Special Services
If you require special assistance in attending this event, please contact Kentucky_MMM@uky.edu.
An Equal Opportunity University.
Speakers
Matt Belcher, Victoria Burslem, Jimmy Carter, Monica Clouse, Cynthia Cockerham, Ann Coker, Cathy Collins-Fulea, Karen Damron, Lori Devlin-Phinney, Samia Habib, Wendy Hansen, Brianna Henderson, Jeffrey Jones, Deborah Karsnitz, Stephanie Kehler, Monica Lee-Griffith, June Madden, Ilhem Messaoudi, Lyndsey Neese, John O'Brien Jr, Cheryl Parker, Ashlee Tayler Peck, Kevin Scalf, Alexa Scisney, Katie Stratton, Audrey Summers, Hilary Surratt, Tiffany Thompson-Strouth, Tracy Vogel, Connie White, Bethany Wilson
Matt Belcher, MPA
Branch Manager, Child & Family Health Improvement/Population Health
Maternal & Child Health (MCH) Division
Kentucky Department of Public Health
Frankfort, Kentucky
Matt Belcher is currently the Child & Family Health Improvement/Population Health Branch Manager in the Maternal & Child Health (MCH) Division at KY-DPH, where he oversees the Pediatric and Adolescent Health Education Sections as well as the administration of KY Title V funding packages to local health departments. Prior to his role as Branch Manager, for the past four years Matt has coordinated the KY Title V Block Grant Application & Annual Report to our federal partners. Title V is one of the most historic federally funded block grant programs and a key source of support for promoting and improving the population health of mothers and children, including children with special health care needs. Matt also has nearly 15 years of local government administration and public policy experience. Matt has previously served as a city manager and a local economic development director and has extensive regional planning and grant writing experience. Among Matt's many passions, include working to improve the lives of all Kentuckians through public policy formulation and implementation, quality of life investment, and community projects that serves populations in need. Matt is a MPA graduate of the University of Kentucky, and currently lives in Lexington, KY with his wife Lauren and two children, Violet and Jack.
Victoria Burslem, MSN, CNM, APRN, CNE(cl), FACNM
Faculty
Frontier Nursing University
Versailles , Kentucky
Victoria Burslem, MSN, CNM, CNE(cl), FACNM, is on faculty at Frontier Nursing University educating nurse-midwifery and nurse practitioner students. Clinically, Vicki was active in full-scope practice for over 35 years, caring for patients in public and private settings and attending births primarily in-hospital throughout her career with out-of-hospital experience at a freestanding birthing center early in her career. Administratively, Vicki served as the clinical manager at a large Atlanta-based ob/gyn practice for many years, supervising the clinical practice of ten nurse-midwives who attended over 200 births per month while working collaboratively with 11 ob/gyn physicians. On a personal level, she understands the importance of appropriate options being available for patient choice in birth settings as her three children were all born at a freestanding birth center. Professionally, Vicki is active nationally with the American College of Nurse-Midwives as Chair of the Continuing Education Committee and has served in various positions on the state-level with ACNM’s Kentucky Affiliate and the Kentucky Association of Nurse Practitioners and Nurse-Midwives. Vicki was also asked to serve as Team Lead for a 3-year initiative funded by the Institute for Medicaid Innovation on TeamKy's Midwifery Led Learning Collaborative that concluded in 2024. In this season of her career as an educator, Vicki’s commitment is to preparing the next generation of nurse-midwives and nurse practitioners, supporting their educational goal to provide quality, evidence-based care and exemplary clinical skills upon completion of their APRN studies.
Jimmy Carter
Mayor
Pikeville, Kentucky
Jimmy Carter has served as mayor of Pikeville, Kentucky, for 3 terms and was previously a city commissioner for 12 years. Through his service, he focused on community development and local initiatives. Known for his commitment to improving the quality of life in Pikeville, he worked on projects to enhance infrastructure, support local businesses, and foster community engagement. Under his leadership, the city has seen efforts to promote tourism and cultural events, making Pikeville a vibrant place for residents and visitors. His dedication to public service and collaboration with local organizations helps shape the direction of the city. He prioritizes attracting new businesses to Pikeville, focusing on revitalizing the downtown area and initiatives to improve access to healthcare services, recognizing the importance of health and wellness in community development. He lives in Pikeville with his wife Kim.
