Julia L. DeClerque, DrPH, MPH
EDUCATION
1987 Doctor of Public Health. University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, School of Public Health. Department of Maternal Child Health. Dissertation: “The Role of Mothers’ Knowledge and Beliefs Influencing Behaviors Associated with Infant Diarrhea: A Study of the Determinants of Personal Hygiene and Sanitation Behaviors Among A Sample of Philippine Mothers in Cebu City, 1985.”
1982 Master of Public Health. Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine. Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology. Thesis: “Field Survey of Pediatric Diarrheal Disease in Belize, CA”
1978-80 University of Wisconsin. School of Medicine, Department of Preventive Medicine (Graduate Coursework)
1975 Bachelor of Arts. Department of Anthropology.
Kirkland College (Hamilton College), Clinton, N.Y.
1973-74 Benaras Hindu University — Uttar Pradesh, India.
Wisconsin Year in India Program
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Research Associate and Fellow, Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill — October 1993 to present.
- Director of the Sheps Center’s NC Rural Health Research Center (1993-94)
- Project Director for the Rural Adolescent Pregnancy Project, an AHCPR-funded Delivery Order to the Sheps Center’s Rural Health Services Research Grant (1993-1995).
- Principal Investigator for Robert Wood Johnson funded Medicaid Managed Care Project (1994-1996)
- Co-Investigator for monograph on school-based health centers for adolescents in middle grades and designing an evaluation plan for NC’s Making the Grade Program, (1996-97)
- Manager of the NC Healthy Start Foundation’s Community Grants Program (1996 to 2002)
- Co/Principal Investigator of NC Healthy Start Baby Love Plus Evaluation (1998 to 2000)
- Staff to NC Institute of Medicine Child Health Task Force (1999-2000)
- Principal Investigator of NC Healthy Start Baby Love Plus Evaluation (2000 to 2014)
- Co-Investigator of Community Child Health Network Project, NIH-funded grant for University/Community Partnership June 2003 to 2011
- Principal Investigator of Regionalized Network for Data Management and Utilization Project (RNDMU) January 2008 to October 2012
- Principal Investigator of NC New Parent / First Time Mother Initiative Evaluation (January 2009 to September 2010)
- Co-Investigator of the NC Healthy Start Baby Love Plus Evaluation (June 2015-2019)
- Principal Investigator of NC Young Families Connect-Engaging Communities Evaluation (August 2013-August 2017).
Project Director, Healthy Kids Project, University of North Carolina School of Nursing — April 1990 to 1993. Responsible for management and implementation of a four year, two million dollar federal research project aimed at improving use of EPSDT services by Medicaid eligible families in rural North Carolina.
Child Survival Consultant, AIDSTECH Sub-Contract to the USAID REDSO Regional Office for West Africa — May 1990. Member of a three-person team to provide technical assistance on opportunities for integrating AIDS activities into Child Survival programs in Ghana.
Director, Division of Research & Evaluation, International Projects Assistance Services — May 1988 to April 1990. Design and implementation of evaluation strategies to improve delivery of comprehensive family planning services. Field programs conducted in Latin America, Africa and Near East. Work with study-site Project Directors to identify specific research questions and analysis methods to determine factors affecting women’s fertility management choices.
Research Consultant, Division of Program Planning and Evaluation, Family Health International - August 1987 to June 1988. Design and analysis of maternal treatment behaviors for pediatric diarrhea in Honduras: use of 1984 MCH/FP National Survey to model determinants of health services utilization and ORT administration. Also analysis of breast feeding patterns and postpartum amenorrhea for 1987 Honduran National Survey of Epidemiology and Family Planning.
Research Assistant, Carolina Population Center — April 1983 to August 1987. Analysis of the 1981-82 Egypt Follow-up Survey on Family Life and Family Planning using various mathematical models and statistical techniques: survival analysis, logistic regression and other multivariate methods. Study of patterns and determinants of maternal and other demographic correlates of child morbidity in Bas Zaire.
Data Consultant, Family Health International — Fall, 1986. Logistic modeling of pediatric diarrhea among a sample of Honduran children using the National Health and Population Survey.
