Facebook
X
LinkedIn
ForwardCultivating Connections: Wisconsin Maternal and Child Health Conference 2026
Overview
By participating in this event, attendees will deepen their understanding of evidence-based, equity-focused strategies to improve maternal and child health across Wisconsin. Through collaborative dialogue and learning, participants will explore innovative approaches to address persistent health disparities, particularly among historically underserved populations. The conference will provide a unique space for families, healthcare providers, public health professionals, and community organizations to build connections and learn how to co-create culturally responsive, community-rooted solutions. Attendees will leave with actionable tools to integrate family voices, foster cross-sector partnerships, and advance holistic well-being in their work.
For more information, please see the Department of Pediatrics conference page:
https://www.pediatrics.wisc.edu/cultivating-connections-wisconsin-maternal-child-health-conference/
Practice Gaps and Needs
There are several critical professional practice gaps impacting the healthcare team’s ability to effectively support maternal and child health in Wisconsin. Many healthcare professionals lack sufficient cultural competence and awareness of evidence-based practices that are effective in diverse and rural communities. There is also a gap in understanding how to build and sustain meaningful partnerships with families, public health professionals, and community organizations—limiting the ability to deliver coordinated, person-centered care. Additionally, healthcare providers often struggle to operationalize equity in practice, despite recognizing its importance, due to a lack of practical tools and strategies. Finally, the integration of family and community voices into care delivery and policy development remains limited, which can result in services that do not fully reflect the lived experiences or needs of the populations they serve.
Intended Audience
This activity is intended for nurses, advanced practice nurses, physicians, physician assistants, psychologists, social workers, public health workers, patients, caregivers, community members, students, residents, and fellows.
Learning Objectives
As a result of participation in this activity, members of the healthcare team will be able to:
- Identify and apply evidence-based practices that address the diverse needs of Wisconsin’s maternal and child health populations, with an emphasis on cultural responsiveness, equity, and innovation
- Describe and engage in cross-sector collaborations between families, community organizations, healthcare providers, and public health professionals to improve access to and quality of MCH services
- Determine and implement community-rooted strategies that elevate the voices and lived experiences of families to shape maternal and child health policies and practices
- Analyze current health disparities impacting Wisconsin’s maternal and child populations and formulate actionable steps to promote equitable outcomes
- Incorporate innovative tools and approaches into professional practice to enhance the holistic well-being of families across the state
Elements of Competence
This educational activity is designed to change learner competence and focuses on the following competencies:
- National Academy of Medicine (NAM)/Nursing: Patient care and procedural skills, Medical knowledge, Interpersonal and Communication Skills, Professionalism
- Interprofessional Education Collaborative Competencies: Values and ethics, Roles and Responsibilities, Communication, Teams and Teamwork
- Social Impact and Belonging: Address differences in health outcomes
Cultivating Connections: Wisconsin Maternal and Child Health is provided by the following organizations:
- Wisconsin Department of Health Services
- University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health
- Social Health Sciences and Programs
- Department of Pediatrics
- Interprofessional Continuing Education Partnership (ICEP)
- UW–Madison Prevention Research Center
Preliminary Agenda
April 13, 2026 | ||
| Time | Event | Speaker |
| 7 a.m. | Yoga | |
| 8–9 a.m. | Registration & Networking Breakfast | |
| 9–9:15 a.m. | Conference Welcome | Dr. Jill Denson |
| 9:15–10:15 a.m. | Keynote | Dr. Claudette Onyelobi |
| 10:15–10:30 a.m. | Break/Transition | |
| 10:30–11:30 a.m. | Engagement Workshops: | |
| 11:30–11:45 a.m. | Break/Transition | |
| 11:45 a.m.–12:45 p.m. | Poster Session | |
| 12:45–1:45 p.m. | Networking Lunch | |
| 1:45–2:45 p.m. | Keynote | Fetal Infant Mortality Review Panel |
| 2:45–3 p.m. | Break/Transition | |
| 3–4 p.m. | Engagement Workshops | |
| 4–4:15 p.m. | Closing remarks for day 1 | Dr. Jill Denson |
| 5:15–6:15 p.m. | An Evening of Art & Connection: | |
| Join us for an evening of connection and creativity! Enjoy light refreshments and a cash bar while viewing the Visual Stories of Maternal and Child Health. This is a perfect opportunity to network, reflect, and celebrate the diverse voices within our community. | ||
| April 14, 2025 | ||
| Time | Event | Speaker |
| 7 a.m. | Yoga | |
| 8–9 a.m. | Registration and Networking Breakfast | |
| 9–9:15 a.m. | Conference Welcome Day 2! | Dr. Jill Denson |
| 9:15–10:15 a.m. | Keynote | Dr. Jasmine Zapata |
| 10:15–10:30 a.m. | Break/Transition | |
| 10:30–11:30 a.m. | Engagement Workshops | |
| 11:30–11:45 | Break/Transition | |
| 11:45 a.m.–12:45 p.m. | Keynote | Dr. Sheehan Fisher |
| 12:45–1:45 p.m. | Networking Lunch | |
| 1:45–2:45 p.m. | Engagement Workshops | |
| 2:45–3 p.m. | Conference Closing | Dr. Jill Denson |
Please note: The reservation deadline is Friday, March 13, 2026.