Monica Clouse, MPH, CPH
Program Manager
Kentucky Perinatal Quality Collaborative (KyPQC)
Lexington, Kentucky
Ms. Monica Clouse received her Master’s in Public Health from the University of Kentucky in May of 2009. From 2010 to 2019, she worked as an epidemiologist in Kentucky’s Department for Public Health (KDPH), within the Division of Maternal and Child Health (MCH). In October 2019, Ms. Clouse joined the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) serving as a Local Field Placement in Kentucky. In this role, she worked to enhance the KDPH’s capacity to develop and implement goals in critical areas for Kentucky’s Opioid Use Disorder, Maternal Outcome, and Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome Initiative (OMNI) and assisted Kentucky in establishing a Perinatal Quality Collaborative. Ms. Clouse is now employed with the University of Kentucky and serves as the Program Manager of Kentucky’s Perinatal Quality Collaborative (KyPQC). Ms. Clouse has received her Certification in Public Health (CPH).
Cynthia Cockerham, RN
Community Program & Research Director
Obstetrics and Gynecology
University of Kentucky
Lexington, Kentucky
Cynthia holds degrees in Nursing, Human Nutrition and Family Sciences from the University of Kentucky. She has worked in field of maternal child health since 2016. Currently, Cynthia is employed with the University of Kentucky Department of OBGYN Maternal Fetal Medicine as the Community Program and Research Director. In this role, she was selected to be Operations Director of the new State Maternal Health Innovation Program award from HRSA that funds the Kentucky Maternal Morbidity and Mortality (KyMMM) Task Force. She has worked to enhance Kentucky’s capacity to develop and implement goals in critical areas to decrease maternal morbidity and mortality. One of the many products of her work, has been the establishment of the Perinatal Community Health Work Program, which she is currently serving as interim Director. Cynthia’s passion is to help pregnant/recently pregnant persons thrive through empowerment and education of systems supported by safe, quality, collaborative, and equitable communities.
Ann Coker, PhD, MPH
Professor of Epidemiology,
University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology
Director and Endowed Chair,
University of Kentucky Center for Research on Violence Against Women
Lexington, Kentucky
Dr. Ann Coker is currently Executive Director of the University of Kentucky's Center for Research on Violence Against Women. She holds a PhD in Epidemiology from the University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill. Since 2007, Dr. Coker has served as Professor in UK College of Medicine's Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology. Much of her research and practice has been creating and evaluating bystander-based violence prevention programming to reduce sexual violence, child sex trafficking and maternal deaths and injuries due to violence.
Cathy Collins-Fulea, DNP, CNM, FACNM, FAAN
Assistant Professor
Frontier Nursing University
Versailles, Kentucky
Catherine Collins-Fulea, DNP, CNM, FACNM, FAAN, has been a certified nurse-midwife since 1981, dedicating her career to serving women in inner-city Detroit. In 1991, she joined the Henry Ford Health System, where she established one of the largest midwifery practices in the United States. This innovative practice fostered a collaborative model in which midwives and OB/GYN physicians worked as equal partners, each contributing their unique expertise. The integration extended to education, with midwives involved in training medical residents and students, and physicians actively participating in the education of midwifery students.
Dr. Collins-Fulea has held numerous leadership roles within the American College of Nurse-Midwives (ACNM), including two terms as Vice President and one term as President. She has also contributed to multiple interorganizational efforts with the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), most notably serving on the Task Force on Collaboration, which authored the publication 'Collaboration in Practice: Implementing Team-Based Care'.
In 2019, Dr. Collins-Fulea joined the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) faculty at Frontier Nursing University, where she currently serves as an Assistant Professor. In this role, she teaches quality improvement science and mentors doctoral students in the development and execution of their quality improvement initiatives.
Karen Damron, PhD, RN
Dean, College of Nursing and Human Services
University of Pikeville
Pikeville, Kentucky
Dr. Karen Damron is the Dean of the College of Nursing and Human Services at the University of Pikeville, bringing 27 years of experience in nursing education to her role. A dedicated leader, educator, and advocate for the nursing profession, she holds a PhD from the University of Kentucky and has a clinical background in obstetrical and neonatal intensive care nursing.
