Sept. 27, 2026

What's Next in Public Health with MPHA President-Elect William Moore

Show Notes

Stan, Clarence, Barry and the Health Chatter team chat with William Moore – Minnesota Public Health Association President-Elect, Race & Health Equity Administrator for Ramsey County’s Health and Wellness Service Team, and Doula – about What’s Next in Public Health.

William Moore – President-Elect of the Minnesota Public Health Association – currently serves as the Race and Health Equity Administrator for Ramsey County’s Health and Wellness Service Team. Previously, William worked as a Health Educator with Saint Paul – Ramsey County Public Health, where his work focused on chronic disease prevention and policy, systems, and environmental change.

William spent seven years with Saint Paul Public Schools as a behavioral management teaching assistant before joining the YMCA to lead youth outreach programming. Through this work, he participated in National Advocacy Days in Washington, D.C., advocating on Capitol Hill for public health legislation, nonprofit organizations, youth outreach programs, and policies supporting youth safety.

In 2019, William was recognized as a de Beaumont Foundation 40 Under 40 in Public Health honoree for his work in maternal and infant health. Serving as the first male doula in Minnesota, William works to address disparities in maternal and infant mortality. He has provided consultation and training and collaborated with organizations including public health departments, the Minnesota Fathers and Families Network, and the African American Babies Coalition.

Join the conversation at healthchatterpodcast.com

Brought to you in support of Hue-MAN, who is Creating Healthy Communities through Innovative Partnerships.

More about their work can be found at https://www.huemanpartnershipalliance.org/

Research

Minnesota Public Health Association - Established in 1907, the Minnesota Public Health Association (MPHA) is a volunteer-driven organization representing a broad spectrum of community and health professionals on behalf of the public. It is an organization where public health workers from multiple disciplines and sectors come together around shared values and goals. We engage and develop our members to mobilize the community to protect and improve the public’s health.

MPHA Governing Council is made up of six elected officers, six elected at‑large members, one member from each of the five standing committees, and two student representatives. Any individual member, student/retired or sustaining member may hold office or serve as a member of the Governing Council.
MPHA works in partnership with other organizations and groups of organizations to achieve our mutual public health policy goals
MPHA is a member of a group of APHA's Region V state affiliates called the Great Lakes Public Health Coalition (GLPHC). This robust group of affiliates collaborates on regional public health policy issues, mutual support and shared learning.
The Minnesota Public Health Association is an affiliated association of the American Public Health Association (APHA).

Doula/Lactation Educator - a field that’s predominantly women

Doula- Also known as a birth companion, or birth coach

Lactation Educator - provides basic, evidence-based breastfeeding information and support to expectant and new parents

Federal and professional recommendations are for infants to be exclusively breastfed for about the first 6 months.
Breastfeeding disparities by race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status persist. Infants less likely to be breastfed include non-Hispanic Black infants and those living in lower income households or rural areas.
For the mother, breastfeeding provides an opportunity to bond with her child, decreases postpartum blood loss, stimulates uterine involution, aids in postpartum weight loss, and decreases the risk of future breast and ovarian cancer
As childbirth and postpartum support professionals who reach clients at perinatal phases salient to breastfeeding, doulas may be a form of organized support implicated in the solution to improving low and disparate breastfeeding rates.
Healthy People 2020 goals aimed at improving maternal–infant health by improving breastfeeding rates included increasing the percentage of infants born in the United States who have ever been breastfed to 81.9%, increasing the percentage of infants still breastfed at 6 months of life to 60.6%, increasing the percentage of infants who were exclusively breastfed though the first 6 months of life to 25.5%, and reducing the number of infants who received infant formula supplements within the first two days of life to 14.2%
“Doula Dads” - is an initiative hosted by the Cultural Wellness Center that trains men—particularly men of color—to serve as birth coaches and companions supporting expectant families