Educational Sessions
Wednesday, June 4, 2025
Networking Lunch | 12:00pm–12:30pm CT
Welcome & Opening Remarks | 12:30pm–1:00pm CT
Opening Plenary | 1:00pm–2:15pm CT
GBR A/B
Making the Health of Mississippians a Priority: How Federal and State Policy Decisions Shape Our Public’s Health
- Describe how recent federal and state policies and executive orders are shaping health outcomes in Mississippi.
- Identify policy areas that promote or impede health for diverse populations across the state.
- Analyze real-world examples of how policy changes have affected public health indicators and community resilience in Mississippi.
- Engage in dialogue with local, state, and national leaders on strategies to prioritize the health of Mississippians in future policy decisions.
Session Chair: June Gipson
Panelists
Grace Butler Washington
Representative District 69 Hinds County
Mississippi Legislature
Renia Dotson
State Epidemiologist and Director for Center for Public Health Transformation
MSDH
Thomas Dobbs
Dean, School of Population Health
UMMC
Catherine Brett
Clinical Medical Director, Health Informatics | Office of Health Services
Mississippi Division of Medicaid
Mitchell Adcock
MS Center for Public Policy
Delta Health Alliance
Concurrent Session I | 2:30pm–3:30pm CT
Jr. BR A/B
Tobacco Today: Advocacy, Health Impacts, and Public Health Interventions in Mississippi
- Identify behavioral and physical signs of nicotine addiction in adolescents and list the neurological impacts of youth nicotine use.
- Identify a comprehensive action plan that engages parents, schools, stakeholders, and youth in reducing e-cigarette use through peer education, community outreach, and the reinforcement of tobacco-free policies in school settings.
- Identify the health and economic impact of tobacco use in the state and list key strategies used by the Mississippi State Department of Health.
Session Chair: TBD
Speakers
Warren Jones, MPH
Epidemiologist
Institute for the Advancement of Minority Health
Youth Brain Development: Tobacco and Vaping Addiction
Edward Clark III
Program Director
Caffee Caffee and Associates Public Health Foundation
Youth Pathways to Empowerment
Robert McMillen
Professor
Mississippi State University
Reducing the Burden of Tobacco in Mississippi over the Past 25 Years
Jr. BR C
State of Maternal Health: The State of Mississippi: Shaping the Future of Maternal and Child Health in Mississippi Through Impactful Strategies
- Identify outreach strategies that will increase tobacco cessation program participation among families.
- Identify the role of birth workers in improving maternal health outcomes.
- Identify Mississippi Public Health Institute’s Maternal Health Innovation (MHI) strategies.
Session Chair: TBD
Speakers
Sharonda Banks
Director, Health Systems Change
MS State Department of Health
Healthier Beginnings: Mississippi’s Telehealth-Driven Maternal Cessation Model
Nakeitra Burse
Executive Director
Six Dimensions
Birthing Bosses: The Business Development Training for Birth Workers to Address Maternal Health Outcomes
Asia Rush
Program Manager
Six Dimensions
Birthing Bosses: The Business Development Training for Birth Workers to Address Maternal Health Outcomes
Hannah Sheridan
Program Manager
MSPHI
Empowering Maternal Health: Strategies for Change in Mississippi
GBR C
Addressing Social Determinamhdmhdnts and Communication Strategies to Advance Health in Underserved Communities
- Identify strategies for incorporating healthy lifestyle modifications to prevent and manage chronic kidney disease.
- Identify the combined impact of social determinants of health on stroke prevalence, moving beyond clinical factors and utilizing data from a nationally representative survey.
- Identify situational issues relevant to negative vs. positive weight-based discussions.