Lori Devlin-Phinney, DO, MHA
Associate Professor, Pediatrics/Neonatology
University of Louisville School of Medicine
Louisville, Kentucky
Dr. Lori Devlin is a Professor of Pediatrics and practicing neonatologist at the University of Louisville School of Medicine and Norton Children’s Hospital. Her research focuses on neonatal exposures, specifically Neonatal Opioid Withdrawal Syndrome (NOWS). She designs and conducts clinical research aimed to inform and improve the care for, and outcomes of, infants with antenatal opioid exposure. She also participates in translational research focused on understanding the effects of antenatal opioid exposure on myelination of the newborn brain.
She currently serves as a primary investigator for the NIH HEAL Evaluation of Limited Pharmacotherapies for Neonatal Opioid Withdrawal Syndrome (HELP for NOWS) Consortium and a multiple principal investigator for the University of Louisville NIH Environmental Influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) IDeA States Pediatrics Clinical Trial Network (ISPCTN) award.
She has expertise in leading multicenter clinical studies and randomized controlled trials which she now uses to develop the next generation of clinician scientists through her roles in local and national research leadership.
Samia Habib
Program Manager
Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine
University of Kentucky HealthCare
Lexington, Kentucky
Working as a Clinic Manager for the OB/GYN and Maternal-Fetal Medicine departments at the University of Arizona for the past couple years has been an incredibly rewarding experience. I’ve had the honor of supporting dedicated teams committed to improving women’s health, and I’m proud of all we achieved together.
With my husband matching into a fellowship in Lexington, KY, I’m excited to share that I’ll be joining University of Kentucky HealthCare as a Program Manager for the Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine. I’m grateful to continue in OB/GYN, now with a stronger focus on high-risk pregnancies and helping expand our Perinatal Community Health Worker (PCHW) program to better connect patients with vital community resources.
Wendy Hansen, MD
Associate Professor
Obstetrics and Gynecology
University of Kentucky College of Medicine
Dr. Hansen is a Professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Kentucky. She is a Michigan native, attending the University of Michigan for undergraduate studies and Northwestern University for Medical School. Internship, Residency and Maternal Fetal Medicine Fellowship were all completed at the University of North Carolina. She has worked as a faculty - clinician/educator at the University of North Carolina and the University of Iowa before joining the University of Kentucky in 2004 as Division Director of Maternal Fetal Medicine. For twelve years (2010 -2022) she led the Department as the John W Greene Chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Research interests include substance abuse in pregnancy, breastfeeding and preterm labor. Major accomplishments and honors include:
APGO Scholar and leaders 2003
APGO Excellence in Teaching, 1996, 2006
CREOG Excellence in Teaching, 2009
Society for Maternal Fetal Medicine Board of Directors 2006-2009
Authored the MFM Fellowship application and lead its accreditation at the University of Kentucky starting in 2008
MFM Fellowship Director from 2008-2010
University of Kentucky Obstetrics and Gynecology Residency Program Director; 2008-2012
ELAM (Hedwig van Ameringen Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine Program for women, Drexel University College of Medicine) class of 2011-2012
Co -Chair of the Search Committee for Executive Vice President for Health Affairs (EVPHA) for the University of Kentucky-2017
Obstetrics and Gynecology “Green Journal” Editorial Board 2018-2022
Principal Investigator of the PATHHome Trial: A Comparative Effectiveness Trial of Peripartum OUD in Rural Kentucky- 2019-2026
PCORI ID: MAT-2017C27842 ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT03725332
Brianna Henderson
Founder & CEO
LetsTalkPPCM
Texas
Brianna Henderson, is the Founder and CEO of the LetsTalkPPCM nonprofit organization, a Certified Patient-Family Partner, Patient Advocate, Doula, and Best-Selling Author. She is also a loving wife and mother of two children. She was deeply inspired to provide comprehensive prenatal and preventative education after surviving a near missed diagnosis during her pregnancy and postpartum season. After recovering from her pregnancy-induced health condition and learning what took her sister's life, Brianna dedicates her time to ensuring that mothers and families are informed during the perinatal year. She fulfills her hearts' mission through professional doula support and her non-profit organization.