Field Consultant, Follow-up study of Philippine Infant Feeding Project, Cebu Province, The Philippines. May 1985 to August 1985. Collection of additional household data on mothers KAP related to diarrhea disease, breast feeding and oral rehydration therapy. Responsible for hiring, training and supervision of field workers as well as all aspects of field logistics.
Field Consultant, Mbuji Mayi Health Center — Zaire, Africa. May 1983 to August 1983. Program evaluation of PHC/Nutrition project through community and household assessment of selected health indicators. Principal coordinator of three-week intensive training session for public health professionals. Responsible for design, organization, management and delivery of training session.
Teaching Assistant, Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology Tulane University. September 1982 to December 1982. Epidemiology 607 — Behavioral Aspects of Health. Responsible for lecturing, leading discussion groups, conducting review sessions, preparation of lecture materials, managing and grading exams.
Project Supervisor, Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology Tulane University. May 1982 to September 1982. Principal Investigator and Field Supervisor for sanitation feasibility project in Belize City, Belize. Collaboration with Belize Ministry of Health and Canadian International Development Agency. Community survey undertaken collecting data on water supply, water use, sanitation facilities, prevalence of specific diarrheal pathogens, KAP re diarrheal disease and health facility utilization patterns. Responsible for project design, implementation, evaluation and analysis.
Clinical Research Associate, Department of Pharmacology — University of Wisconsin. October 1977 to September 1981. Responsible for all aspects of clinical research project involving characterization of beta-adrenergic receptor sites in human polymorphonucleolymphocytes: conducted venopuncture and blood preparation, paper/gel electrophoresis, chromatography, iodination of radio nucleotides; preparation and use of high affinity radioligands in binding assays and filter-vacuum aspiration of homogenized granulocytes.
Laboratory Assistant, Department of Pharmacology, University of Wisconsin. December 1979 to June 1980. Responsible for purification and isolation of a specific bovine brain protein.
Laboratory Worker, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Wisconsin. December 1974 to June 1975. Member of four person research team studying environmental contamination of run-off samples collected from foundry sites. Performed basic laboratory analysis of aqueous samples.
Laboratory Worker, Department of Oncology, McArdle Laboratories, University of Wisconsin.
February 1975 to July 1977. Basic laboratory work including tissue culture and virus harvesting
HONORS AND AWARDS
UNC International Public Health Program Research Assistantship
October 1985 to September 1986
Smith Fund Award, UNC Graduate School — January 1986
Dissertation Fellowship, UNC Graduate School — January 1985
US Public Health Service Traineeship, Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine — Fall 1981 through Spring 1982
Year in India Scholarship, University of Wisconsin, Madison — 1973 to 1974
PROFESSIONAL
AFFILIATIONS
Association for Health Services Research
American Public Health Association
Population Association of America
Durham Coalition for Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention
UNC Hospitals NCCC – Family Support Specialist
UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health – Alumni Foundation Board
Selected PUBLICATIONS & PRESENTATIONS
Ramey S, Shafer P, DeClerque J, Lanzi R, Hobel C, Shalowitz M, Chincilli V, Raju T, and The Community Child Health Network. “The Preconception Stress and Resiliency Pathways Model: A Multi-Level Framework on Maternal, Paternal, and Child Health Disparities Derived by Community-Based Participatory Research”. Maternal and Child Health Journal, 19 (4): 707-719, April 2015.
Blase, J., DeClerque, J., Israel, D., Kanotra, S., Perry, J., Shanahan, E., & Wilburn, A. (2012). “A surveillance pilot study of unintended pregnancy and contraceptive failure in three Kentucky Title X family planning clinics”. Contraception, 86(2), 174.
Shanahan E, DeClerque J, Israel D, Wilburn A, Kanotra S. “I Think I’m Pregnant!”: Who Comes to Title X Clinics for Pregnancy Tests and Emergency Contraception? Presentation to Kentucky Public Health Nurse Practitioners, Frankfort KY, June 21, 2012.
DeClerque J, Shanahan E, Long-Valentin A. New Parent Initiative / First Time Motherhood Grant: Tools for Engagement: Finding the Right RLP Tools that Start the Conversation, Inform, Educate, and Reach Our Target Audiences. Presented at the Third National Summit on Preconception Health and Health Care, Tampa FL, June 14, 2011.
