9:30 am: Registration

Take part in our data engagement activity before the formal program begins.

10:00 am: Welcome and Introductions

Lynanne Gutierrez, President, Groundwork Ohio

10:20 am: Status of Children's Health

Dr. Aparna Roy, Chair of Pediatrics, MetroHealth

10:30 am: Formal Welcome

Dr. Airica Steed, President & CEO, MetroHealth

10:35 am: Maternal and Infant Health Panel

Moderated by Kim Green, MSN, RN, C-EFM, Vice President, Women and Children Services, panelists include:

• Angela Newman White, Executive Director, First Year Cleveland

• Jazmin Long, President & CEO, Birthing Beautiful Communities

• Dr. Jessica Pippen

• Dr. Kelly Gibson, Division for Maternal & Fetal Medicine and Associate Director of Obstetric Informatics

11:35 am: Lunch

11:50 am: Early Childhood Care and Learning Panel

Moderated by Gloria Blevins, President, Black Child Development Institute, panelists include:

• Shawna Rohrman, Director, Invest in Children Cuyahoga County

• Nancy Mendez, President & CEO of Starting Point and MetroHealth Board Member

• Carole Beaty, MSPOD, Chief Program Officer at Center for Families and Children

12:55 pm: Conclusion and Wrap-Up

Lynanne Gutierrez, President, Groundwork Ohio

As the President of Groundwork Ohio, Lynanne Gutierrez is at the forefront of our statewide mission, spearheading a powerful early childhood movement. As a dedicated child advocate, Lynanne oversees the development and implementation of Groundwork’s policy agenda and shapes priorities and strategies through effective communication, advocacy, research, and data analysis.

A pivotal figure in Groundwork's strategic growth and transformation over the past seven years, Lynanne played a crucial role in expanding the organization's Statehouse footprint, relationships, and reputation across the state. Additionally, her efforts were instrumental in the successful transition to a standalone 501c3 in 2021.

Recognized as a respected early childhood expert in Ohio and nationwide, Lynanne is frequently sought out to address diverse audiences on early childhood policy advocacy. Appointed by Governor Mike DeWine to the state’s Early Childhood Advisory Council, she has served as a member since 2019.

Lynanne's professional journey includes prior roles in advocacy and private law practice focused on children and families. Before becoming a licensed attorney, she served as a Senior Legislative Aide in the Ohio Senate. A distinguished alumna of The Ohio State University with a Bachelor of Arts and a Juris Doctorate from Capital Law School, Lynanne is also a 2023 graduate of the prestigious Leadership Ohio program.

Lynanne, a resident of Columbus, Ohio, shares life with her husband Anthony and their two young children. She is an avid reader and amateur quilter.

Dr. Aparna Roy, Chair of Pediatrics, MetroHealth

Dr. Aparna Roy is the Chair of the Department of Pediatrics at The MetroHealth System. With over 10 years of experience in pediatric medicine, Dr. Roy is renowned for her expertise in pediatric critical care medicine.

Dr. Roy earned her medical degree from one of the top medical schools in India, Grant Medical College and completed her residency in Pediatrics from University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey and fellowship in Pediatric Critical Care Medicine from Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital, Cleveland. Additionally, she has a Master of Public Health (MPH) from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Case Western Weatherhead School of Management.

In addition to her clinical work, Dr. Roy is actively involved in teaching and mentoring at The MetroHealth System where she plays a vital role in shaping the next generation of pediatricians. She has published in peer reviewed national journals and frequently presents in national and international conferences.

Dr. Roy is committed to advancing medical care through leadership, research, and dedication to patient-centered research. She is a member of several professional organizations and boards reflecting her dedication to the field of pediatrics.

Outside of her professional responsibilities, Dr. Roy enjoys spending time with her lovely family with her husband, two daughters and her dog, hiking, working out, cooking, and traveling.