Session Chair: TBD
Speakers
Brieah Hudson
Assistant Professor
Jackson State University
Building Cross-Sector Partnerships to Advance Health Equity Among Historically-Excluded Populations within Mississippi
James Robinson
Chairs
Jackson State University
Building Cross-Sector Partnerships to Advance Health Equity Among Historically-Excluded Populations within Mississippi
Abedin Minhazul
PhD Student
University of Mississippi Medical Center
Composite effect of social determinants of health on stroke prevalence: A Logistic Regression and Causal Mediation Analysis Across 34 U.S. States
Juanita Graham
Research Consultant
Mississippi State Department of Health Public Health
Weight Counseling vs. Weight Shaming: Educating Public Health Professionals to Discuss Sensitive Topics
Jr. BR D
Bridging the Gap: The Role of Language Access in Public Health
Bridging the Gap: The Role of Language Access in Public Health
- Identify the challenges and disparities faced by individuals with limited English proficiency (LEP) in accessing public health services.
- Analyze the impact of language-concordant care on patient outcomes, health literacy, and public health equity.
- Evaluate effective language access strategies, policies, and best practices for improving communication and service delivery in healthcare.
Session Chair: TBD
Speaker
Selma Alford
Bureau Director Language Access
MSDH
Bridging the Gap: The Role of Language Access in Public Health
Concurrent Session II | 3:45pm–4:45pm am CT
Jr. BR A/B
Public Health Strategies to Advance Mental Health Disparities to Solutions
Public Health Strategies to Advance Mental Health Disparities to Solutions
- Identify harm reduction policies or strategies for opioid use disorder that can be implemented within their organizations.
- Identify the impact of stigma at various levels in reducing access to care, and explore strategies to overcome this barrier.
- Identify strategies to improve mental health service delivery in the African American community.
Session Chair: TBD
Speakers
Utsav Nandi
Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine and Population Health Science
UMMC
Leveraging community-state-hospital partnerships to address gaps in care for those living with opioid use disorder
Damien Thomas
CEO/Clinical Director
Resilience Counseling & Recovery Center, LLC
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly: Mental Health Disparities with African Americans
Jr. BR C
Innovative Approaches to Advancing Maternal Health in Mississippi
Innovative Approaches to Advancing Maternal Health in Mississippi
- Describe the trend increase in maternal syphilis in Mississippi to discuss the profound impact of the lack of prenatal care on detrimental maternal outcomes, including maternal syphilis.
- Identify public health prevention strategies and clinical interventions aimed at reducing the rate of maternal syphilis in Mississippi.
- Describe a model of care that provides monitoring and support to expectant mothers in Mississippi.
Session Chair: TBD
Speakers
Manuela Staneva
Instructor Researcher
John D. Bower School of Population Health, University of Mississippi Medical Center
The Price of Neglect: Maternal Syphilis in Mississippi, USA, 2013-2023
Thomas Dobbs, MD, MPH
Dean, School of Population Health
UMMC
An Ounce of Prevention: Maternal Screening and the Fight Against Congenital Syphilis
Tearsanee Davis
Director, Clinical Programs and Strategy
UMM Center for Telehealth
Maternal Health: Much more than a baby!
Tiffany Regan
RPM RN Care Coordinator
Center for Telehealth, University of Mississippi Medical Center
Maternal Health: Much more than a baby!
GBR C
Risk Factors and Community-Based Solutions to Reduce Chronic Disease Disparities
Risk Factors and Community-Based Solutions to Reduce Chronic Disease Disparities
- Identify shared risk factors (modifiable and non-modifiable) contributing to cancer, cardiovascular disease, and dementia, and explain their role in health disparities.
- Identify the effectiveness of community-based interventions in managing hypertension, focusing on key predictors and comparing various intervention settings.
- Identify strategies for reducing health disparities through community-based interventions by assessing their impact on healthcare access, disease management, and long-term sustainability.
Session Chair: TBD
Speakers
Kenneth R. Butler, Jr.