To reserve rooms at the conference venue, please call 1-800-867-9453, and reference "Leader #B10909"
Planners and Faculty
| Kara Hoppe, DO, PhD | Planning Committee Member, Faculty | Maternal-Fetal Medicine Specialist, Associate Professor at UWSMPH Dept of OBGYN |
| Claudette Onyelobi, MD | Planning Committee Member, Faculty | Neonatologist, Assistant Professor UWSMPH Division of Neonatology and Newborn Nursery |
| Jasmine Zapata, MD, MPH | Planning Committee Member, Faculty | Chief Medical Officer, State Epidemiologist for Maternal Child Health and Chronic Diseases, Newborn Nursery Hospitalist, Assistant Professor UWSMPH Division of Neonatology and Newborn Nursery |
| Micaela Berry Smith, BA | Planning Committee Member | UWPRC CAB/Associate Director of Community Engagement |
| Ronda Davis | Planning Committee Member | Justice-Involved Families State Outreach Specialist, UW-Madison Division of Extension |
| Jill Denson, PhD | Planning Committee Member | Division of General Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Director of the Prevention Research Center, Department of Pediatrics, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health |
| Christina Drain, BA, BD, BADT, C-FSD, CLCE, CCCE | Planning Committee Member | Program Manager, BOMB Doulas |
| David Frazer | Planning Committee Member | Director, UWM Center for Urban Population Health |
| Katie Gillespie, DNP, RN, CPH,FAAN | Planning Committee Member | Associate Professor, UW-Madison School of Nursing |
| Mala Mathur, MD, MPH | Planning Committee Member | Associate professor (CHS) in the Division of General Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Director of Professional Development in Peds |
| Robin Podel | Planning Committee Member | Clinical Assistant Professor, UW-Milwaukee School of Nursing |
| Julie Poehlmann, PhD | Planning Committee Member | Child Clinical Psychologist, Professor of Human Development & Family Studies, UW- Madison |
| Jaimee Prado | Planning Committee Member | Program Officer, WPP Operations, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health |
| Daniel Stattelman-Scanlan | Planning Committee Member | Public Health Nurse Supervisor, PHMDC |
| Tamara Thompson | Planning Committee Member | Newborn Screening Out of Hospital Coordinator, WI DHS |
| Melissa Ugland, MPH, MCHES | Planning Committee Member | Public Health Advisor, Gerald L. Ignace Indian Health Center |
| Tova Walsh, PhD | Planning Committee Member | Associate Professor, UW-Madison School of Social Work |
| Eileen Zeiger, MA | Planning Committee Member | Executive Director, Wisconsin Association for Perinatal Care |
| Krissy Alaniz | Faculty | |
| Abbigail Brown | Faculty | Public Health Nurse, Rock County Public Health |
| Kristi Ferrara, RN, BSN | Faculty | RN, BSN, Public Health Nurse, Rock County Public Health |
| Sheehan Fisher, PhD | Faculty | Associate Dean, Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Success, The Graduate School, Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine |
| Katie Howell, PhD | Faculty | Associate Professor, Department of Psyhchology, University of Wisconsin Madison |
| Sarah Hughes, DNP, RN | Faculty | DNP, RN - Public Health Supervisor, Public Health Madison and Dane County |
| Megan Knutson Sinaise | Faculty | |
| Cateryn Morateck, MPH | Faculty | Epidemiologist, Injury Prevention and Death Review, Wisconsin's voice for Children's Health |
| Joanna O'Donnell, GC-C | Faculty | GC-C, Program Manager, Injury Prevention and Child Death Review, Children's Health Alliance of Wisconsin |
| Melissa Seidl | Faculty | Public Health Strategist, City of Milwaukee Health Department |
Disclosures
It is the policy of the University of Wisconsin–Madison Interprofessional Continuing Education Partnership (ICEP) to identify, mitigate and disclose all relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies* held by the speakers/presenters, authors, planners, and other persons who may influence the content of this accredited continuing education (CE). In addition, speakers, presenters, and authors must disclose any planned discussion of unlabeled/unapproved uses of drugs or devices during their presentation.
