Introducing Our 2020 "Champions for Change" Winners
Cradle Cincinnati is thrilled to introduce the winners of our 2020 “Champions for Change” Awards, which we celebrate every September in recognition of Infant Mortality Awareness Month. This year, we decided to forgo our typical champion categories and, instead, recognize ten individuals who went above and beyond in their support of families during the COVID-19 pandemic. Each of these champions found creative solutions to connect families with needed resources and help women maintain a sense of community during a time of uncertainty.
The winners of the 2020 Cradle Cincinnati “Champions for Change” awards are:
For Transforming Medicine During the Pandemic:
Dr. Molly Carey is an obstetrician with UC Health who took the lead in adapting the operations of the Hoxworth OB/GYN Center early in the pandemic in order to create a safe environment where women could receive care. She also informed local community health centers about how they, too, could keep moms and babies safe while providing excellent healthcare. Recognizing the need for connection and community among pregnant women, many of whom faced fear and isolation, Dr. Carey started one the of first virtual models of group prenatal care in Cincinnati.
Brittney Dickerson is a patient navigator at UC Health. She serves a unique position, acting as the link between the Emergency Department and Hoxworth OB/GYN Center for pregnant women. Brittney reviews all positive pregnancy tests that present in the Emergency Department and helps enroll newly pregnant women into prenatal care within their first trimester. During the pandemic, Brittney supported the transition of in-person visits to telephone visits while providing consistent and welcoming care.
Dr. Christine Furgason is a family physician at Crossroad Health Center and is spearheading the center’s first group prenatal care program, which is a part of their rapidly growing prenatal health services. COVID-19 has presented many obstacles to the start of this program, but Dr. Furgason has risen to this challenge by launching virtual group visits that prioritize her patients’ safety, health and well-being. She recognizes the value of connecting pregnant women with their peers and continuing their prenatal care alongside other soon-to-be moms.
Lakeya McNary is a community health worker at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center. In this role, she ensures that pediatric patients can continue to receive medical care at Hopple Street Health Center during the pandemic. Beyond that, she helps parents make the most out of their pediatric visits by encouraging them to prioritize and write down questions to ask their doctor and by connecting them to all of the resources available in their communities.
For Redesigning Outreach to Pregnant Women During the Pandemic:
Denise Harris is the maternal and child health care coordination supervisor for Health Care Access Now. She leads a team of community health workers who now serve women virtually due to the pandemic. With more than 30 years of experience in community work, Denise has developed an extensive network of partners who provide wraparound services to families. She believes that her team can be a voice for pregnant women and strives to meet women where they are while building close and supportive relationships to help moms and babies thrive.
Stephanie Satterwhite is a community health worker for Healthy Moms and Babes. When the pandemic began, she realized that families were still in need of essential baby items – like diapers, wipes and portable cribs – and created a system of delivering these in a safe way. Rather than give items in person, she instituted porch drop-offs and has continued to deliver supplies in this manner ever since. She also worked to ensure that families had and understood the most up-to-date information on COVID-19 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Sandra Thomas is a family development specialist for The Children’s Home of Cincinnati with over a decade of experience in home visiting. During the pandemic, Sandra has been a source of stability for the families she works with, creating a consistent schedule to meet with them every week. The volume and duration of her visits is always the highest amongst her peers, because she develops and maintains close relationships with her clients and is always prepared with just-in-time strategies and resources to meet their most pressing needs.
For Building and Investing in Communities During a Crisis:
Chief Alfie Jones is the fire chief for the City of Forest Park. Chief Jones works closely with Hamilton County Public Health to identify, connect with and assist families with whatever they need – such as food, cleaning supplies and baby items – in the growing Latino, Bhutanese and Nepali communities. He has been a strong community advocate during the pandemic and has coordinated multiple COVID-19 testing sites, assisted with produce pop-ups, and tracked all COVID-19 positive individuals in Forest Park.
Morgan Whaley is the executive director of outreach at The Emmanuel Temple Apostolic Church. In this role, she has been instrumental in acquiring grants to support community outreach programs offered through the church, including a food pantry, a diaper and hygiene products ministry, a laundry ministry and an employment and mentorship ministry. Although the pandemic has destabilized many of these programs, Morgan has ensured that people in her community are continuously served by turning many of the outreach initiatives to virtual and online.
Dr. Julie Ware is a pediatrician who specializes in breastfeeding medicine at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center. For the past several years, she has co-led All Moms Empowered to Nurse, a breastfeeding support group, with moms in Cincinnati. While this group initially met bi-monthly, Dr. Ware saw how women needed a place to gather and increased the frequency to weekly meetings via Zoom. She also partnered with Cincinnati Children’s to establish a delivery system of cleaning and baby supplies for women who needed them.
Thanks again to all of our champions! You are making a real difference for moms and babies.