Professor/Laboratory Director
University of Mississippi Medical Center
Intersecting Risks: Examining Shared Modifiable and Non-Modifiable Factors in Cancer, Cardiovascular Disease, and Dementia Through the Lens of Health Disparities
Border-ere Fiemotonghan
Program Specialist III
Mississippi State Department of Health
Leveraging Trusted Community Partners for Health Promotion: Exploring the Predictors of Blood Pressure Outcomes in the Jackson Heart Study-Community Engagement Center Programs
Felix Twun
Associate Professor
The University of Southern Mississippi
Jr. BR D
Connecting Communities: Strategies for Inclusive Leadership, Education, and Access
Connecting Communities: Strategies for Inclusive Leadership, Education, and Access
- Identify the impact of the Rural Medical & Science Scholars program on rural health workforce development and its influence on career paths in STEM and health sciences.
- Identify civic engagement, local participation, and sustainability, and explain how trust in local government contributes to successful community initiatives.
- Identify the interaction between civic engagement and trust in local government to promote sustainable outcomes in community settings.
Session Chair: TBD
Speakers
Jasmine Harris-Speight
Extension Instructor
Mississippi State University
Does the Rural Medical and Science Scholars program enhance Human Capital?
Latara Arterberry
Extension Specialist I
Mississippi State University
The Role of Civic Engagement and Trust in Government in Advancing Sustainability: A New Public Service Theory Approach
Thursday, June 5, 2025
Morning Plenary: State of Mississippi | 8:30am–9:30am CT
Concurrent Session III | 9:45am–10:45am CT
Jr. BR A/B
Healing Together: Community-Based Approaches to Trauma, Burnout, and Mental Health Care
Healing Together: Community-Based Approaches to Trauma, Burnout, and Mental Health Care
- Identify approaches for treating co-occurring trauma and chronic illness.
- Identify primary tools used to measure burnout and secondary traumatic stress Community Health Workers (CHWs) to improve retention and mental health support.
- Identify best practice guidelines for antenatal mental health.
Session Chair: TBD
Speakers
Earl Benjamin-Robinson
Co-Founder/Principal
The BACH Group
Trauma Disorders & Chronic Illness: Awareness & Approaches
Michael Benjamin-Robinson
Principal
The BACH Group
Trauma Disorders & Chronic Illness: Awareness & Approaches
Emily Dent
Instructor
University of Southern Mississippi
Who Heals the Healers? Insights from a Systematic Review on Community Health Worker Burnout
Stephanie Tullos
Instructor
UMMC School of Nursing
Antenatal Mental Health Screening: An Evidence-Implementation Project
Teresa Jones
Clinical Program Manager
Mississippi Public Health Institute
Antenatal Mental Health Screening: An Evidence-Implementation Project
Jr. BR D
Real Talk on Dementia, Alzheimer’s & Family Caregiving
Real Talk on Dementia, Alzheimer’s & Family Caregiving
- Identify at least 3 key social and environmental factors contributing to disparities in Alzheimer’s and dementia care.
- Describe 2 evidence-based risk reduction strategies and mental health practices that promote healthy aging and cognitive well-being.
- List 2 practical resources and support mechanisms available for family caregivers of individuals with Alzheimer’s and dementia.
Session Chair: Kaye Bender
Speaker
P. Herbert Caldwell
Chief of Compliance
Logan University
The Documentary Film Screening: ‘My Mama Joe, Hope & Help’
GBR C
Improving Diabetes Prevention and Care Through Culturally Responsive Strategies and Innovation
Improving Diabetes Prevention and Care Through Culturally Responsive Strategies and Innovation
- Identify how cultural and linguistic barriers affect delivery of the National Diabetes Prevention Program.
- Identify effective strategies for diabetes prevention and management in underserved communities, including the use of GLP-1 receptor agonists, continuous glucose monitoring, and remote coaching.
- Identify risk factors, early detection methods, and lifestyle interventions for gestational diabetes.