For this accredited continuing education activity all relevant financial relationships have been mitigated and detailed disclosures are listed below.
Mitigated Table to be Added
*Ineligible companies are those whose primary business is producing, marketing, selling, re‐selling, or distributing healthcare products used by or on, patients. The ACCME does not consider providers of clinical services directly to patients to be ineligible companies.
Accreditation Statement
| Accreditation Logos | Accreditation Statements |
 | In support of improving patient care, this activity has been planned and implemented by the University of Wisconsin–Madison ICEP and Wisconsin Department of Health Services. The University of Wisconsin–Madison ICEP is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team. |
Credit Designation Statements | |
American Medical Association (AMA) The University of Wisconsin–Madison ICEP designates this live activity for a maximum of 8.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity. | |
American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) The University of Wisconsin–Madison ICEP designates this live activity for a maximum of 8.0 ANCC contact hours. | |
 | American Psychological Association (APA) Continuing Education (CE) credits for psychologists are provided through the co‐sponsorship of the American Psychological Association (APA) Office of Continuing Education in Psychology (CEP). The APA CEP Office maintains responsibly for the content of the programs. |
 | Association of Social Work Board (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) As a Jointly Accredited Organization, the University of Wisconsin–Madison ICEP is approved to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Organizations, not individual courses, are approved under this program. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. Social workers completing this course receive 8.0 general continuing education credits. |
Continuing Education Units (CEU) The University of Wisconsin–Madison ICEP, as a member of the University Professional & Continuing Education Association (UPCEA), authorizes this program for 8.0 CEUs or .08 hours. | |
Available Credit
- 8.00 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™
- 8.00 ANCC Contact Hours
- 8.00 APA CE Credits
- 8.00 University of Wisconsin–Madison Continuing Education Hours
- 8.00 Approved for AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™
Registration for this activity can only be completed through the ICEP Learning Portal. Attendee registrations made through any other sites cannot be honored. UW-Madison ICEP is not able to refund fees paid through unaffiliated registration sites, such as eMedEvents.com, MedConfWorld.com, EventEgg.com, and 10times.com. Please report any unauthorized websites or solicitations for registrations to [email protected].
Questions about Registration
Email [email protected].
Program Changes
Emergency situations occasionally occur and may necessitate topic or speaker changes. The University of Wisconsin–Madison ICEP reserves the right to alter or substitute a topic or speaker without prior notification.
Accessibility
We value inclusion and access for all participants and are pleased to provide reasonable accommodation for this event. Please contact [email protected] as soon as you can make a reasonable accommodation request.
Additional Information
Conference registration is facilitated through UW–Madison’s Interprofessional Continuing Education Partnership (ICEP). Because this event offers continuing education credits for pediatricians, social workers, nurses, psychologists, and other professionals, the ICEP registration system helps ensure that eligible participants receive the appropriate credits required for their licensure. Using this platform allows us to meet accreditation standards and streamline the documentation needed for continuing medical education.
Even if you do not need continuing education credits, you will still need to register through ICEP and create an account in order to attend. Creating an account is free, though it may take a few moments. By registering and creating an account, you will also be able to receive the University of Wisconsin continuing education units associated with the conference—everyone is considered a learner.
When registering as someone who does not need credits, it is important to complete all required fields to finalize your registration. If you have any questions or need help with account setup, please reach out to [email protected], and their team will be happy to assist.
Registration for this conference will close on March 13, 2026.
For program questions, contact Reva Finkelman [email protected]. For more information, see https://www.pediatrics.wisc.edu/cultivating-connections-wisconsin-maternal-child-health-conference/