The mission for a maternal and child health specialist is “to improve the health of America’s mothers, children, and families,” according to the Child Health Bureau. One of the main goals of an MCH is to provide patient-centered facilities with the highest quality care to mother and child. Promoting health equity to all patients is also a focus of the MCH specialist. These Public Health specialists work within the public health field of Human Services. They may also be called community health workers. As a community health worker, an MCH will provide basic medical and health care to both women and children.
An MCH must be skilled at things like effective communication, including non-verbal, as it helps with the whole picture of health. New babies and new moms communicate with each other mostly in non-verbal ways. The MHC can look to that interaction for clues about wellness and risk factors also. The Maternal and Child Health Specialist also works to provide preventive screenings, early identifications, and health interventions on both mother and child. With any human service position, it can be a highly demanding job and it requires a forty hour workload each week. Some of these workers, especially those in the area of research and development, work overtime.
Job Outlook
An MHC Specialist can work in both private and public sectors, including Federal and State Departments. Occasionally an MCH position will open on an international level, taking the professional abroad. A Maternal and Child Health Specialist can also work with nonprofit organizations, advocating for the benefit of the patient’s health and well being. While on the job, an MCH needs to show empathy, identify complex problems, and offer trust to their patients. In the past decade, Maternal and Child Health Specialists have gained more recognition than other public health workers. Similar to community health workers, many MCH specialists are part of outreach services to those who cannot afford traditional insurance. An MCH may also gather information on health reports and participate in health seminars to gain more knowledge on social services, in regards to maternal and child healthcare. With a Master’s in Public Health in Maternal and Child Health, an MCH will many more options than an entry-level recipient.
Salary outlook
The salary outlook of a Maternal and child health specialist ranges from $33,000 to $64,000 annually, according to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics data on Social and Human Services workers. Consequently, those in the research and environmental areas of Public health have the possibility to make over $100,000. As public health professionals, an MCH salary will ultimately be determined by the experience he or she has gained. One to two years of professional experience is necessary for MCH specialist positions. There are about 5,800 positions for MCHs Nationwide, and the employment growth is increasing. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there is a projected 16% increase in community health workers to be employed between 2016 through 2026. To learn more about your state and area employment wages, go to the BLS website for occupational employment statistics.