Saada A, Perry JR, Shanahan EM, DeClerque JL. Improving Utilization of Prenatal and Interconceptional Case Management Services: Understanding Factors Related to Non-Use Among High-Risk Women in Forsyth and Guilford Counties. Chapel Hill, NC: Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 2011 Spring.
DeClerque JL, Shanahan EM. NC Healthy Start: The Ultimate Stimulus Package: Making Investments that Bring Returns. Chapel Hill, NC: Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, March 2010.
Nguyen T, Shanahan E, DeClerque JL. Healthy Start Local Evaluation Impact Report for 2006-2010: Eastern NC Healthy Start — Baby Love Plus Chapel Hill, NC: Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, May 2010.
DeClerque, JL. Women and Newborns at Risk: 2006 Pregnancy Outcomes and Costs for North Carolina and Baby Love Plus Triad Region Women and Infants. Chapel Hill: Sheps Center for Health Services Research, November 2008.
DeClerque JL, Shanahan EM. Healthy Start Model Components: Useful Tools for Community Problem Solving. NC Baby Love Plus Addresses Problems of Family Violence. Healthy Start Grantee Meeting, Arlington, VA, August 6, 2007.
Shanahan EM, DeClerque JL, Robinson JL. Monitoring and Evaluation for Program Success: Preliminary Findings from the NC Baby Love Plus Program. Presented at the 2006 Healthy Start Grantee Meeting, Arlington, VA, June 16, 2006.
DeClerque J, Freedman, J, Verbeist S, and Bondurant S. “North Carolina’s Infant Mortality Problems Persist: Time for a Paradigm Shift”. North Carolina Medical Journal, 65 (3): 138-146, May/June 2004.
DeClerque J, Martin S, Shanahan E., Perez J, Hankerson J, and Ruffin J. “Strengthening Systems of Care to Address Family Violence During and Around the Time of Pregnancy.” Summary Evaluation Report. The Northeastern N.C. Baby Love Plus Program, May 2004.
DeClerque J, Shanahan E. “Talking Points for a Healthy Start: Advocacy Fact Sheet”. Chapel Hill, NC: Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 2004 February.
DeClerque J, Miller A, and Wright G. “Development of a Local Health System Action Plan Summary Report”. Eastern Healthy Start Baby Love Plus Consortium, Greenville, NC July 2003.
Skatrud DeClerque J, Bennett TA, Loda FA, “An Overview of Adolescent Pregnancy in Rural Areas.” The Journal of Rural Health. 14 (1): 17-27, 1998.
Joyce T, Henshaw S, and DeClerque Skatrud J, “The Impact of Mississippi’s Mandatory Delay Law on Abortions and Births”. Journal of the American Medical Association, 28 (8): 653-658, Aug 1997.
Loda FA, Speizer IS, Martin KL, DeClerque Skatrud J, Bennett TA, “Programs and Services to Prevent Pregnancy, Childbearing, and Poor Birth Outcomes Among Adolescents in Rural Areas of the Southeastern United States”. Journal of Adolescent Health, 21: 157-166, 1997.
Bennett TA, DeClerque Skatrud J, Guild P, Loda F, and Klerman, LV, “Rural Adolescent Pregnancy: A View from the South”. Family Planning Perspectives, 29 (6): 256-260 & 267,1997.
Perkins J, Olson, K, Rivera L, DeClerque Skatrud J, “Making the Consumers’ Voice Heard in Medicaid Managed Care: Increasing Participation, Protection and Satisfaction”. Best Practice Recommendations for Phase II Sites. National Health Law Program, Chapel Hill, N.C., July 1997.
Perkins J, Olson, K, DeClerque Skatrud J, “Making the Consumers’ Voice Heard in Medicaid Managed Care: Increasing Participation, Protection and Satisfaction”. Report on Required and Voluntary Mechanisms. National Health Law Program, Chapel Hill, N.C., December 1996.
DeClerque Skatrud J, Bennett TA, Pedulla NL, Loda FA, Henshaw S, “Further Analysis of Restrictions to Abortion Access: Special Emphasis on Rural Mississippi Adolescents”. Manuscript prepared for Family Planning Perspectives, (in preparation).
Bennett TA, DeClerque JL, Guild PA, Schectman R., “An Analysis of Metro-Rural Differences in Fertility Indicators for Women in US DHHS Region IV with Special Emphasis on Rural Adolescents.” The NC Rural Health Research Program, Working Paper Series, No. 42, July 1995.