Jeffrey Jones, MD, FACOG
Assistant Professor of Obstetrics & Gynecology
University of Kentucky
Lexington, Kentucky
Jeffrey Jones graduated from the University of Tennessee, Center for Health Sciences and completed a residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Louisville. After residency, he spent two years in Bristol Tennessee/Virginia before joining Southern Illinois OB/GYN Associates in Carbondale, Illinois. Dr. Jones spent 22 years in Southern Illinois serving in various roles within the hospital's Obstetrics service group. His educational focus in Southern Illinois was to improve evidence based practice in lower resource and rural settings. He was active in facilitating maternal morbidity and mortality reviews partnering with perinatal centers in St. Louis, Missouri. He served as the Physician Lead of education in Obstetric Emergency simulations and Electronic Fetal Monitoring for Memorial Hospital of Carbondale. He is certified in Obstetric Life Support (OBLS) and Electronic Fetal Monitoring (C-EFM). He joined the UK department of OB/GYN as a Laborist in 2022.
Deborah Karsnitz, DNP
Professor
Frontier Nursing University
Versailles, Kentucky
Deborah Brandt Karsnitz has been a certified nurse-midwife (CNM) since 1992, practicing full scope midwifery and serving as Director of Midwifery in two separate practices, including the faculty practice at Frontier Nursing University (FNU). Dr. Karsnitz received her Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) from the University of Kentucky in 2008 with a focus on postpartum women and their perception of social support.
Dr. Karsnitz is a Professor at FNU, working since 1998 and serving as a course coordinator in multiple courses and as interim DNP Program Director for 3 years. Dr. Karsnitz is currently the course coordinator for Leadership and Organizational Dynamics in the DNP program at FNU.
Dr. Karsnitz has been a member of the American College of Nurse-Midwives (ACNM) since 1992 and became a Fellow of ACNM in 2013. Dr. Karsnitz has served in multiple leadership affiliations within ACNM and the Kentucky Coalition for Nurse Practitioners and Nurse-Midwives (KCNPNM). Dr. Karsnitz has many publications and presentations with a strong focus on maternal and women’s health.
Stephanie Kehler, PhD, RN, CHSE, SANE
Assistant Professor
Director of Clinical Simulation and Learning Center
University of Kentucky College of Nursing
Lexington, Kentucky
Stephanie Kehler received her BSN from the University of Kentucky as a second degree students. Her first degree was from Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI in mechanical engineering. Dr. Kehler worked as an RN in the ICU at Good Samaritan Hospital, Lexington, where she provided care to critically ill adult patients. While an ICU nurse, she was the co-chair of the Critical Care Council form 2014-2015. She received her PhD at the University of Kentucky in 2017. Dr. Kehler's research was in the study of women's health during pregnancy focusing on high-risk pregnancies, mental health wellness, and inflammatory response. She has been a clinical instructor, lecturer and simulation instructor for the College of Nursing since 2015. Dr. Kehler is currently an instructor in the PathoPharmacology courses in the undergraduate program as well as a Certified Healthcare Simulation Educator. She is the faculty advisor for the Undergraduate Nursing Activities and Advisory Council and has received several awards and honors including becoming a Jonas Scholar in 2016 and receiving the Karen Hall Sexton Scholarship Award in 2015 and 2016.
Monica Lee-Griffith, MD, MBA, FACOG
CEO
ImpactMed, LLC
Orlando, Floorida
Dr. Monica Lee-Griffith is a dynamic healthcare executive with over 15 years of progressive leadership experience in large, matrixed health systems. Widely regarded as a change agent, she champions clinical excellence, quality improvement, and inclusive care delivery.
As the inaugural President of Women’s Services for the Orlando Health Medical Group, Dr. Lee-Griffith led more than 80 OB/GYN specialists across two hospitals and twenty-one ambulatory sites. Her visionary leadership fostered a culture of innovation, collaboration, and patient-centered care, resulting in significant gains in engagement, quality, and service. She also served as Vice President at Orlando Health, contributing to enterprise-wide strategy and advancing integrated models of multidisciplinary women’s care.
