Moderators & Panelists

Ama Bikoko is an Epidemiologist III with the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, where she leads work focused on strengthening vital records data systems, improving data quality, and using public health data to support decision making. With more than seven years of experience across state and nonprofit public health, she brings a practical approach to translating complex data into actionable insights and improving how public health data are used. 

After obtaining a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and a Master of Public Administration degree, Quentin spent a major part of his career, nearly 20 years, building deep relationships, connecting people to desired services, creating opportunities, and building organizations in ways that allow them to do more, and grow resources. 

Since arriving in Lincoln in 2019, Quentin and his wife, Karla, have embedded themselves into the Lincoln community.  Quentin was appointed to the Community Health Endowment Board of Trustees, and the Mayor’s Economic Recovery Taskforce, and later to the National Commission on Professional Excellence in Early Childhood Education.  Quentin also serves on the School Superintendent’s Citizens Advisory Council, and the boards of CEDARS Youth Services, Fitting Futures, and Leadership Lincoln, in addition to other boards and committees primarily focused on human services and early childhood education.  

When not volunteering, Quentin spends his time leading Educare Lincoln, one of the nation’s leading early care and education schools.  In his first two years he was able to stabilize operations, raise capital to renovate outdoor learning spaces, open new classrooms, add leadership staff to support infrastructure, and now continues to position Educare Lincoln to be a broader resource for the Lincoln community.  Most recently, they concluded expansion efforts to serve an additional 30 children and families through new off-site classrooms.

Quentin and Karla enjoy working in the yard at their home in Lincoln, and are excited about the service they bring to their community. 

Maria Cantu Hines, MD, MPH, is a physician-trained public health professional, and systems-builder with more than 25 years of experience in population health, community engagement, care coordination, program development, and cross-sector collaboration. Trained as a physician in Mexico and later earning a Master of Public Health in the United States, her professional foundation is rooted in Social Medicine and in understanding health as the product of clinical, social, environmental, behavioral, and structural conditions. Throughout her career, she has worked to bridge healthcare and public health through prevention, education, community partnership, and practical systems of care.
 

Maria currently serves as Community Health Worker Program Manager at the Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department, where she assists on the development and integration of Community Health Worker services across healthcare and community settings, with particular emphasis on maternal and child health, chronic disease management and health equity. Over the course of her career, she has designed and managed public and population health initiatives, trained and supported more than 130 Community Health Workers, led community engagement and health education efforts, and contributed to strategic planning, community health assessment, partnership development, and state and federal grant activities. She is bilingual in English and Spanish and brings a strong emphasis on cultural responsiveness, systems thinking, and translating strategy into practical action. 

Maria and her husband, Ernest, have two wonderful college-aged children, Roberta (“Bert”) and Ernest (“Ernie”), who live in Lincoln. They also share their home in Polk, Nebraska, with Tucker and Fletcher, their beloved furry family members. 

Erika Fuchs, PhD, MPH, is an assistant professor in the Department of Epidemiology at the University of Nebraska Medical Center’s College of Public Health. As a maternal and child health (MCH) epidemiologist, she supports the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services as a senior epidemiologist and provides technical assistance and training through CityMatCH. Her major projects include analyzing quantitative data from Nebraska PRAMS and vital records, using Nebraska WIC data to examine trends and health outcomes among participants, leading state maternal and child health emergency preparedness and response activities, designing and conducting data linkages, and providing subject matter, technical, and epidemiologic expertise to internal and external partners. In addition, Dr. Fuchs provides mentorship to MCH and epidemiology staff, students, interns, and community partners to promote workforce development and epidemiologic capacity.

Dr. Fuchs has previous experience working for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the University of Texas Medical Branch, and the Minnesota Department of Health. Dr. Fuchs received her BS in biology, MPH in maternal and child health, and PhD in epidemiology all from the University of Minnesota. 

Masoomeh Hajizadeh Oghaz is a Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS) program manager at the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services (NDHHS). PRAMS is a surveillance program gathering information on mothers’ health, behaviors and experiences before, during, and after pregnancy. Nebraska PRAMS is a small team of three people under the Maternal and Child Health Epidemiology (MCH-Epi) group at DHHS. With almost 4 years of experience, Masoomeh has successfully led Nebraska PRAMS data collection, data use and dissemination in Phase 9 (2023-current). Masoomeh earned a PhD in Nutrition from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Dr. Kemper is the Division Chief of Primary Care Pediatrics at Nationwide Children’s Hospital and Editor in Chief of Pediatrics, the journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics. He is also part of the team that helped start the Pediatric Vital Signs initiative in Columbus, Ohio that has expanded from the community’s successful effort to reduce infant mortality to focusing on measures of child flourishing including increases in kindergarten readiness and high school graduation rates. 

Dr. Lydiatt is a psychiatrist at Nebraska Methodist Women’s Hospital. He is a Nebraska native and attended the University of Nebraska at Lincoln for his undergraduate and completed his medical school and residency training in Psychiatry at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. He went on to complete a Fellowship in Consult-Liaison Psychiatry, a sub-specialty that focuses on the treatment of psychiatric conditions in the medically ill, at the Medical College of Wisconsin. His clinical interests are perinatal psychiatry, delirium, and improving access to care for mental health treatment. 

Brandon McWilliams, PLMHP, is a counselor, certified StrengthsFinder coach, and community wellness advocate based in Lincoln, Nebraska. He brings a unique blend of counseling expertise, strengths-based coaching, and program development experience to his work with individuals, families, and organizations. His professional background includes leading youth programs, supporting fathers and families, and building community partnerships, which continue to shape his holistic approach to care.

