#UMNMCH student Charlotte Stow (MPH 2027) wrote this reflection on her Title V internship in Salt Lake City, Utah, where she collaborated with the state Department of Health to further their Title V objectives through outreach and education.
My interest in maternal and child health (MCH) began with my experience in healthcare. In my patient care work, I saw how structural challenges and gaps in access play out in real-time, and I was drawn to addressing these issues at a systemic level. Throughout my MCH degree, I have been employed by the Center for Leadership Education in Maternal and Child Public Health as a student liaison research assistant (RA). Through the Center, I was informed of a summer internship opportunity that fulfilled my Applied Practice Experience requirements, a 10-week Title V Internship hosted by the National MCH Workforce Development Center at the University of North Carolina (UNC).
Title V Internship
UNC deploys two-student intern teams to participating state Title V agencies across the country each year. I was assigned to Salt Lake City, Utah’s Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) to work towards their state Title V objectives. I was paired with an MCH graduate student intern from the University of Pittsburgh, Crystal Finzer. Our projects were led by the Utah Women and Newborns Quality Collaborative (UWNQC), a group that often champions Utah’s Title V work. The UNC team also gathered summer interns for weekly virtual training sessions on relevant topics. These topics included data visualization, literature reviews and person-centered care sessions, to name a few. The opportunity to connect with passionate peers was enriching and made the experience even more enjoyable.
One primary focus of our internship was public library outreach. We contacted local libraries and proceeded to deliver resources such as maternal mental health and maternal cardiac condition awareness handouts. Through this work, I realized the importance of libraries as a means to carry out community connection. Librarians are incredibly in-tune with the needs and assets of the communities they serve and can aid the state in building sustainable relationships with such populations.
Another main focus of ours was creating a resource toolkit for caregivers of children with incarcerated parents. Through this project, Crystal and I took existing Utah-based supports for caregivers and children along with important education, such as how to combat adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and useful tips for discussing this sensitive topic with young people. We assembled a 50-page document of this information to be shared online with relevant DHHS contacts. Throughout this exploration, Crystal and I met frequently with a prison-based social worker who works closely with women who were incarcerated while pregnant. Her guidance was invaluable to ensure our approach was appropriate. She connected us with individuals with lived experience in order to ensure our toolkit was relevant and she invited us to visit the Utah Women’s Prison to speak with mothers and pregnant women that are currently incarcerated. This visit was truly moving, connecting first-hand with who our toolkit serves and it further motivated our work.
It was difficult to adjust to a new city for the summer. Not only was I far from home and missing my loved ones, but I also had to shift my public health perspectives to align with Utah-specific culture and health landscape. For example, in Utah, 75% of babies born are to mothers who live in areas that lack enough primary care providers. Additionally, in 5 Utah counties the average drive to the nearest hospital that can deliver a baby is over one hour (Utah Department of Health and Human Services, 2026). These issues required me to lean on my preceptors and their knowledge of Utah’s MCH context, which then strengthened my confidence in our projects and their ability to make change.
In this role, I not only gained practical experience with a Title V agency, but I also learned about MCH work and how to best serve these populations. My preceptors acted as mentors, connecting me with employees that aligned with my career interests, such as researchers and MCH epidemiologists. Through these connections I saw truly how much potential this field provides and I am more confident in my ability to contribute meaningfully to such work.
Reference
Utah Department of Health and Human Services. (2026). Infant mortality in Utah, 2017–2023. https://mihp.utah.gov/wp-content/uploads/Infant-mortality-in-Utah-2017-2023.pdf
BIO
Charlotte is a second year MCH MPH student. She received her B.A. from the University of Minnesota in 2024. Connect with Charlotte on Linkedin.
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