Dr. Airica Steed, President & CEO, MetroHealth

Appointed in 2022, Dr. Airica Steed is the first woman, first person of color and first nurse to serve as Chief Executive Officer and President for The MetroHealth System in Cleveland, one of the nation’s most highly regarded academic public health systems, caring for the people of Greater Cleveland since 1837.

Under her leadership, MetroHealth has grown into an $2 billion healthcare system with five acute and specialty-care hospitals, almost 9,000 employees and over 40 ambulatory care locations. MetroHealth provides care throughout the community, including at the county jail and inside dozens of schools with its nationally recognized School Health Program.

Historic and visionary, Dr. Steed is no ordinary leader. She has transformed MetroHealth with a people-first culture that incorporates intentional listening, collaboration and empowerment to best serve caregivers, patients and the community.

Fueled by her tragic personal experiences with America’s broken healthcare system, Dr. Steed is on the front lines of the fight to end healthcare inequities and injustice. As a proud fourth-generation nurse, she is relentless in her advocacy and her action to eradicate health disparities, zero out the death gap, lift the health and wealth of the community, and ensure that every person achieves their healthiest-possible life.

Before arriving in Cleveland, Dr. Steed’s accomplished and award-winning career as a healthcare executive included the spearheading of large-scale transformations that encompass more than $300 million in combined financial improvements, achieving top decile quality/safety performance outcomes, driving healthy profitable growth, and achieving groundbreaking advancements in health equity.

Dr. Steed has been recognized as one of Modern Healthcare’s “100 Most Influential Leaders in Healthcare,” “Top Women Leaders,” “Top 25 Minority Leaders in Healthcare,” “Top 25 Healthcare Innovators,” and an “Up & Comer.” Other awards include Diversity MBA Magazine’s “Top 100 Executive Leaders Under 50” and Becker's Healthcare’s “Women CEOs of Hospitals & Health Systems to Know,” “Top 130 Female Healthcare Leaders to Know,” and “Black Healthcare Leaders to Know.”

Dr. Steed is recognized as a strategic and visionary change leader, transformational architect and international expert in Lean Six Sigma, Malcolm Baldrige framework, and Big Four management consulting across academic medical centers, community and specialty hospitals, safety-net organizations, ambulatory clinics, multi-site clinically integrated healthcare systems, and Federally Qualified Health Centers.

Dr. Steed is a sought-after national and international speaker, published author, board member and faculty member spanning several organizations.

She holds a Doctorate of Education in Ethical Leadership, with distinction; Master of Business Administration, Bachelor of Science in Nursing and numerous certifications including Master Black Belt and International Trainer in Lean Six Sigma and Fellow of American College of Healthcare Executives. She is currently pursuing a second master’s, in Global Development from Harvard University.

On top of her many honors and accolades, Dr. Steed’s most prized accomplishment is being a devoted mother to four children and two dogs.

Kim Green, MSN, RN, C-EFM, Vice President, Women and Children Services

Kimberly Green, MSN, RN, C-EFM, serves as Vice President Women and Children Services at The MetroHealth System. In this role, Kimberly is responsible for the business, professional, and clinical activities in women and children’s services throughout the system. Passionate about her work, Kimberly is deeply committed to leading the vision and strategy that will promote meaningful initiatives, deliver quality care, and yield positive outcomes.

Kimberly has been a registered nurse for over 30 years and has served in a variety of leadership roles. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from The Ohio State University and later earned a Master of Science in Nursing with a concentration in leadership and management. During her nursing tenure, Kimberly has worked primarily in the hospital and academic setting. Kimberly is known for being dedicated, caring, supportive, and a fierce advocate for providing culturally competent care.

Kimberly also serves as the Program Administrator for Nurse Family Partnership, a grant funded nationally acclaimed social program aimed at improving the health, and wellbeing for a first-time mother and her child until the age of two.

Kimberly is a member of numerous professional nursing organizations and serves on several boards, including the Executive Board for First Year Cleveland. She has been the recipient of leadership awards acknowledging her clinical expertise and dedication to the nursing profession. Kimberly is a certified nurse and has presented at nursing conferences as well as co-authored an article in a professional nursing journal.

