Preconception health focuses on the vision that all people of reproductive age with achieve optimal health and wellness, fostering a quality life course for them and any children they may have.
CMIH has provided leadership in preconception health for decades, building on the strong UNC legacy set by Merry-K Moos and Dr. Robert Cefalo. This work has included developing a website for health care professionals, a website for young adults, training modules, strategies, and supporting the National Preconception Health and Health Care Initiative. Our work has included leading a 5-year national project as part of HRSA MCHB’s Collaborative Improvement and Innovation Network on Infant Mortality (IM CoIIN) Initiative. The Preconception CoIIN focused on developing, implementing and disseminating a woman-centered, clinician-engaged, community-involved approach to the well woman visit. Click here to learn more. Dr. Verbiest co-edited the book – Preconception Health and Care: A Life Course Approach with Jill Shawe and Eric A.P. Steegers – published by Spring Nature Switzerland AG in 2020.
More recently, our work has focused on people with chronic conditions and reproductive well-being. This work included a comprehensive program funded by the WK Kellogg Foundation – Connecting the Dots Part II: Building a Seamless System for Women with Chronic Conditions – Before, Between and Beyond Pregnancy. This work culminated in a series of publications in the Health Services Research Journal. The first set of papers is available in Volume 57 | Number 6 December 2022. The second set of papers is available in Volume 58 | Number 1 February 2023 and the last set of papers is available in Volume 58 | Number 2 April 2023. Learn more about this project here: https://beforeandbeyond.org/chronic-condition-care-collaborative.
We are particularly proud of the work we were able to do in partnership with a remarkable group of women with lived experience focusing on their perspectives of what is needed to improve reproductive care for women with chronic conditions. Funded by a Eugene Washington Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) Engagement Award, you can read a paper that summarizes our work – Listening to patients: Opportunities to improve reproductive wellness for women with chronic conditions.
Our work to improve care for people with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome and we are excited to have just received funding (August 2025) to begin work to improve care for women of reproductive age with endometriosis. Executive Director Dr. Sarah Verbiest is part of international work on preconception health including the iCIPHE Alliance and a global effort to identify a universal set of preconception health indicators.
Before, Between and Beyond Pregnancy
Before, Between and Beyond Pregnancy was designed to be a “one stop” resource for clinicians and others who want to learn more about preconception health, its history, the evidence supporting it and strategies for incorporating relevant content into daily clinical practice. Before, Between and Beyond was created as a key component of the National Preconception Health and Healthcare Initiative (PCHHC). For more information about Before & Beyond, visit: http://beforeandbeyond.org.
Show Your Love
Show Your Love is a national campaign designed to promote wellbeing and support young women and men strive to achieve their goals and make lifestyle choices that help them be and feel their best. The work has continue to evolve since 2013 and this website remains the only preconception website for consumers in the US. For more information about ShowYourLoveToday visit: https://showyourlovetoday.com/