Introducing our 2022 Champions for Change

Today, we’re thrilled to introduce the winners of our 2022 “Champions for Change” Awards, which recognizes individuals in our community who are dedicated to making Hamilton County a better place for women, moms and babies.

Champion for Better Care

Heidi Sullivan is a licensed social worker with more than 20 years of experience serving pregnant women and families. In her current role, she supports Centering (a group prenatal care model) and provides social work services to patients receiving pregnancy and postpartum care at TriHealth hospitals and practices. Her mission of expanding social services for all routine women’s health services is what makes Heidi stand out among her peers. Heidi is a strong advocate for change and leads others to find solutions to the challenges that so often create barriers for patients when accessing care, like safe housing, access to nutritious foods, and educational and employment opportunities.

Champion for Knowledge

Dr. Carissa Rocheleau is a reproductive occupational epidemiologist for the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)/Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In this role, she regularly consults with pregnant workers and partners with employers to reduce hazardous occupational exposures during pregnancy and the postpartum period for working mothers. One of the major challenges in occupational reproductive health is emphasizing the importance of work in a mother’s life to health and policy organizations. Carissa has spent many years advocating for the collection of occupational data for pregnant workers in order to improve their working conditions. She has successfully obtained funding for inclusion of occupational exposure information in many large, national studies including the CDC’s Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS) survey.

Champion for Smoke Free Women

As a Tobacco Treatment Specialist with TriHealth, Teka Reinhold helps women cut back on and quit smoking during pregnancy. Quitting smoking isn’t easy, and Teka works hard to connect with her patients on a personal level, supporting them in every way she can. While still fairly new to her position, Teka has found her footing quickly. In recent months, she’s started expanding her services to include both Good Samaritan and Bethesda North Hospitals. 

Community Activist Champions

Gayle Foster is an interviewer with the Fetal & Infant Morality Review (FIMR) program through Hamilton County Public Health. FIMR is a community based, action-oriented process aimed at improving services, systems and resources for women, infants and families.As a FIMR interviewer, Gayle reaches out to families who have experienced infant loss and offers them a chance to share their story. She is both a wealth of knowledge and a great community resource for the families she connects with as well as a gentle listening ear as they share one of the most vulnerable and devasting moments of their lives. 

Helping, encouraging and empowering pregnant and postpartum women is Jamaica Gilliam’s passion, and it shows. As a neighborhood navigator, she provides pregnant women with important health information and connects them to needed resources that support healthy pregnancies. But Jamaica is also a doula, certified lactation counselor and executive director of Blaq Birth Circle, a nonprofit focused on supporting, educating and advocating with and for Black birth workers and Black women in Hamilton County. Her focus and drive for Black maternal health is evident 

Jailah Oglesby is Vice President of Program Delivery and Impact with Rosemary’s Babies Co., a nonprofit that helps teen parents learn real world skills to turn their obstacles into opportunities by providing supplies, education and a safe space. In this role, Jailah manages programs, trainings and events focused on teen parent involvement, early reading, safe sleep, job skills, access to health care and more to more than 200 teen parents annually. Her goal is to continue using her passion and business acumen to increase equitable opportunities for people of all ages and backgrounds.

Community Health Worker Champion

Nicolene Acosta-Zamora is a certified community health worker with Cincinnati Children’s. Her colleagues describe her as patient, caring and understanding – and determined to help families overcome any and all barriers they face. She’s developed strong partnerships with organizations and agencies throughout the county in order to help families facing poverty, food insecurities, housing issues and more. The role of community health worker can be challenging and emotional, but Nikki puts her best foot forward and goes above and beyond to help families find solutions every day.

Home Visitor Champions

With more than 25 years at Santa Maria Community Services, Anne Wilburn, Family Support Worker, has a record of connecting and retaining the moms that she works with – and a special talent when it comes to working with teen moms. Anne has been able to support these women in a way that makes them feel confident and proud of their achievements. She provides the education and resources they need, making it possible for them to maintain a healthy pregnancy while still achieving their educational and life goals. 

Shauna Knox-Mayberry is a Family Development Specialist with Best Point Education & Behavioral Health, formerly The Children’s Home. As a Family Development Specialist, she creates a positive culture of health and support for moms, caregivers, babies and entire family units in Hamilton County. Families not only view Shauna as a respected home visiting professional, but as a true advocate and confidante. She is especially adept at working with caregivers who have cognitive and/or developmental delays. Her unique delivery of services and vision of meeting clients where they are continues to challenge families positively and helps them grow.

Safe Sleep Champion

Lakisha Green is a home visitor with Every Child Succeeds, a nonprofit focused on strengthening family wellbeing, supporting healthy environments and optimizing infant and toddler development. Lakisha is passionate about the health and safety of first-time mothers and their babies. Through her experiences working with families, she’s realized that allowing mothers the opportunity to share openly about the barriers and challenges with practicing safe sleep has led to more open and honest discussions – and practical solutions unique to each family.

Champion for Equity

Dr. Roosevelt Walker has been an advocate for equity in women’s health since before it was a hot topic. As the Associate Program Director for the TriHealth Obstetrics & Gynecology Residency Training Program, he immerses his medical students in maternal equity work and stays abreast of patients and families’ needs and outcomes as it relates to disparities. He has been instrumental in TriHealth’s obstetrical health equity initiatives and is a beacon for equity in justice and respectful care across Hamilton County.