Angela Newman White, Executive Director, First Year Cleveland

Angela Newman-White has over 20 years of public health experience focused on addressing inequities in maternal and child health. As Executive Director of First Year Cleveland since January 2023, Angela leads a team whose work is focused on making sure every baby born in Cuyahoga County celebrates their first birthday. First Year Cleveland is committed to addressing racism in healthcare and social determinants of health as systemic drivers of poor outcomes. Rebranded as connector, protector, and activator, FYC builds capacity in community and across sectors to better serve families in Cuyahoga County, centers the lived experiences and wisdom of Black families and communities, and advocates for policy reform rooted in equity and justice.

In addition to participating on local and state collaboratives, since 2019, Angela has served on the CityMatCH Board of Directors and the Cuyahoga County Department of Children and Family Services Advisory Board, where she now serves as Chair. Angela holds a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from Bowling Green State University and Master of Arts in Sociology from Cleveland State University.

Jazmin Long, President & CEO, Birthing Beautiful Communities

Jazmin Long is a dedicated and passionate community leader with a proven track record of developing strategic relationships and driving community impact. As President/CEO of Birthing Beautiful Communities (BBC), Jazmin works to achieve positive birth outcomes for Black families despite the racial disparities in maternal and infant health in Cuyahoga County – which has had some of the worst infant mortality rates in the nation for more than a decade. Jazmin seeks to change that.

At BBC, Jazmin leads a team of nearly 50 Perinatal Support Doulas dedicated to transforming the lives of mothers through the perinatal period, labor/delivery, and into postpartum through culture, education, advocacy, support and engagement. Jazmin has been instrumental in developing partnerships and programs to reduce the stresses caused by problems with employment, housing and education.

As NEO’s only Black Doula agency, BBC currently offers life-changing and life-saving support to more than 700 families. Under Jazmin’s leadership, BBC has secured more than $6.5M in funding; partnered with three Managed Care Organizations to provide reimbursement for doula services; expanded into Summit County; and embarked upon a campaign to build what will soon be Ohio’s only Black-owned free-standing birth center.

Jazmin is President of the Board of Trustees at Near West Theatre, serves on the executive committee of First Year Cleveland and was appointed to the health task force by Mayor Justin Bibb’s Transition Team. She was recognized by Cleveland NAACP as a Rising Leader and Radio One Cleveland as a 2022 Future History Maker.

She was a member of Cleveland Leadership Center’s Campus Cleveland Program (2013) and the Advanced Leadership Institute (2018). She is a frequent speaker on birth justice and women’s rights and will soon keynote a City Club conversation about the state of women’s reproductive rights.

Jazmin earned Master’s Degrees in Social Administration and Nonprofit Management from Case Western Reserve University’s Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences. She also is a graduate of Connecticut College. She recently became an adjunct professor at Case Western Reserve University.

Dr. Jessica Pippen

Jessica Pippen, MD is a board certified Maternal Fetal Medicine and Addiction Medicine provider at the MetroHealth System. She provides high-risk OB care with a focus in substance use disorders in pregnancy. She serves as the director of Families Moving Forward - the Parent Child Recovery Program (comprehensive perinatal care for patients with substance use disorder) and the MetroHealth MOMs’ House (a sober living facility for pregnant and postpartum patients). Her additional interests include population health and the use of quality improvement to enhance the peripartum care of all patients through the Ohio Care Innovation and Community Improvement Program (CCIP). In addition, she serves as the Case Western Reserve University site primary investigator of the Nulliparous Pregnancy Outcomes Study: Monitoring Mothers-to-be, Heart Health Study (nuMOM2b HHS). She is also the Director of the MetroHealth System’s Antepartum Services.