Before Orlando Health, she spent over two decades at Henry Ford Health in Detroit. There, she held several key roles, including Medical Director of Obstetrics, Vice Chair of Women’s Health, and the inaugural System Director of Maternal Health Equity. In this role, she spearheaded programs targeting maternal and infant morbidity and mortality, particularly among underserved populations. She also co-chaired the Women and Children’s Health Council, driving system-level improvements in obstetric, gynecologic, and pediatric care.
A seasoned governance and quality leader, Dr. Lee-Griffith served on numerous system-wide committees at Henry Ford, including the Health Board of Trustees and the Medical Staff Quality Committee. She was also elected as the first Chief of Staff for Henry Ford Hospital, representing more than 1,800 physicians and researchers in advancing policies that promote patient safety and clinical quality. On a national level, she previously served as a member of the U.S Department of Health and Human Services Premier Maternal and Infant Advisory Panel.
Dr. Lee-Griffith is especially skilled in launching high-impact initiatives, building teams and infrastructure, and translating vision into measurable outcomes through collaboration and strategic alignment. Her leadership is shaped by both deep clinical insight and business acumen, with a proven ability to optimize financial performance while maintaining high care standards.
Inspired by her mother’s journey from poverty to a career of national distinction as a physician leader in medical education, Dr. Lee-Griffith brings a personal commitment to diversity, equity, and educational excellence. An accomplished educator, she has trained nearly 150 OB/GYN residents and received multiple honors, including the CREOG National Faculty Award for Excellence in Resident Education. As a dedicated mentor and advocate for diversity, she has expanded leadership opportunities in medicine for individuals historically underrepresented.
She holds a B.S. in Biomedical Engineering from Northwestern University, an M.D. with Distinction in Biomedical Research from Wayne State University, and an Executive MBA with honors from the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business.
Ilhem Messaoudi, PhD
Professor and Chair
Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics
University of Kentucky, College of Medicine
Lexington, Kentucky
Dr. Messaoudi earned a BS in biochemistry from Lafayette College before pursuing a PhD at Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences and a postdoctoral fellowship at Oregon Health and Sciences University. She has held faculty positions at OHSU and the University of California before moving to the University of Kentucky. Dr. Messaoudi’s research program is centered on understanding disruptions at the maternal- fetal interface by various conditions including obesity, infection, and opioid use disorder. Her work integrates expertise from maternal-fetal medicine, pathology, immunology, neuroscience, and neonatology, and is supported by major funding from the National Institute of Health. For today’s lecture, Dr. Messaoudi’s laboratory is employing cutting-edge experimental and computational approaches to investigate how maternal opioid use alters the immune environment at the maternal-fetal interface, contributing to complications such as neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome and increased risks of neurodevelopmental impairment in children. Her research not only deepens our scientific understanding but also aims to provide actionable insights for clinicians caring for pregnant individuals with substance use disorders.
Lyndsey Neese, MD, MMM, CPE, FACOG
Practicing Physician, Obstetrics and Gynecology
Norton Healthcare
Louisville, Kentucky
Dr. Neese earned an MD from the University of Alabama School of Medicine. She completed an Obstetrics and Gynecology residency at the University of Louisville School of Medicine and is certified in Obstetrics and Gynecology by the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology.
John O'Brien Jr, MD
Chair of the State KY MMM Task Force
Medical Director for Labor and Delivery
University of Kentucky
Lexington, Kentucky
After graduating from Wayne State University School of Medicine in Detroit, Dr. O’Brien participated in the Wayne State University Affiliate Hospital Program where he completed his internship and residency. He went on to pursue a fellowship in maternal-fetal medicine at the University of Tennessee in Memphis.
In 1994, he joined the Perinatal Diagnostic Center at Central Baptist Hospital where he was Director for the next 16 years. During this time, he chaired peer review for Obstetrics and Gynecology, was involved in the March of Dimes Prematurity Prevention Steering Committee, the State of Kentucky Birth Defect Surveillance Registry Advisory Committee, and served on the board of directors of the Kentucky Perinatal Association.
Dr. O’Brien joined UK HealthCare Women’s Health Obstetrics and Gynecology as Director of Maternal Fetal Medicine and Director of the Maternal Fetal Medicine Fellowship in 2011. He has published numerous articles on the prevention of preterm birth with progesterone and has other areas of interest.
