Institute of Medicine of Chicago Advancing Health Equity at 2026 Maternal & Child Health Symposium Sept. 28, 2026

Institute of Medicine of Chicago

This activity is approved for up to 5 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™.

CHICAGO, IL, UNITED STATES, August 5, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The Institute of Medicine of Chicago (IOMC) invites you to the 2nd Maternal & Child Health Symposium, taking place on Monday, September 28, 2026, from 8:30 AM to 3:00 PM CT at Malcolm X College. This engaging, full-day event welcomes all who are committed to improving maternal and child health. This activity is approved for up to 5 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. The symposium supports IOMC’s mission of advancing health equity by reducing healthcare disparities and is proudly organized by the IOMC Maternal & Child Health Workgroup. For more information and registration, click here>

Beena Peters, DNP, MS, RN, FACHE, FABC, Fellow, Vice President, IOMC, Chair of the Maternal & Child Health Workgroup, and Chief Clinical Officer, HRTLY, shared: "We warmly welcome healthcare leaders, clinicians, researchers, educators, policymakers, and community organizations to the 2nd Maternal & Child Health Symposium. By coming together, we can build meaningful connections and amplify our collective impact on maternal and child health."

The 2nd Maternal & Child Health Symposium will explore cutting-edge developments in maternal and child health. Through a truly interdisciplinary lens, the event will examine the intersection of clinical care, public health, social determinants, and community partnerships, all aimed at improving outcomes for mothers, infants, children, and families.

“Our mission at IOMC has always been to advance health equity and improve healthcare outcomes across our communities. There is no arena where this mission is more critical than in maternal and child health. The health of a society is directly reflected in the well-being of its mothers and children. Today, we face both persistent disparities and unprecedented opportunities to transform the landscape of care for mothers and children,” said Archana Chatterjee, MD, PhD, President, Institute of Medicine of Chicago, and Dean, Chicago Medical School & Vice President for Medical Affairs, Rosalind Franklin University & Chicago Medical School.

“This symposium serves as a crucial catalyst for change. Over the course of this event, we will examine cutting-edge clinical practices, discuss systemic policy barriers, and share innovative, community-led solutions. We are brought together by a shared conviction: every mother deserves a safe, dignified birthing experience, and every child deserves a healthy start to life,” added Dr. Chatterjee.

Participants will benefit from evidence-based presentations and dynamic discussions that spotlight innovative solutions to maternal health disparities, improved access to care, emerging technologies, and robust community-based programs. The symposium is designed to spark interdisciplinary collaboration and generate actionable strategies to advance health equity and achieve measurable improvements in maternal and child health.

Ian Jasenof, MD, FACOG, MHA, CPE, Fellow, Vice Chair of the Maternal & Child Health Workgroup, and Chief Medical Officer, UI Health – Mile Square, added, "Collaboration is essential to improving outcomes for everyone in maternal and child health. When clinical care and community partnerships unite, we can create truly transformative changes."

Esteemed speakers and panelists represent diverse topics:

Simbo Ige, MD, MPH
Formerly City of Chicago-Commissioner of Public Health
Chicago Infant Mortality Rates Contribute to Racial Life Expectancy Gaps

Jacqueline Hairston, MD
Assistant Professor, Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
Obesity and Obstetric Care

Lovelle Reynolds, PhD, APRN, FNP-BC, CPN, CNE
Assistant Professor, Malcolm X College
Structural and Social Determinants of Maternal and Child Health: Implications for Clinical Practice

Melissa Simon, MD, MBA, MPH
Vice Chair for Research, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology
George H. Gardner, MD, Professor of Clinical Gynecology
Professor, Obstetrics and Gynecology (General Obstetrics and Gynecology), Preventive Medicine, Medical Social Sciences (Implementation Science)
Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
Algorithmic Justice: Can AI and FemTech Actually Reduce — Rather Than Deepen — Maternal Health Disparities

Aron Sousa, MD, FACP, Fellow, IOMC
President, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science
Improvement in the Health of Moms & Babies through Cash

Karie Stewart, MPH, MSN, CNM, APRN, FACNM
Certified Nurse Midwife
UI Health - Mile Square Auburn-Gresham Clinic
Ian Jasenof, MD, FACOG, MHA, CPE
Chief Medical Officer, UI Health – Mile Square
Community Maternal Health Care: A Culturally-Adapted Model

Panelists
Ian Jasenof, MD, FACOG, MHA, CPE, Fellow, Moderator
Chief Medical Officer, UI Health – Mile Square
Vice Chair, Maternal & Child Health Workgroup, IOMC

Tonia Branche, MD, MPH
Associate Medical Director of Maternal Child Health Initiative, Patrick M. Magoon Institute for Healthy Communities
Integrated, equity-driven, clinical and community-based support for maternal & child health

Lisa Green, DO, MPH, Fellow, IOMC
CEO / Founder, Family Christian Health Center
Community-Centered Maternal Freedom Medicine- Addressing Level II Ultrasounds for High-Risk Patients

Marie Heffernan, PhD
Assistant Professor, Dept. of Pediatrics, Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine
Director, Voices of Child Health in Chicago
Smith Child Health Outcomes, Research, and Evaluation Center | Stanley Manne Children’s Research Institute
Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago
Sensory Overload Research of Parents' Experience

Karin Weber-Gasparoni, PhD, DDS, MS
Professor and Head of Pediatric Dentistry - The University of Iowa
Oral Health & Maternal Health – What's the Connection?

We gratefully acknowledge sponsorship from Canon, Golden Square, and Media Partner, Health News Illinois. To learn more about sponsorship and exhibitor opportunities, please contact us at sponsorship@iomc.org.

The Institute of Medicine of Chicago (IOMC), since 1915, is an independent non-profit organization of distinguished leaders in the health field who collaborate to improve the health of the public. Drawing on the expertise of a diverse membership and other regional leaders, the IOMC addresses critical health issues through interdisciplinary approaches, including education, research, trusted information communication, and community engagement. With the public's health at its core, IOMC is building programs to better meet the needs of its members, Chicago, its counties, and the State of Illinois. Visit www.iomc.org.

Media and interviews welcome. Contact us for details at media@iomc.org

Deborah J Hodges
Institute of Medicine of Chicago
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