Dr. Kelly Gibson, Division for Maternal & Fetal Medicine and Associate Director of Obstetric Informatics

Dr. Kelly Gibson is the Division Director for Maternal Fetal Medicine and the Associate Director of Obstetric Informatics at The MetroHealth System and an Associate Professor at Case Western Reserve University. Dr. Gibson is a member of the SMFM Board of Directors and past chair of their Clinical Informatics Committee. She is the current Chair of the Epic Obstetrics Steering Board. She is the current principal investigator for the NICHD Eunice Kennedy Shriver Maternal Fetal Medicine Research Network for the Case site. Dr. Gibson is a clinical advisor for the Ohio Alliance for Innovation in Maternal Health (AIM) Hypertension Project and is a member of the Ohio Pregnancy-Associated Mortality Review Board.

Gloria Blevins, President, Black Child Development Institute

Gloria Blevins is the President and Founder of the Black Child Development Institute – Ohio Affiliate, an affiliate of the National Black Child Development Institute. She also serves as the current Chief Executive Officer of Early Childhood Options of University Circle of 26 years. She holds a Master of Management from David N. Myers University and a Bachelor of Business Administration from Cleveland State University, as well as an HR professional holding SHRM-CP certification. Her expertise consists of strategic planning, business practices, child development, diversity and equity, and organizational development with a lifelong commitment to child advocacy.

Shawna Rohrman, Director, Invest in Children Cuyahoga County

Shawna Rohrman, PhD, is Director of the Cuyahoga County Office of Early Childhood/Invest in Children, overseeing an early childhood service continuum from prenatal to kindergarten. She is a sociologist by training and brings this lens to her work to better understand how our social systems shape children’s early experiences and environments, and how we can improve these systems to ensure all children have opportunities to thrive. Shawna came to Invest in Children in 2017, serving first as Evaluation Manager and more recently as Associate Director. In each of these roles she has worked collaboratively with OEC/IIC’s lead agencies, community partners, and other County offices to help ensure a strong continuum of services for young children in Cuyahoga County. Shawna graduated Summa Cum Laude with a B.A. in Sociology and Criminal Justice from Baldwin-Wallace University, received a M.A. in Sociology from the University of Akron, and has a Ph.D. in Sociology from Indiana University.

Nancy Mendez, President & CEO, Starting Point; Board Member, MetroHealth

Nancy Mendez is a dedicated leader in the human services field, supporting community needs, such as poverty, childhood education, and youth development. She became president and CEO of Starting Point, a Northeast Ohio non-profit youth and family services agency, in 2021.

Before leading Starting Pont, Nancy Mendez was the Vice President of Community Investment at the United Way of Greater Cleveland. Nancy was responsible for developing the department’s approach for the design, development, testing, implementation, and evaluation of community programs, and special projects.

She was also responsible for ensuring an effective allocation process and grants management. Ms. Mendez also led the 2-1-1 Helplink line that connects individuals in need with services in the community.

Nancy was named Crain’s Business “Woman of Note” and in a 2013 Distinguished Hispanic Ohioan by the Ohio Latino Affairs Commission.

Carole Beaty, MSPOD, Chief Program Officer, The Center

We want to hear from you. Policymakers need to hear about your expertise and challenges. Help inform early childhood policy and take our brief survey today.

Download our roadshow factsheet to learn more about our policy process.

Use county-specific data to help with your advocacy outreach.

• Cuyahoga County Factsheet

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MetroHealth Medical Center

2500 MetroHealth Drive • Cleveland, OH 44109

Please download the visitor's map here.

Park in the “Patient and Visitor Lot (P4)." This can be entered from MetroHealth Drive.

Bring in your parking ticket. We will provide a parking voucher.

Enter into Door 56, located in the rear of Tower B into the Rammelkamp Atrium.

The event will be held in the Scott Auditorium and East Dining Room, less than a five-minute walk from the garage.

Engage with us online! We want to hear from you. Use #GOListeningTour when tweeting during the day.

Sample post:

🚗 [Take a photo/selfie at the event] I’m with @GroundworkOhio on their 2024 Roadshow Listening Tour in #Cleveland. We’re ready to make our #BIGVOICE heard by the state’s policymakers! @metrohealthcle #GOListeningTour

Follow us online: @GroundworkOhio

Download our social media toolkit for easy posting.