He is chair of the state KY MMM Task Force and is actively engaged in providing resources and support for birthing hospitals, providers and interested persons in improving maternal and child outcomes in KY.
Cheryl Parker, DNP, CRNA, RNC-OB, FAANA, FAWHONN
Director of Nurse Anesthesia Program
University of Louisville
Louisville, Kentucky
Dr. Cheryl Parker is the Director of the Nurse Anesthesia Program at the University of Louisville in Kentucky and a practicing obstetric anesthetist with NorthStar Anesthesia at Norton Hospital’s Labor & Delivery Department in Louisville.
With over 30 years of nursing experience, Dr. Parker has devoted her career to women’s health, specializing in postpartum care, labor and delivery, and neonatal intensive care. For the past 17 years, her clinical focus has been obstetric anesthesia. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Eastern Kentucky University and both her Master of Science in Nursing and Doctor of Nursing Practice from Murray State University.
In her role as an educator, Dr. Parker is deeply committed to advancing the next generation of nurse anesthetists. She has taught across undergraduate and graduate nursing programs, with a particular emphasis on obstetric anesthesia, evidence-based practice, and clinical decision-making. As Director of the Nurse Anesthesia Program at the University of Louisville, she leads curriculum development, mentors doctoral students, and fosters interprofessional collaboration. Her teaching philosophy centers on clinical excellence, patient safety, and compassionate care, and she is widely respected for her ability to bridge academic rigor with real-world application.
Dr. Parker is an active member of several professional organizations, including the American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology (AANA), the Kentucky Association of Nurse Anesthetists (KyANA), the Society for Obstetric Anesthesia and Perinatology (SOAP), and the Kentucky Perinatal Quality Collaborative (KyPQC). A long-standing member of the Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN), she served two years on its Public Policy Committee. In 2020, she played a pivotal role in the passage of KY-HR73, legislation that established January 23rd as Women’s Health Awareness Day, making Kentucky the fifth state to adopt a Maternal Health Awareness resolution.
In recognition of her contributions to the field, Dr. Parker was inducted as a Fellow of both the AANA and AWHONN in 2023.
Her scholarly work includes a 2015 case report in the Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic & Neonatal Nursing (JOGNN) titled An Innovative Nursing Approach to Caring for an Obstetric Patient with Rape Trauma Syndrome (RTS). She also contributed to AWHONN’s 2019 Evidence-Based Clinical Practice Guideline Analgesia and Anesthesia in the Intrapartum Period, and authored an AWHONN Practice Brief and podcast in 2020 on Lower Extremity Nerve Injury in Childbirth.
Ashlee Tayler Peck, LPCC, PMH-C
Lead Therapist
Bloom
Pathways, Inc
Ashland, Kentucky
I am the lead therapist with In Bloom a program that exclusively provides evidenced based therapy to women who are pregnant and/or parenting young children. I am a mother, with lived experience, who is passionate about raising awareness regarding perinatal mental health disorders.
Kevin Scalf, DNP, APRN, PMHNP-BC, CNEcl
Department Chair, Psychiatric-Mental Health Nursing Department
Frontier Nursing
Versailles, Kentucky
Dr. Kevin Scalf is a native of Eastern Kentucky and has been a Registered Nurse since 1997. He holds Associate, Bachelor’s, and Master’s degrees in nursing from Eastern Kentucky University and earned his Doctor of Nursing Practice from Frontier Nursing University. Dr. Scalf has served as a Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner since 2011, with experience across inpatient and outpatient settings, including private practice, community mental health, primary care, and OB/GYN consultative care. Dr. Scalf also has over 15 years of teaching experience serving as a faculty member in both undergraduate and graduate nursing programs. He currently serves as the Department Chair of the PMHNP program at Frontier Nursing University and continues to work as a PMHNP in an acute inpatient psychiatric facility.