Session Chair: TBD
Speakers
Erica Thompson
Executive Director
Magnolia Medical Foundation
Delivery of the CDC National Diabetes Prevention Program in the Spanish Speaking Community on the Mississippi Gulf Coast: Challenges and Successes
Catherine Moring
Executive Director, Kennedy Wellness Center, Project Director, Mississippi Diabetes Network
Tallahatchie General Hospital Medical Foundation
Best Practices for Diabetes Management and Prevention in Mississippi
Ciarra Shaw
Community Outreach and Grant Specialist
Magnolia Medical Foundation
Nurturing Maternal Health: A Gestational Diabetes Awareness and Prevention Program
Concurrent Session IV | 10:50am–11:50am CT
Jr. BR A/B
Progress in Reporting and Data Visualization: Using Data to Address Health Disparities and Showcase Program Impact
Progress in Reporting and Data Visualization: Using Data to Address Health Disparities and Showcase Program Impact
- Identify various data visualization products to effectively use them to depict nature, scope, and impact of project accomplishments.
- Identify strategies to utilize Tobacco Reporting and Progress System to enhance tobacco control efforts in Mississippi.
- Identify geographic patterns of health disparities through GIS mapping and statistical analysis and evidence-based insights for informing policy and stakeholder actions aimed at reducing structural inequities.
Session Chair: TBD
Speakers
John Bartkowski
President and Lead Evaluator
Bartkowski & Associates Research Team
Storytelling with Data Visualization: How to Create Project Achievement Narratives with Dashboards, Infographics, and More
Tasnim Tabassum
Doctoral Student
University of Mississippi Medical Center
Mapping the Distribution of Social Determinants of Health in Mississippi: Census Tract Level Exploration
Sujan Anreddy
Assistant Research Professor
Mississippi State University
The Tobacco Reporting and Progress System (TRAPS) Enhances Tobacco Control Efforts in Mississippi
Colleen Stouffer
Project Director
Mississippi State University
The Tobacco Reporting and Progress System (TRAPS) Enhances Tobacco Control Efforts in Mississippi
GBR C
Exploring Barriers and Trends in Chronic Disease Prevention and Screening
Exploring Barriers and Trends in Chronic Disease Prevention and Screening
- Identify key trends and disparities in preventive health screenings—including mammograms and prediabetes risk—based on transportation access, age, and race in Mississippi from 2020 to 2024.
- Describe the impact of transportation barriers and limited oral health access on chronic disease prevention, management, and early detection.
- Identify actionable public health strategies to improve screening rates, address transportation challenges, and integrate oral health into chronic disease prevention efforts.
Session Chair: TBD
Panelists
Negasi Tsegay
Graduate Student
Jackson State University
Association Between Lack of Transportation and Prediabetes Among Mississippi Adults: 2023 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System
Anudeep Kapalavayi
Research Data Analyst II
Mississippi State Department of Health
Yearly Trends in Mammogram Screenings: 2020-2024
Carla Bassett
Regional Oral Health Consultant
MS State Department of Health – Office of Oral Health
Beyond The Smile: Exploring the Link Between Oral Health and Systemic Disease
Eugenia Daniels-Davis
Registered Dental Hygienist / Regional Oral Health Consultant
MS State Department of Health – Office of Oral Health
Beyond The Smile: Exploring the Link Between Oral Health and Systemic Disease
Aryel Winstead
Regional Oral Health Consultant
MS State Department of Health – Office of Oral Health
Beyond The Smile: Exploring the Link Between Oral Health and Systemic Disease
Networking Lunch, Awards, and Recognition | 12:00pm–1:00pm CT
Lunch Plenary: Workforce & Economic Development | 12:30pm–1:30pm CT
Concurrent Session V | 2:15pm – 3:15 pm CT
Jr. BR C
Empowering Healthy Aging: Strategies, Support, and Sustainable Solutions
Empowering Healthy Aging: Strategies, Support, and Sustainable Solutions
- Identify common types of Medicare fraud targeting older adults, recognize key warning signs, and describe how to report fraud using public resources.
- Identify strategies for preventing Medicare fraud, waste, and abuse and outline how to use S.M.A.R.T. and S.W.O.T. tools to support community-based program development.
