Opening Keynote Speaker:
Katherine J. Gold, MD, MSW, MS
Dr. Katie Gold researches the impact of poor obstetrical outcomes on parents, families, and providers with particular interest in mental and physical health outcomes and health behaviors in subsequent pregnancies. She is interested in racial disparities in perinatal loss, risk factors for adverse fetal outcomes, physician communication training in death and bereavement, reduction of tobacco use during pregnancy, and use of internet bereavement support groups to improve mental health outcomes for at-risk populations. For more information and a link to Dr. Gold’s research and publications:
Click for more information on Katie Gold's research
Featured Plenary Speakers:
Michael C. Lu, MD, MPH
Dr. Lu is an associate professor of obstetrics at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and teaches maternal and child health at the UCLA School of Public Health. He is a leading researcher in pregnancy outcomes, and renowned expert advocating for a lifecourse perspective as a way to conceptualize and intervene to address ongoing trends and disparities in fetal and infant mortality. Dr. Lu has received numerous awards including the 2003 National Maternal and Child Health Epidemiology Young Professionals Achievement Award and the 2004 American Public Health Association Maternal and Child Health Section Young Professional Award. He is a member of the CDC’s Select Panel on Preconception Care, and serves on two National Academy of Sciences Institute of Medicine (IOM) committees.
Click to view Dr. Lu's featured UCLA faculty profile
Rana Limbo, PhD, RN, CNS-BC & Kathie Kobler, MS, APN, PCNS-BC
Rana Limbo is the Director of Bereavement Services, Gundersen Lutheran Medical Foundation, La Crosse, Wisconsin. As a Co-Founder of the national component of RTS, Rana has been involved in perinatal bereavement care and education for over 25 years. She is co-author with Sara Wheeler of When a Baby Dies: A Handbook for Healing and Helping. As a researcher, Rana did groundbreaking research on miscarriage in the mid 1980s, and is currently a co-investigator of the study, “Decision Making with an Inevitable Miscarriage.” Rana helped develop and implement Guided Participation as an intervention to support caregiving competencies in mothers of infants and young children. She is an expert in the feeding and growth of very pre-term infants in the first year of life, is a principal author of position statements on Screening for Prenatal and Postpartum Depression and Childbearing Loss and Grief (publications of the Wisconsin Association of Perinatal Care), and a former psychotherapist.
Kathie Kobler has provided care for critically ill infants and children for almost 25 years. She is currently coordinator of the pediatric palliative care program at Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge, IL. In her prior role as bereavement coordinator, Kathie provided individualized support to dying infants, children, and their families. She was the chair of the 15th National Perinatal Bereavement Conference, a frequent presenter at local and national events—including a keynote address at the 2008 Association of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Nurses national conference--and is a member of the Resolve Through Sharing National Faculty. Kathie is first author of an article on ritual in perinatal and pediatric death and a contributor to the Resolve Through Sharing Position Paper on Perinatal Palliative Care.
Closing Keynote Speaker:
John O’Leary
John O’Leary’s life is proof of the power of the human spirit. As a nine-year-old boy, he was burned on 100% of his body and given less than one percent chance of surviving the first night. He endured months in the hospital, years in therapy, dozens of surgeries, and lost all his fingers to amputation.
In 2006, he was inducted into the Energizer “Keep it Going” Hall of Fame. He shares this Hall of Fame award with baseball great, Cal Ripken, Jr. In 2007, John was selected the St. Louis University young alumni of the year, and in 2009 he was chosen as one of the Top Ten “Most Interesting People” in Saint Louis, Missouri.
John shared his message with over 350 organizations in 37 states and 4 countries. He is a heavily sought-after speaker in the arenas of health care, education, safety, sales, and marketing. From local school to high executive management teams, John challenges his audience to dream big, plan smart and take action. To learn more about John and his dynamic online community, visit his website Rising Above and get ready to re-ignite your life!
Special 2010 International Conference Highlights:
Research Panel and “Meet the Researchers” Reception:
Friday’s afternoon panel and evening reception will feature the most current and cutting-edge research in SIDS, Stillbirth, and maternal-fetal medicine. Following the research panel, our researchers will be available as we display innovative program and research posters at a special reception. Hear and talk with numerous national experts including:
Marian Willinger, PhD
Dr. Willinger is the NICHD special assistant for SIDS, responsible for the direction of the Institute’s SIDS research program, including the development of the Institute’s third, five-year research plan Targeting SIDS: A Strategic Plan. She also serves as an expert on SIDS within the U.S. Public Health Service. Dr. Willinger is a program scientist for the Collaborative Home Infant Monitoring and Evaluation Study, the PASS Network, and the SCRN. She also recently completed contracts to support SIDS epidemiological studies. Dr. Willinger has been involved in the development, implementation, and evaluation of the Back to Sleep campaign and serves as a consultant to the AAP Task Force on Infant Positioning and SIDS. During the last five years, Dr. Willinger has participated in NIH- and government-wide activities, including the Advisory Board of the National Center on Sleep Disorders Research and the Interdisciplinary Research Workgroup of the NIH Roadmap.
Click to view Dr. Willinger's research biography
Rachael Y. Moon, MD
Rachel Moon, MD, an internationally recognized expert in SIDS, serves as the director of Academic Development for the Goldberg Center for Community Pediatric Health at Children's National Medical Center. She joined the staff of Children's National Medical Center in 1994. She earned her undergraduate and medical degrees at Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia. After completing a pediatric residency at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, she served as a pediatrician in the United States Air Force before joining the staff at Children's National Medical Center. Dr. Moon's research specifically focuses on high-risk populations for SIDS, specifically African-Americans and infants attending child care. She currently serves on the Task Force on SIDS for the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Click to view Dr. Moon's research biography
Check back for future updates as we continue to expand our research panel and reception participants.
Pregnancy Loss and Creative Arts Exhibit:
With us at the International Conference on Perinatal and Infant Death will be the touring artwork from the Secret Club Project, exploring pregnancy loss, infertility, stillbirth, and infant death experiences through creative arts and expression. Laura Seftel, author of Grief Unseen, Healing Pregnancy Loss through the Arts will also present a half-day preconference workshop for those interested in exploring this topic futher.
View the Secret Club Project Online
Setting a National Agenda for Fetal and Infant Mortality in the United States
We are delighted to welcome Michael Fraser, PhD, CAE Chief Executive Officer from the Association of Maternal and Child Health Programs (AMCHP) as well as Peter C. van Dyck, M.D., M.P.H., Associate Administrator for Maternal and Child Health Programs with the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). Our proximity to Washington, D.C. has placed us in contact with a variety of national organizations who we have invited to be with us throughout the conference.