The image above is of a postcard announcing our first website. Much has changed since then, but one constant guides us across the decades: we are proud of our long history of advancing maternal and child health, both across the country and right here in our home base of Washington, DC. Our early roots trace back to the National Clearinghouse for Human Genetic Diseases (1978 - 1981) with the charge to "develop information and educational materials to persons providing health care, to teachers and students, and to the public in general in order to rapidly make available the latest advances in the testing, diagnosis, counseling, and treatment of individuals respecting genetic diseases." In September 1982, we became one of the early "set-aside" Special Projects of Regional and National Significance as the National Center for Education in Maternal and Child Health (NCEMCH) at Georgetown University Medical Center under the direction of Robert C. Baumiller, S.J., a Jesuit priest and medical geneticist.
NCEMCH has a distinguished record of leading national health initiatives. Under the leadership of Rochelle Mayer, EdD, the National Center has founded numerous resource centers and initiatives, including the Healthy Start National Resource Center (HSNRC); the National Action Plan to Promote Safe Sleep (NAPPSS); the National SUID/SIDS Resource Center; the National Resource Center for Health and Safety in Child Care; the Bright Futures Initiative; the Title V Information System (TVIS); and the Children’s Safety Network (CSN). Our sister center, the National Maternal and Child Oral Health Resource Center (OHRC), was also founded as part of a joint MCHB grant.
Currently, under joint leadership of Rochelle Mayer and John Richards, our MCH Navigator provides online, competency-based learning to strengthen the current and emerging MCH workforce. Our work with the University of Alabama, Birmingham, as part of the Association of Teachers of Maternal and Child Health (ATMCH) allows us to support the cadre of current and future faculty, aiming to enhance knowledge and skills essential to teaching in the field of MCH. The MCH Evidence Center provides tools, training, and technical assistance in choosing evidence-based strategies to address each of the 15 national performance measures. The MCH Digital Library provides access to historic, seminal, and emerging resources that can help you no matter the MCH topic you are working on. Our HealthCheck Training and Resource Center ensures that health care providers in Washington, DC have the knowledge and skills to serve the district's children. And our work with the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC) on the Health Center Resource Clearinghouse ensures that community health centers across the country have access to the latest resources. Combined, these projects provide a scaffold of support to everyone working in the field to improve the lives of infants, children, youth, and families.
NCEMCH has been recognized by MCHB leadership as "a shining example of applying the academic orientation of the university to the needs of community and state-based health care programs" and as "an absolutely essential component of the nation's MCH program." Our MCH Digital Library has been called "a national treasure."
We are proud of these accolades, but like to think our efforts speak for themselves. Check out this recent article about our work during the time of COVID and explore our website -- we are sure that you'll find critical resources to help you in your daily work in MCH. As our first cooperative agreement report (August 1983) stated: "The National Center is committed to improving the quality of life for present and future generations."