This month, BELA leader Tyra T. Gross, PhD, MPH, shares with us how HC One’s Birth Equity and Leadership Academy (BELA) has impacted her as a researcher and advocate.
“I was attracted to BELA first because I trust and admire the community work that HealthConnect One does and secondly because of the opportunity to have leadership development and networking opportunities. As a faculty member, I often feel disconnected with the community but mentoring, networking and community work refreshes and invigorates me. I saw BELA as an opportunity to have support and accountability with my work on addressing MCH disparities in vulnerable populations.
My mentor is Diana Derige, and from our first call, I was immediately inspired and encouraged by her work as well as my fellow colleagues (shout out to Carmen, Kimberly, Isabel, and Taahira). Diana has charged us with being intentional about self-care as we do our community work and that continues to resonate strongly with me. BELA has helped me think outside the box on not only the way to approach my work as researcher and advocate to also the way to disseminate my work. It has helped strengthen my identity as voice as a leader.”
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Recently, Tyra presented at the National WIC Association annual meeting and is scheduled in July to participate in the 2019 Faculty Leaders Program with the Pardee RAND Graduate School. The fellowship provides in depth training on public policy. Her focus will be on the following project “Best practices in the “Fourth Trimester”: Implications for health systems and policy changes to improve postpartum care in the United States.” Congratulations!