Alexa Scisney
Founder and Executive Director
Granny's Birth Initiative (GBI)
Louisville, Kentucky
Alexa Scisney is a certified labor doula midwife assistant newborn care specialist professional postpartum doula and lactation educator As the founder and Executive Director of Grannys Birth Initiative GBI in Louisville Kentucky Alexa brings a wealth of handson experience and deep compassion to her leadership roleThrough her private practice Alexas Birth Services she has supported over 80 births and guided more than 100 maternal journeys offering individualized care that empowers families during pregnancy birth and the postpartum period Alexas comprehensive background in maternal health fuels her visionary approach at GBI where she is dedicated to transforming birth outcomes and advancing equitable culturally competent care for Black birthing people and other marginalized communitiesHer work reflects a passion for education advocacy and healingcentered support building community connections that extend far beyond the delivery room
Katie Stratton, MS
Program Administrator, KY-Moms MATR Division for Behavioral Health
Frankfort, Kentucky
Katie earned her Master of Science in Clinical Psychology from Capella University. She is currently a Program Administrator at the Kentucky Department of Behavioral Health, Developmental and Intellectual Disabilities in the Adult Substance Use Treatment and Recovery Services Branch where she collaborates with several agencies within Kentucky working to assist in creating and establishing a System of Care for women with substance use concerns and their families. Katie also serves as the Women’s Service Coordinator (WSC) for Kentucky. Prior to her work with substance use, Katie was a child and adolescent therapist in a Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facility for almost 5 years and an outpatient therapist for 2 years. In her free time, she is a wife, mother of a soon-to-be 15-year-old daughter, a first-born over achiever who takes on way too much including crafting, a youth competitive archery coach, and a 4H Shooting Sports Coach.
Audrey Summers, MD
Assistant Professor
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
University of Louisville
Louisville, Kentucky
Dr. Audrey Summers currently serves as Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Louisville. She is the director of the Psychiatric Consult-Liaison Service at the University of Louisville Hospital and the director of the Women’s Mental Health Clinic at the UofL Health Outpatient Center. She completed her undergraduate education at UofL with a degree in molecular biology in 2016 and obtained her medical doctorate at the UofL School of Medicine in 2020. She completed her psychiatric residency at UofL in 2024, where she served as chief resident. She has published and presented on topics related to reproductive mental health at a regional and national level. She is also involved in the education of medical students and resident physicians. In addition to her clinical work, she is involved with many organizations including the Kentucky Psychiatric Medical Association and the Southern Psychiatric Association.
Hilary Surratt, PhD
Associate Professor
Department of Behavioral Science
University of Kentucky
Lexington, Kentucky
Dr. Hilary Surratt received her PhD in Psychology in 2005 and is currently an Associate Professor in the Department of Behavioral Science. Her research focuses on psychosocial and behavioral interventions among populations impacted by substance use disorder, with the central goal of improving health outcomes and optimizing care for underserved people who use drugs in community, treatment and clinical settings. Dr. Surratt’s research to develop and test HIV-related interventions with people who use drugs has contributed to several evidence-based protocols that have been disseminated to scientific and practitioner audiences. She is an NIH-funded principal investigator and an experienced team scientist, contributing expertise in substance use disorder, intervention adaptation, community engagement, qualitative inquiry, and evaluation science to multidisciplinary research teams across the University of Kentucky. She has collaborated on 22 extramurally funded research grants during her career, including 11 randomized controlled trials, and serving as PI on 6 awards. Most recently, she is PI on a NIH-funded project to develop an integrated Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) HIV care model for people who inject drugs in rural Kentucky, which provides a unique opportunity to mount innovative prevention programs to stem HIV outbreaks in rural areas and contribute to national Ending the HIV Epidemic objectives. She is collaborating as Community Engagement faculty on the UK HEALing Communities Study that is tackling opioid overdose reduction through community and data driven intervention deployment in 16 Kentucky counties, and as Co-I on two clinical research studies addressing birth outcomes and neonatal abstinence syndrome among pregnant women with opioid use disorder and serious injection-related infections among hospitalized patients with OUD. In addition, Dr. Surratt serves as Director of Evaluation for the Center for Clinical and Translational Science at the University of Kentucky. Her research efforts have resulted in more than 150 peer reviewed publications and book chapters. In the past five years, her published scholarship has been cited in 95 policy documents, including government and think-tank publications and working papers, House Committee documents, and clinical guidelines, which demonstrates impact in the practice and policy arenas. Dr. Surratt engages in service to the field through her ongoing activities as a peer reviewer for NIH Center for Scientific Review as well as several high-impact journals. Additionally, she was recognized with an inaugural Community Engagement Pillar Award from the College of Medicine in 2022. Dr. Surratt is an instructor for MD 811, Introduction to Clinical Medicine, and is active as a mentor for a doctoral candidate in Psychology, a White Coats for Black Lives medical student fellowship recipient, and an early career faculty member of the DREAM Scholars Program.