DeClerque JL, Pedulla NL, Bennett TA, “Data Sources for Research on Rural Adolescent Pregnancy: An Evaluability Assessment.” The NC Rural Health Research Program, Working Paper Series, No. 41, June 1995.
DeClerque, JL, Russell-Brown P, Macintyre K., “The Costs of Adolescent Pregnancy: Public and Private Resources and Public Policies Related to Adolescent Pregnancy in Rural Areas.” The NC Rural Health Research Program, Working Paper Series, No. 40, June 1995.
DeClerque JL, Loda FA, Bennett TA, Guild PA, Pedulla N, and Martin KL, “The Problem of Adolescent Pregnancy in the Rural South: What Do We Know?” Paper presented at the 1995 Annual Meeting of the National Rural Health Association, May 1995, Atlanta, GA.
DeClerque JL, Martin KL, and Pedulla N, “Patterns in Abortion Use 1990-1994 in North Carolina and Mississippi: Special Emphasis on Rural Teens”. Paper presented at the 1995 Annual Meeting of the American Public Health Association, San Diego, CA.
DeClerque JL, Martin KL, and Loda FA. “Adolescent Pregnancy in the Rural South”. Presented to the Triangle Area Adolescent Health Services Research Group, Chapel Hill, NC. February 1995
DeClerque J, Richardson LA, Selby ML. “Public health nursing research to improve use of preventive health services for children.” Paper presented at the First International Conference on Community Health Nursing Research, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, and September 1993.
Selby-Harrington ML, Richardson LA, Luchok KJ, DeClerque JLC & Quade D. (submitted). “Studies of Medicaid’s preventive health services program for children, 1982 to 1992. ”
DeClerque JLC, Selby M, Williams D, Cianciolo S, & Long M. “Increasing Physician Participation in EPSDT.” Paper presented at the 1992 meeting of the American Public Health Association, Washington, DC.
DeClerque JLC, Bailey P, Janowitz B, Dominik R, & Fiallos C. “Management and Treatment of Diarrhea in Honduran Children: Factors Associated with Mothers’ Health Care Behaviors.” Social Science and Medicine. Volume 34, Number 6: 687-695, 1992.
Selby M, DeClerque JLC, Williams D, & Long M. “A Cost-effective Recruitment Strategy to Increase Private Physician Participation in EPSDT in Rural North Carolina.” Paper presented at the Primary Care Conference, Chapel Hill, NC, and March 1992.
Selby M, Riportella-Muller R, & DeClerque JLC. “The Healthy Kids Project: Collaborative Research to Improve Nursing Practice and Children’s Health Care.” Paper presented at the meeting of the Forum XII, Greensboro, NC, and April 1991.
DeClerque JLC. “Unsafe Abortion Practices in Sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America: A Call to Policy Makers”. 1989 Association for Women in Development, November 17-19, Washington, D.C.
DeClerque JLC, Leonard A, & McLaurin K. “Abortion in Developing Countries: Policy, Access & the Law”. Paper presented at the 1989 Meeting of the American Public Health Association, October 22-26, Chicago, 1989.
Tsui A, DeClerque JLC, & Mangani N. “Maternal and Sociodemographic Correlates of Child Morbidity in Bas Zaire: The Effects of Maternal Reporting.” Social Science and Medicine. Volume 26, Number 7: 701-714, 1988.
DeClerque JLC. “Maternal Hygiene, Sanitation Behaviors and Child Health.” International Health in the 1990’s: Directions in Research and Development — Selected Pagers of the 1987 NCIH Southern Regional Conference. Washington, D.C.: National Council for International Health, 1988.
DeClerque JLC, & Tsui A. “Maternal and Other Demographic Correlates of Child Morbidity Patterns in Bas Zaire.” Paper presented at the 1987 Annual Meeting of the Population Association of America, April, Chicago.
DeClerque JLC, & Schaefer E. “Maximizing Health Information for Child Survival: Targeting Effective Source Outlets.” Paper presented at the 1987 Annual Meeting of the American Public Health Association, October, New Orleans, Louisiana.
