Thank you for joining us at the
Maternal Health Network
Bi-Annual Summit
Wednesday, January 29, 2025
9:00AM - 3:30PM
Rancho Cucamonga, CA
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A multidisciplinary gathering focused on uniting perinatal providers for networking and collaboration to enhance support for birthing families.
The Summit will include:
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Networking opportunities and updates from member organizations
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Support strategies, best practices and lessons learned from a panel of experts who review cases of infant and maternal mortality
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A group equity exercise to encourage collaboration and identify resources for pregnant and parenting people experiencing housing insecurity/homelessness
Agenda and Key Topics
Strategic Plan Implementation Efforts
The backbone team for the Maternal Health Network (MHN) will cover recent updates to MHN programming and engage the membership in a conversation about upcoming strategic plan revisions. The backbone team will also share preliminary insights gained from their data collection efforts to better understand systems navigation for pregnant and postpartum families in San Bernardino. These updates will be contextualized within the current political landscape of policy that impacts birthing families and the care they’re able to receive.
Panel Discussion • Eliminating Maternal and Infant Mortality: Lessons Learned from Regional Review Committees
Experts from the SoCal Pregnancy Associated Mortality Review (PAMR) and San Bernardino Fetal Infant Mortality Review (FIMR) committees will share best practices, resources, and policies that contribute to improving birth outcomes for pregnant people.
Equity Group Exercise • Pregnant and Unhoused
This exercise will engage all participants in exploring the elements of a real life (de-identified) case scenario about an individual experiencing pregnancy and housing insecurity to identify gaps in care and opportunities to improve support. An anticipated outcome of this session will be the identification of new and emerging resources and strategies to advocate for systems change that benefits those who are pregnant and unhoused.
Meet the Presenters & Panelists
Presenters
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Dr. Sayida Peprah-Wilson, PsyD
Dr. Sayida Peprah-Wilson is both a Licensed Clinical Psychologist and Full Spectrum Doula, with over 15 years of experience in both fields. She specializes in multicultural psychology, trauma, suicide prevention and perinatal mental health, and has practiced in community-based, in-home, psychiatric hospital and prison settings. She has a multifaceted career as a psychologist, consultant, diversity educator and community doula program co-director with Frontline Doulas and Sankofa Birthworkers Collective of the Inland Empire. Dr. Sayida is the Founder and Executive Director of the non-profit organization Diversity Uplifts, Inc., whose mission is to improve the well-being of women, birthing people, children and families and increase cultural competence and humility among providers who serve them.
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Dr. Anna King, PhD, LCSW, PMH-C
Dr. Anna King, PhD, LCSW, PMH-C (she/her) is a licensed clinical social worker, certified perinatal mental health specialist, and qualitative research psychologist. Currently, Dr. King serves as Deputy Executive Director with Diversity Uplifts, Inc., and Program Manager of the Maternal Health Network of San Bernardino County. She is also a part-time psychotherapist with ARC Counseling and Wellness.
Over the past 10 years, she has had the opportunity to obtain specialized training and experience supporting individuals and families across the reproductive spectrum. She has developed and facilitated training programs, conferences, and curricula intended to educate care providers on mental and emotional wellness during pregnancy and postpartum. Dr. King’s approach offers a holistic perspective to promoting perinatal well-being that addresses the whole person and the whole family.
Panelists
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Monique Amis, BS
Monique Amis is the Chief of the Community and Family Health Division at the San Bernardino County Department of Public Health. Monique has been with the County since 2008, working initially with the County Administrative Office, and has since then moved to various leadership roles in other departments in the County. Monique has served in her current role since May of 2021, and holds a true passion for the programs within Community and Family Health as they aim to eliminate health disparities by providing supplemental services to underserved children and their families.
As a Black woman whose family has deep roots in San Bernardino County, Monique knows it is her own loved ones who are often underserved and strives to impact the community through that lens. As a servant-leader, Monique is working with her management team to drive innovation, policy and systems change with a focus on equity in the Community and Family Health programs including Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health including the Fetal Infant Mortality Review and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome programs, Black Infant Health, the Perinatal Equity Initiative, Women, Infants and Children (WIC), Nutrition and Wellness, Child Lead Poisoning Prevention, California Children’s Services, California Home Visiting, and Smile SBC. Monique also currently serving as the President of the MCAH Action Committee and General Board Member of the San Bernardino County Gangs and Drugs Task Force.
Stephanie Bryant, RN, MSN, PHN
Stephanie Bryant has worked as a Registered Nurse for over thirty years and has proudly worked as a Public Health Nurse for most of her nursing career. Mrs. Bryant has served in various capacities in Public Health, and currently serves as the Branch Chief for the MCAH/PHN branch for RUHS-PH. Ms. Bryant has a passion for the MCAH population and provides leadership and oversight for a variety of community-based and home visiting programs addressing the health and social needs for mothers, fathers, children, teens and families.
She is passionate about serving communities experiencing the greatest disadvantage and seeks to ensure they have equitable access to resources, services and support that builds on the strengths of communities, uplifts and improves generational health and wellness for all.
Mrs. Bryant is married with two teenage sons whom she is grooming to be the next generation of future male leaders and who fuels her passion for equitable health and social justice.
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Dr. Brenda Ross-Shelton, MD
Brenda Ross, MD is a board-certified physician specializing in Maternal Fetal Medicine at the UCR Women’s Health Center. Dr. Ross is a graduate of Howard University College of Medicine and completed her OB/GYN residency at Howard University Hospital. She completed her MFM fellowship through a joint program at Cedars Sinai and Harbor UCLA Hospitals. Following her training, she completed a Medical Genetics fellowship at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and subsequently joined their faculty. Dr. Ross was the director of the HIV and Pregnancy program at JHUSOM for 5 years. She has served as a local perinatologist for 13 years and is the current chairman of the OB/GYN department at Pomona Valley Hospital Medical School.
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Sabreen White, MBA
Sabreen White has built a distinguished career in public health and healthcare management. She began in 2004 with the County of Riverside Department of Public Health's HIV/AIDS Program as a Senior Communicable Disease Specialist. After earning an MBA in Healthcare Management from the University of Phoenix, she moved to Miami, Florida, where she supervised case managers for a statewide HIV specialty Medicaid Health Plan. In 2015, Sabreen served as the Contract Program Coordinator at Arrowhead Regional Medical Center, where she also stepped in as the Interim IRB Coordinator and Oncology Research Coordinator.
Currently, Sabreen serves as the Program Director for the Maternal Fetal Medicine Division and the HeRCARe (High-Risk Care Access & Resources) Program at Riverside University Health System’s Women's Health Center. She is also actively involved as the lead representative for RUHS in the CAPH/SNI Racial Equity Community of Practice and contributes to the CMQCC Southern California Pregnancy-Associated Review Committee. Through her work, Sabreen has demonstrated leadership in advancing healthcare access, equity, and research in maternal and reproductive health.