- Identify key health and support services for older adults and caregivers in Mississippi and evaluate how accessibility and usability factors influence the effectiveness of AI-driven health resource tools.
Session Chair: TBD
Speakers
Sujan Anreddy
Assistant Research Professor
Mississippi State University
Process Workflow for Mapping Resources for Healthy Aging Population in Mississippi
Colleen Stouffer
Project Director
Mississippi State University
Process Workflow for Mapping Resources for Healthy Aging Population in Mississippi
Danielle Guillory
Lead Community Outreach Specialist
Senior Medicare Patrol
Protecting “Our Seniors” from Medicare Fraud
Danae Brown
Community Outreach Specialist
Senior Medicare Patrol / AdviseWell
Protecting “Our Seniors” from Medicare Fraud
Hayven Hart
Food and Diaper Project Director
Magnolia Medical Foundation
Exercise Program Targeting the Reduction of Underlying Health Conditions and the Increase of Physical Activity
GBR C
Advancing HIV Care and Building Trust to Improve Health Outcomes in Mississippi
Advancing HIV Care and Building Trust to Improve Health Outcomes in Mississippi
- Identify barriers to HIV care and prevention in Mississippi, including stigma, rural access challenges, and workforce limitations, using recent data and provider feedback.
- Describe the impact of the Ryan White Part B EHE initiative on improving HIV outcomes, such as viral suppression rates, rapid ART access, and retention in care.
- List effective, culturally responsive strategies—such as mobile health units, telehealth, and representative care teams—that improve care engagement, among Black women and underserved populations.
Session Chair: TBD
Speakers
Ihunanya Kanu
Program Planning Monitoring Evaluation Coordinator
Mississippi State Department of Health
From Diagnosis to Viral Suppression: The Impact of Ryan White Part B EHE in Ending the HIV Epidemic in Mississippi
Daisy Carter-Slater
Program Director
Mississippi Public Health Institute
The Power of Representation: Building Trust and Inclusive Healthcare for Black Women at Risk for HIV and Substance Use Disorder
Elizabeth Jones
Research and Evaluation Associate
Plan A Health Clinic
Healthcare Professionals’ Perceptions of HIV Care in Mississippi
Rita Momah
Ryan White Part B EHE Project Director/PI
Mississippi State Department of Health
Healthcare Professionals’ Perceptions of HIV Care in Mississippi
Haley James
Project Manager
University of Mississippi Medical Center
Healthcare Professionals’ Perceptions of HIV Care in Mississippi
Jr. BR D
Community-Academic Partnership: A Case Study in Violence Prevention Clinical Trial Design
Community-Academic Partnership: A Case Study in Violence Prevention Clinical Trial Design
- Describe three community-sourced interventions under study for the prevention of firearm violence in the Jackson, Mississippi community.
- Identify facilitators and barriers to community participatory design in clinical trials aimed at firearm violence prevention.
- Identify elements of community-academic partnerships that may reduce the impact of health disparities on research study design.
Session Chair: TBD
Speakers
Matthew Kutcher
Associate Professor of Surgery and Emergency Medicine
University of Mississippi Medical Center
Lei Zhang
Professor and Associate Dean for Research and Scholarship
University of Mississippi Medical Center / School of Nursing
Closing Session | 3:30pm–4:30pm CT
GBR A/B
Reclaiming the Narrative: Southern Leadership, Legacy, and the Future of Community Health
Reclaiming the Narrative: Southern Leadership, Legacy, and the Future of Community Health
- Recognize the historical contributions of Southern communities to the development of community-based healthcare solutions.
- Understand RWJF’s current initiatives aimed at improving health outcomes, including efforts to support healthier communities and strengthen healthcare systems.
- Identify strategies for leveraging community data and cross-sector partnerships to enhance health outcomes in Southern regions.
Session Chair: TBD – Conference LOC Member (Jennifer L. Lemacks)
Presenter
Monica L. Coleman
Program Officer, Research Evaluation Learning
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation