Connecting Families to Care: Maternal & Infant Health Resource Promotion and Mapping in South Dakota

What is a touchpoint?

A child’s brain undergoes rapid development during the first three years of life, making this period crucial for their overall growth. Each new brain connection formed during this time has been referred to as a “touchpoint,” which is why we named our informational webinar series after this important milestone in a child’s development. Through these hour-long, interactive webinars, our goal is to help you create your own touchpoints across South Dakota, contributing to the healthy development of all the state’s children.

Connecting Families to Care: Maternal & Infant Health Resource Promotion and Mapping in South Dakota

This session highlights a shared effort between the Community Healthcare Association of the Dakotas (CHAD) and the South Dakota Department of Health to strengthen connections for families across the state. The session will showcase updates to the Family Resources website and discuss strategies for using this tool to help providers, community partners, and families more easily navigate available supports. Presenters will also provide a high-level overview of the South Dakota Maternal and Infant Health Task Force, including current mapping efforts to identify gaps and opportunities in maternal and infant care.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify how the Family Resources website can be used and promoted to improve access to maternal and infant health supports for families, providers, and community partners across South Dakota.
• Describe the role of the South Dakota Maternal and Infant Health Task Force and how statewide mapping efforts are being used to identify gaps and opportunities in maternal and infant health services.

Speakers: Katelyn Strasser, MPH, RN, Deputy Division Director, Family and Community Health, SD Department of Health and Samantha Mart, Program Specialist, Community Healthcare Association of the Dakotas

Katelyn Strasser serves as the Deputy Division Director of Family and Community Health, at the South Dakota Department of Health. In her role, she supports Public Health Nursing and Lifespan Health programs with a focus on maternal, infant, and child populations. With over 10 years of experience in state government, Katelyn is passionate about using data-driven decision making to guide programmatic change and improve health outcomes for families and communities.

She holds bachelor’s degrees in nursing, Biology, and Spanish from South Dakota State University and a Master of Public Health from Concordia University Nebraska. Katelyn is also a graduate of the Governor’s Leadership Development Program and the Health Reformers Policy Academy, reflecting her commitment to leadership and innovation in public health. Her current projects include leading the statewide Maternal and Infant Health Task Force and the Maternal and Infant Health Hub Initiative with the Rural Health Transformation Program.

Sam Marts joined CHAD as the Administrative and Program Coordinator in May 2024. Sam now works in the Program Specialist position. In her role, Sam provides administrative, finance, communication, and program support. Sam previously worked with CHAD as an intern, authoring health workforce shortage whitepapers for North Dakota and South Dakota. Sam grew up in Winner, South Dakota with a strong family background in healthcare. This is where she found her passion for serving low-income, geographically isolated, minority, homeless, migrant, and other underserved populations.

Sam graduated from Augustana University with a Bachelor of Arts in Biology and a minor in Medical Humanities and Societies. Through her minor, Sam grew her passion for developing healthcare, bioethics, and population health in underserved communities. She then pursued a Master of Public Health degree from the University of South Dakota, where she served on multiple committees and grew a network of advocates for Public Health.

Sam lives in Sioux Falls, SD with her corgi Blitzen, tabby cat Bert, and fiancé Caleb. She enjoys playing summer and winter volleyball leagues, pickleball, and golf. When she is tired of being active, she likes to snuggle with her pup, rewatch New Girl, and enjoy her monthly book club read. She thinks the Dungeon Crawler Carl series is a must-try

CEUs: SD Board of Social Work Examiners This organization (University of South Dakota – Provider #1048) is approved as a provider for continuing education by the South Dakota Board of Social Work Examiners. Social workers will receive up to 1.0 Continuing Education clock hours for participating in this course.