DeClerque JLC, & Schaefer E. “Patterns and Determinants of Associated Factors in Pediatric Diarrheal Disease — Maternal Hygiene and Sanitation Behaviors Among a Sample of Filipino Women.” Paper presented at the 1987 Annual Meeting of the National Council for International Health, Washington, D.C.
DeClerque JLC, Tsui A, & Abd El Fattah F. “Media Habits of the Egyptian Childbearing Public.” Paper presented at the 1987 Annual Meeting of the National Council for International Health, Washington, D.C.
Janowitz B, DeClerque JLC, Dominik R, & Fiallos C. “Modeling Determinants of Diarrheal Disease: Relative Effects of Demographic, Environmental and Child Correlates in Honduran Children Under Five Years.” Annual Meeting of the APHA, October 1987.
DeClerque JLC, Tsui A, Abul-Ata M, & Barcelona D. “Rumor, Misinformation and Oral Contraceptive Use in Egypt.” Social Science and Medicine. Volume 23, Number 1: 83-92, 1986.
DeClerque JLC, & Tsui A. “Contraceptive Discontinuation in Egypt: A Dilemma of High Availability and Brief Use.” Pp. 245-260 in D. Kluge (ed.) Selected papers of the 1984 Annual Conference of the National Council for International Health. Washington, D.C.: NCIH and Samaritan Medical Foundation.
Molyneaux J, & DeClerque JLC. “Community Level Factors and Fertility: An Annotated Bibliography.” Paper prepared for Employment and Development Department, International Labor Organization, Geneva, 1985.
Abd EI Fattah F, DeClerque JLC, & Tsui A. “Media Habits of the Egyptian Childbearing Public.” Research Report No. 3 of the Further Analysis of the 1981-82 Egypt Follow-up Survey on Family Life and Family Planning. Carolina Population Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 1985.
Ruoho A, DeClerque JLC, & Busse W. “Characterization of Granulocyte Beta Adrenergic Receptors in Atopic Eczema.” American Journal of Clinical Immunology. Volume 66, Number 1: 46-51, July 1980.
Selected Funded Work at UNC-CH
Principal Investigator. 2013- 2017. NC DHHS/DPH and OASH Office of Adolescent Health US DHHS. Young Families Connect: Engaging Communities. Evaluation of a project to provide comprehensive and high impact case management and motivational services for expectant and parenting youth age 13-24 years that promote health and wellness, develop positive parenting skills and achieve self-sufficiency through educational attainment and workforce readiness.
Principal and Co-Investigator. 2001 – 2019 Evaluation of NC Healthy Start Baby Love Plus Reducing Racial Disparities in Perinatal Health and Birth Outcomes. NCDHHS/DPH. The goal of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of targeted community outreach, facilitating services, enhanced case management, and the collective impact of community components of the NC Baby Love Plus program in reducing disparities in perinatal health in the Northeastern, Eastern, and Triad regions of NC.
Co-Investigator. 1997-2001. Maternal and Child Health Bureau, HRSA. Healthy Start Phase II: Replication. The goal of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of targeted community outreach, facilitating services, enhanced case management, and the community Consortium components of the NC Baby Love Plus program in reducing disparities in perinatal health in the Eastern region of NC.
Principal Investigator. 2005-2012. Regional Network for Data Management and Utilization Project: Provides technical assistance to the eight states in DHHS Region IV on the collection and use of data to plan and evaluate health programs for women and infants (1983-2012).
Principal Investigator. 2008-2010. Maternal and Child Health Bureau, HRSA. Evaluation of North Carolina First Time Motherhood and New Parent Initiative. The goal of this project was to evaluate the effectiveness of a two-year SPRANS grant to implement a social marketing campaign to promote having a reproductive life plan that integrates preconception health, interconceptional health and childrens health promotion practices.
Principal Investigator 2002-2009.Forsyth County Health Department. Infant Mortality Coalition Project. The goal of this project was to evaluate the effectiveness of targeted community outreach, enhanced case management, and the community public awareness components of the Forsyth County Infant Mortality Coalitions infant mortality program in reducing disparities in perinatal health.
Principal Investigator 2002-2005. Maternal and Child Health Bureau, HRSA. Addressing Family Violence During or Around the Time of Pregnancy. The goal of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of training and clinical enhancements of the Baby Love Plus program in improving screening, referrals, and treatment for perinatal-related family violence in the Northeastern region of NC.