In his counseling practice, Brandon specializes in person-centered, strengths-based, and cognitive-behavioral approaches that help clients navigate life transitions, stress, motivation, and emotional regulation. He is passionate about helping people uncover their natural talents, build resilience, and develop practical strategies for growth and healing. Whether through one-on-one therapy sessions or coaching engagements, Brandon’s mission is to empower individuals to recognize their potential and move toward a healthier, more fulfilling life.

Beyond his professional roles, Brandon is a husband, father, and lifelong learner who values connection, creativity, and community. He is energized by opportunities to collaborate, design new initiatives, and support others in discovering what makes them strong. His work reflects both his Midwestern roots and his belief that every person carries unique strengths worth cultivating.

Todd A. Pankratz, MD, FACOG, is a board-certified obstetrician-gynecologist with over 25 years of experience dedicated to advancing women’s health care in Nebraska. A senior partner at Obstetricians and Gynecologists, P.C. in Hastings since 1998, Dr. Pankratz previously practiced in Iowa City after completing his OB/GYN residency at Truman Medical Center/St. Luke’s Hospital in Kansas City, where he served as Administrative Chief Resident. He earned his medical degree from the University of Nebraska College of Medicine and a B.A. with distinction in Psychobiology from Hastings College.

Dr. Pankratz has held numerous leadership roles in the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, currently serving as District VI Treasurer and having twice chaired Nebraska’s section. He is a founding board member and medical director of Reproductive Health Collaborative Nebraska, overseeing the state’s Title X services, and contributes to statewide maternal health efforts through the Nebraska Perinatal Quality Improvement Collaborative.

At Mary Lanning Memorial Hospital, Dr. Pankratz has served in multiple leadership capacities, including Medical Staff President (2020–2022). His long-standing service to the Nebraska Medical Association includes terms as President and extensive legislative committee involvement.

An active community member, Dr. Pankratz sits on the board of Five Points Bank, mentors pre-med students, and has supported numerous civic organizations. His career is distinguished by numerous awards, including the AMA Foundation Leadership Award and Alpha Omega Alpha induction.

Dr. Pankratz is committed to access to health care in rural Nebraska, maternity and primary care deserts, and advancing equitable reproductive health services across Nebraska.

Briley Patterson is the Manager of EMBRACE, a maternal health transformation program in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Nebraska Medicine and the University of Nebraska Medical Center. Working alongside program founder and OB-GYN Chair Dr. Sarosh Rana, Briley partners with rural hospitals and care teams across Nebraska with a shared goal: making sure every mom receives the care she deserves, no matter where she lives.

Through EMBRACE, Briley leads simulation-based training for rural nurses and ultrasound technologists, the launch of preeclampsia biomarker testing, and a postpartum blood pressure program. She also coordinates EMPOWER Hour, a monthly OB-GYN education series, and EMBRACE's regional STORK education days. Before joining EMBRACE, Briley served as manager of the outpatient OB-GYN clinic and brings a background in emergency department nursing, which gives her firsthand insight into the many points where moms enter the healthcare system. She is a passionate advocate for women and children and is dedicated to building healthy moms for a strong Nebraska. 

Dr. Rana is a Professor and Chair of Obstetrics and Gynecology the University of Nebraska. She founded the EMBRACE program (Excellence in Maternal Birth Outcomes through Rigorous Assessment and Community Engagement). This program aims at improving outcomes of mothers and babies all across Nebraska. Dr. Rana engages with federally qualified health centers and critical access hospitals to develop systems of care and processes to improve access to OB care and support services for patients within these areas. Dr. Rana is an internationally recognized expert in management of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy. She takes care of pregnant and postpartum patients with high-risk conditions such as preeclampsia, hypertension, kidney transplant, heart failure and obesity. Dr. Rana performs translational research. For the past 20 years her lab has worked on angiogenic biomarkers and treatment of preeclampsia. She is particularly interested in elucidating the role of angiogenic biomarkers in the prediction of adverse maternal and fetal outcomes. Dr. Rana is also very interested in reducing health disparities by quality improvement initiatives. Dr. Rana conducts national and international research. She trains medical students, residents and fellows and is also the Program Director of OB/GYN translational research fellowship. Dr. Rana has published over 140 papers (has over 17800 citations with Hi Index of 55). Her work is supported by variety of sources including NIH, NICHD, AHA, Gates foundation, March of dimes, industry and philanthropy.   

Derek Ross oversees the Nebraska Birth Defects Registry and maintains the data therein for the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services. Derek attended Wayne State College in Wayne, Nebraska, and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry with a minor in Biology; he is currently working towards completing a Public Health Certificate through the University of Nebraska Medical Center and intends to continue on to complete a Master of Public Health degree.  

Jessica Seberger is the Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health program manager at the Nebraska Department of Health & Human Services. Ms. Seberger’s current work projects of note include coordinating the Title V Action Plan implementation and supporting Rural Health Transformation Program implementation. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with her family, reading, and birding. 

Tiffany Uher has served as Executive Director of MilkWorks since 2022 and has nearly two decades of experience in the nonprofit sector, primarily supporting programs in child welfare and juvenile justice. She holds a master’s degree in public administration from the University of Nebraska Omaha.  

Following the birth of her two sons, Tiffany discovered a passion for helping women navigate the transition to motherhood. She and her husband, Micah, live in Lincoln with their two young boys, Levi and Silas. In her free time, she enjoys reading, spending time with family, and being outdoors. 

Nebraska Department of Health & Human Services, Program Manager