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This conference is generously funded by a grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.
Anne Merewood, PhD, MPH
CHEER Director
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.
Laura Burnham, MPH
CHEER Associate Director
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.
Andrea Serano, CLC, IBCLC
Reaching Our Sisters Everywhere (ROSE) Interim Chief Executive Officer
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.
Veronica Gillispie-Bell, MD, MAS, FACOG
Louisiana Pregnancy-Associated Mortality Review and Louisiana Perinatal Quality Collaborative Medical Director, Senior Site Lead and Section Head of Women’s Services at Ochsner Medical Center-Kenner
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.
Michelle Owens, MD
St. Vincent Hospital, CHAMPS National Consultant
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.
Trendle Samuel, MPH, BSN, RN, CLC
CHEER Senior Research Project Manager, CHAMPS Coach
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.
Patricia Francisco
CHAMPS Consultant
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.
Cathy Carothers, BLA, IBCLC, FILCA
Every Mother Inc. Co-Director, CHAMPS Consultant
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.
Anne Merewood, PhD, MPH
CHEER Director
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.
Mariah Banks, MPH
CHEER Project Management Specialist
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.
Lorimar Ortiz, MD, IBCLC
Physician and Founder at Blooming Families Clinic, CHAMPS Consultant
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).
Anne Merewood, PhD, MPH
CHEER Director
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.
Eileen FitzPatrick , DrPH, MPH, RDN, CLC
Chief Executive Officer, Baby-Friendly USA
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.
Tammy Titus, BSN, RN, IBCLC
Clinical Director, Baby-Friendly USA
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.
Chauntel Norris, CLC, LCCE
Baobab Birth Collective Co-Founder and Doula
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.
Cathy Carothers, BLA, IBCLC, FILCA
Every Mother Inc. Co-Director, CHAMPS Consultant
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.
Kathryn Pollack-Hinds, MPH
CHEER Research Assistant II
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.
Eileen FitzPatrick , DrPH, MPH, RDN, CLC
Chief Executive Officer, Baby-Friendly USA
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.
Tammy Titus, BSN, RN, IBCLC
Clinical Director, Baby-Friendly USA
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.
Mariah Banks, MPH
CHEER Project Management Specialist
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.
Reaching Our Sisters Everywhere (ROSE) Interim Chief Executive Officer
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.
CHEER Director
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.
Every Mother Inc. Co-Director, CHAMPS Consultant
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.
Baobab Birth Collective Co-Founder and Doula
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.
Chief Executive Officer, Baby-Friendly USA
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.
CHEER Research Assistant II
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.
CHEER Associate Director
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.
Physician and Founder at Blooming Families Clinic, CHAMPS Consultant
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 Project Management Specialist
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.
St. Vincent Hospital, CHAMPS National Consultant
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.
CHAMPS Consultant
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.
Clinical Director, Baby-Friendly USA
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.
CHEER Senior Research Project Manager, CHAMPS Coach
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.
Louisiana Pregnancy-Associated Mortality Review and Louisiana Perinatal Quality Collaborative Medical Director, Senior Site Lead and Section Head of Women’s Services at Ochsner Medical Center-Kenner
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.
CHEER Director, Executive Director and Founder of CHEER International Group (CHEERing)
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
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.
CHEER Senior Research Project Manager, CHAMPS National Coach
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.
CHEER Senior Research Project Manager, CHAMPS National Coach
CHEER Senior Research Project Manager, CHAMPS National Coach
Becky Knapp, MPH, RN, IBCLC, has been a maternal-child health nurse for 18 years. Since the start of her career, she has been driven to support moms, babies, and their families during the prenatal and postpartum period. Becky’s passion quickly became promoting and protecting breastfeeding, in particular addressing socioeconomic and racial inequities that can so often complicate the breastfeeding journey. This has guided her work across the country as a postpartum, nursery, and antepartum nurse and lactation consultant in hospitals and the community. Additionally, Becky has worked on research teams looking at best practices to address inequities in maternity care.
Project Management Specialist, CHEER
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.
Research Assistant II, CHEER
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.
Research Assistant, CHEER
Research Assistant, CHEER
Gianna Hamann is a Research Assistant at the Center for Health Equity, Education, and Research (CHEER) at Boston Medical Center. Previously, she volunteered with the CHEER International Group (CHEERing), supporting CHEERing’s Grow Clinics and football training program and coordinating healthcare appointments. She also worked with Madison Street Medicine during her studies at the University of Wisconsin, providing direct healthcare to unhoused folks, assisting folks with getting health insurance and healthcare appointments, and running a blood pressure screening project. Gianna is passionate about nutrition, food access and equity, maternal-child health, healthcare access, and LGBTQ+ health.
Research Assistant, CHEER
Research Assistant, CHEER
Madeline Caughron is a Research Assistant at the Center for Health Equity, Education, and Research (CHEER) at Boston Medical Center. Madeline previously worked in behavioral and clinical psychology research and has a passion for helping people and advancing healthcare access for all, especially marginalized communities. She completed an internship in Australia developing DEI surveying and doing data analysis, and has worked for a women’s health business in Southwest Missouri where she advocated for women’s health education. Madeline aims to work to improve health equity and accessibility for communities across the globe.
Research Assistant, CHEER
Research Assistant, CHEER
Olivia Choi is a Research Assistant at the Center for Health Equity, Education, and Research (CHEER) at Boston Medical Center. Olivia has previously been involved in numerous mental health and maternal/child health advocacy & research initiatives at both Villanova and Brown University. She has worked as a Clinical Research Intern at MGH’s Department of Psychiatry and was also a 2023 Hassenfeld Summer Scholar at Brown. Additionally, she has actively been involved in serving her communities, such as teaching at the Korean School of New England on the weekends and volunteering with the Read to a Child program to promote youth literacy. Olivia hopes to work on and create interventions that address maternal and child-related health disparities, especially in marginalized and underserved populations. She aims to make a positive impact in all the communities she is immersed in and surrounded by.