Sarah Blake Named New Director of Maternal and Child Health Center of Excellence

By Shelby Crosier

As of August 1, Sarah Blake, PhD, associate professor of health policy and management, is the new director of Emory’s Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Center of Excellence.

“I am thrilled to serve as the director of the MCH Center of Excellence,” says Blake. “This is an important opportunity to broaden the training of our students and to provide them with opportunities for collaborative and community-based MCH practice.”

The Center of Excellence is one of 13 across the country funded by the Health Resources & Services Administration to train maternal and child health practitioners. Through the center, Rollins offers a maternal and child health certificate program for MPH students and fellowship opportunities for master’s and doctoral students.

Along with Blake’s appointment as director, the center is now housed within the Department of Health Policy and Management. This will allow for more opportunities for students, faculty, and professionals to receive training in maternal and child health policy, including participation in the Maternal and Child Health Policy Workshop. This fall workshop teaches students the skills of advocacy and policy development specific to maternal and child health issues.

"We are facing a critical time in Georgia and in the Southeast where policies are being implemented that create greater health disparities and inequities for our MCH populations,” she says. “A fundamental goal of our Center of Excellence is to build the policy and leadership skills of our students to address these problems and build positive solutions.”