The UAB Pediatric Pulmonary Center (PPC), funded by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB), recently hosted the 10th Annual Making Lifelong Connections (MLC) meeting on April 2, 2020. Originally planned as a three-day conference to be hosted in Nashville, was transitioned to a one-day virtual platform due to the COVID-19 pandemic. With less than three weeks to prepare, the MLC Planning Committee convened the conference using distance technology with huge success! The conference theme for this year was to learn how to provide technical assistance using technology and social media. The planning committee quickly modified the agenda to suit a digital platform, and speakers adjusted their presentations to engage the audience members digitally, such as a series of polls, chats and digital scavenger hunts.

Both current and former MCHB trainees from different programs and disciplines across the country joined together for networking and leadership opportunities. The conference included poster presentations, panel discussions on leadership and research, and featured speakers. Michael Warren, M.D., associate administrator of the MCHB, was the keynote speaker.

Laurel Hitchcock, Ph.D., associate professor of Social Work at UAB, was a featured speaker and instrumental in teaching the role of social and digital technologies as a tool for building a professional collaboration network. Dr. Hitchcock is a former trainee of the UAB Center of Excellence in MCH Education, Science and Practice. She engaged trainees to create a professional Twitter account prior to the meeting to promote the conference by using #MLC2020 and @LifelongMaking. 

The conference allowed trainees to opportunity to present and to build on current skills and make new connections. Many realized that there are many opportunities to continue work with MCHB outside of traineeship.

Despite the current pandemic and the move to a virtual platform, the conference was a great success with many trainees still engaging during the meeting. This conference would not have been possible without the dedication and hard work of the following PPC faculty: Linda Russo, MAE (family faculty), Theresa Rodgers, DNP, CRNP, (nursing faculty), and Valerie Tarn, MS, RD, LD (nutrition faculty).