Tiffany Thompson-Strouth, DO, FACOOG
Obstetrician-Gynecologist
Pikeville, Medical Center
Pikeville, Kentucky
Dr. Thompson earned her medical degree from the Kentucky College of Osteopathic Medicine in Pikeville and completed her residency training in obstetrics and gynecology at Mercy St. Vincent Medical Center in Toledo, Ohio. She is board certified by the American Osteopathic Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology
Tracy Vogel, MD
Director of the Perinatal Trauma-informed Care Clinic
Allegheny Health Network
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Dr. Tracey Vogel is an Obstetric Anesthesiologist, trained sexual assault counselor, and the creator and Director of the Perinatal Trauma-informed Care Clinic in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
She received her MD degree from the University of Pittsburgh and finished her anesthesia training, including a fellowship in obstetric anesthesiology, from Stanford University in California. She speaks nationally and internationally on the topic of birth trauma and the need for trauma-awareness in obstetrics and actively promotes medical “centers of excellence” in providing trauma-informed care for obstetric patients. She offers full-day training sessions on trauma-informed care principles throughout Pennsylvania as an initiative through the PA PQC (Perinatal Quality Collaborative). Her hospital based work also includes involvement with quality assurance processes, education and training of nurses, residents, and medical students, and creation of specific care plans for high risk obstetric patients including those with prior sexual trauma, opioid tolerance and substance use disorders, and mental health concerns. Beyond her work in hospital settings, she is part of the governor’s HEAL PA Taskforce seeking to make Pennsylvania a trauma-aware state.
Connie White, MD, MS, FACOG
Deputy Commissioner, Clinical Affairs
Kentucky Department for Public Health
Frankfort, Kentucky
Dr. Connie White practiced Obstetrics and Gynecology Medicine in Frankfort, Kentucky, for over twenty years. She retired from clinical medicine in 2009 and became the Division of Women's Health Director in the Department for Public Health (KDPH). She moved to the College of Public Health at the University of Kentucky (UK) in 2011 as faculty in the Department for Health Behavior.
Dr. White returned to KDPH as Deputy Commissioner of Clinical Affairs in 2011. She is the Principal Investigator for multiple grants that include chronic diseases and substance use disorders. Dr. White also works in the state pandemic response. She is the medical advisor to the Kentucky Perinatal Quality Collaborative - a common table for providers, birthing hospitals, and insurers to improve the quality of maternal and newborn care in Kentucky.
Dr. White earned her bachelor's degree from Kentucky Wesleyan College. She completed a master's and earned her medical degree at the University of Kentucky. Dr. White was a Researcher in Teratology at the National Center for Toxicological Research in Arkansas. She finished her OB/GYN residency at the University of Louisville. Dr. White is board certified by the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology and is the District Public Chair for the American College of OB/GYN (ACOG) District Public Health Chair.
Bethany Wilson, APSS
Peer Support Specialist
University of Kentucky PATHways Program
Lexington, Kentucky
Bethany has been employed with the University of Kentucky since 2018. As a graduate of Sullivan University’s Community Health Services Program with an Associate in Science, she is a senior in the bachelor of Public Health program at Midway University. Her certifications include community health worker, adult peer support specialist, and targeted case management. Bethany has had the opportunity to work on multiple community service grants that support pregnant and postpartum persons and serve on the KyPQC Steering Committee, PATHHome Trial Study Advisory Council, and the Kentucky Maternal Morbidity and Mortality Task Force. Throughout her career she has worked among community and behavioral health organizations focusing on prevention intervention and rehabilitation services. Bethany has had the opportunity to support others through providing hospital visits performing HIV/HCV testing and risk reduction counseling recovery planning with individuals including those experiencing incarceration outreach in various community settings one-on-one peer support sessions and treatment group facilitation cofacilitation. Through the Perinatal Community Health Work Program, she coordinates efforts with healthcare providers to enhance the health and wellness of perinatal women and families.
