk and Lactation (ISRHML), and the Society for Prevention Research. She is the former Editor in Chief of the Journal of Human Lactation and current editorial board member for the Journal of Maternal Child Nutrition. Dr. Merewood has also served as a consultant for the National Institute for Children’s Health Quality, the DHHS Indian Health Service, and is a current consultant for the World Health Organization and UNICEF.

CEO, Baby-Friendly USA

Dr. FitzPatrick has been the CEO of Baby-Friendly USA, Inc. since January 2021. Prior to that she was Chair and Professor in the Nutrition Science Department at Russell Sage College. Her research experience includes work with New York State Department of Health quality improvement programs that supported breastfeeding and maternity care practices in hospitals and communities. She earned a Masters and Doctorate in Public Health and has co-authored numerous peer-reviewed, scientific publications.    

Clinical Director, Baby-Friendly USA

Tammy Titus has served as the Clinical Director of Baby-Friendly USA for the past 8 years.  Prior to coming to Baby-Friendly USA, she coordinated the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative in a large Midwest hospital, where she was employed for over 34 years.  Becoming a mother/baby nurse was a lifelong dream of Tammy’s.  She has had the privilege of assisting mothers and newborns with breastfeeding for more than 30 years.  Many of those years were spent working at the bedside of new couplets.  

Baobab Birth Collective Co-Founder and Doula

Chauntel Norris is a DONA trained birth doula, Lamaze trained childbirth educator and a Certified Lactation Counselor. She serves as the Manager of Advocacy, Forward Vision, & Change for the Alabama Prison Birth Project where she works to ensure that incarcerated mothers are supported both physically and emotionally and are able to express their milk and get it to their babies. Chauntel is the Co-Founder of Baobab Birth Collective, a Kindred partner of the Black Mamas Matter Alliance, a Reaching Our Sisters Everywhere (ROSE) Community Transformer, and serves on the board for the Alabama Breastfeeding Committee.

Every Mother Co-Director, CHAMPS National Coach

Cathy Carothers, BLA, IBCLC, FILCA, is a CHAMPS National hospital coach and consultant, a national breastfeeding promotion and support expert, and Co-Director of Every Mother, Inc., a nonprofit organization providing counseling and lactation training for health professionals across the United States. Cathy is an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant since 1996; past president and Fellow of the International Lactation Consultant Association; and past chair of the United States Breastfeeding Committee. She currently serves as the North American representative to the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA) Steering Committee. She has provided more than a thousand training events in the field of lactation in every US state and territory and many countries. She was honored in 2014 with the National Leadership Award in the “Friend of WIC” category from the National WIC Association.

In addition, Cathy serves as the national project director for numerous USDA Women, Infants, and Children curriculum development projects, including project director for the new WIC Breastfeeding Curriculum, a comprehensive breastfeeding staff training curriculum for all levels of WIC staff. She also developed the national WIC peer counseling program training curricula and management materials. Cathy previously worked with the HHS Office on Women’s Health (OWH) and Maternal Child Health Bureau (MCHB) to develop national resources for supporting breastfeeding employees and their employers, including the MCHB Business Case for Breastfeeding, and the OWH Supporting Nursing Moms at Work national initiative. She has provided state-level workshops for employers and community advocates on worksite lactation support in 37 US states. 

Research Assistant II, CHEER

Kathryn Pollack-Hinds, MPH, is a Research Assistant at the Center for Health Equity, Education, and Research (CHEER) at Boston Medical Center. She received her Master’s in Public Health from Boston University in May 2023 where she focused on community assessment and program design and maternal- child health. At CHEER, she supports the team in developing and facilitating virtual and in-person clinician trainings using a racial equity lens. She also works to promote the workplace lactation support project, Mississippi WINS, and analyzes data trends from the Interprofessional Module, Breastfeeding | Human Medicine.

CEO, Baby-Friendly USA

Dr. FitzPatrick has been the CEO of Baby-Friendly USA, Inc. since January 2021. Prior to that she was Chair and Professor in the Nutrition Science Department at Russell Sage College. Her research experience includes work with New York State Department of Health quality improvement programs that supported breastfeeding and maternity care practices in hospitals and communities. She earned a Masters and Doctorate in Public Health and has co-authored numerous peer-reviewed, scientific publications.    

Clinical Director, Baby-Friendly USA

Tammy Titus has served as the Clinical Director of Baby-Friendly USA for the past 8 years.  Prior to coming to Baby-Friendly USA, she coordinated the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative in a large Midwest hospital, where she was employed for over 34 years.  Becoming a mother/baby nurse was a lifelong dream of Tammy’s.  She has had the privilege of assisting mothers and newborns with breastfeeding for more than 30 years.  Many of those years were spent working at the bedside of new couplets.  

Project Management Specialist, CHEER

Mariah Banks, MPH, is a Program Management Specialist at the Center for Health Equity, Education, and Research (CHEER) at Boston Medical Center. She received her Master’s in Public Health from Boston University in May 2023, with a special interest in maternal and child health, especially in refugee and immigrant health. Her focus areas included program design, implementation, and evaluation, and health communications and promotion.

Mariah previously supported immigrant and refugee populations in Boston as the Social Media & Communications Specialist and Patient Advisory Council Coordinator at Boston Medical Center’s Immigrant & Refugee Health Center. She also worked as a communications specialist for the nonprofit Nature and Culture International, promoting environmental and community health in Mexico and South America. Additionally, Mariah was the CHEER International Group (CHEERing)’s first ever fellow, coordinating various aspects of CHEERing’s preventative health program in Greece.