We envision a state that supports all African American families' ability and capacity to thrive.
The Lifecourse Initiative for Healthy Families (LIHF) was developed to reduce infant mortality in Milwaukee, Racine and Kenosha. LIHF is a strategic effort in partnership with the UW Population Health Institute. Both are funded by the Wisconsin Partnership Program (WPP), a far-reaching commitment by the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health to greatly improve the health of people in Wisconsin for years to come. LIHF addresses chronic stress in the experience, particularly in systems and services, of African American women.
The Lifecourse Initiative for Healthy Families (LIHF) was developed to reduce infant mortality in Milwaukee, Racine and Kenosha. LIHF is a strategic effort in partnership with the UW Population Health Institute. Both are funded by the Wisconsin Partnership Program (WPP), a far-reaching commitment by the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health to greatly improve the health of people in Wisconsin for years to come. LIHF addresses chronic stress in the experience, particularly in systems and services, of African American women.
meet our team
Gina Green-Harris, MBA, Director
Gina Green-Harris is the award-winning Director of the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health’s Center for Community Engagement and Health Partnerships Regional office. Ms. Green Harris was appointed director of the Lifecourse Initiative for Healthy Families (LIHF) in 2018 because of her demonstrated experience with developing successful community engagement programs in high risk and underrepresented communities. Ms. Green-Harris has expertise in the areas of program development, diversity and inclusion, cultural competency, leadership development, and research. In addition to her work with LIHF she also serves as the Director of the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Institute (WAI) Regional Milwaukee office and the Director of the All of Us Research (AOU) program in Milwaukee. She received her Master of Business Administration from Franklin University in Columbus, OH and her Bachelor of Science at Central State University in Wilberforce, OH.
Diamond D. Hanson, DrPH, MPH, Assistant Director
Diamond D. Hanson has nearly a decade of combined experience in the areas of maternal and child health, mental health, social services, sexually transmitted infections, HIV/AIDS, alcohol, tobacco and other drugs. She focuses her public health work on community and neighborhood-based approaches that address the social determinants of health from overall safety, affordable housing and education to jobs and violent crime in order to decrease remaining health disparities. Dr. Hanson earned her Doctor of Public Health from Walden University in Minneapolis, MN, a Master of Public Health from Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta, GA, and a Bachelor of Science in Maternal and Child Health Education from Howard University in Washington, DC.
Pat Batemon, M.S., Community Strategist (Milwaukee)
Pat Batemon has extensive experience in the non-profit field, working directly and organizationally with diverse groups and underserved populations. Batemon joined LIHF in 2016 as the collaborative coach, under the former LIHF model where she managed the engagement, coaching, technical assistance and training efforts of the LIHF Program Office. She has worked extensively on issues impacting the Milwaukee community such as domestic violence, aging, housing, fatherhood, and improving child care, health and safety. Ms. Batemon holds a Master of Science degree in Organizational Leadership and Quality from Marian University and a Bachelor of Science in Social Work from the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee.
Preneice Love, Community Strategist (Racine)
Preneice Love has extensive experience in case management, program development, community leadership and training and development. She has worked in Racine promoting healthy birth outcomes, helping families with prenatal and postnatal issues, in addition to compliance. Ms. Love received her Master of Business Administration from Cardinal Stritch University, a Bachelor of Arts in Community Leadership from Alverno College and is pursuing a nursing degree from Gateway Technical College.
Atifa Robinson, Community Strategist (Kenosha)
Atifa Robinson has 15 years of experience in social service management, project development, financial planning, community outreach, mental health and patient advocacy. She specializes in building strategic plans to assist organizations to advance towards health equity. Ms. Robinson pioneers in navigating families to community resources to improve health outcomes. She began working on the LIHF project starting in 2014, in her prior role as a Family Service Manager through Kenosha Area Family and Aging Services Inc. (KAFASI) Healthy Families program. Atifa has a Bachelor of Science in Human Service Management.
Michelle Corbett, MPH, CHES, Evaluation Specialist
Michelle Corbett has over 20 years of public health research and evaluation experience. A Researcher at the Center for Urban Population Health, she has supported LIHF since 2013 through evaluation and evaluation capacity building. Ms. Corbett earned her Master of Public Health in Community Health Education from Southern Connecticut State University and completed additional training in Culturally-Responsive Evaluation through the American Evaluation Association.
David Frazer, MPH, Strategic Planning Specialist
David Frazer has aided the strategic planning for LIHF for the past decade. Mr. Frazer is the Associate Director of the Center for Urban Population Health. In addition, Mr. Frazer leads the expansion and sustainment of community partnerships and coordinating community-based research and initiatives. David received his Master of Public Health from Tulane University's School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine. His focus of study included program management and evaluation. He has worked in public health for 26 years and his experience ranges from forging grassroots community-based organization collaborations to providing technical assistance to World Health Organization.
Vivian King, Communications Advisor
Vivian King has more that 14 years of executive level communications, public and media relations. In the past five years, she has worked in the healthcare field for a high-profile health care system. Ms. King is a well-respected journalist and media personality both locally and nationally. She has worked extensively with communities of color across southeastern Wisconsin, and beyond, and she is well-versed in the issue of health disparities and health inequities. She received a Bachelor of Journalism degree from the University of Missouri-Columbia.
Gina Green-Harris is the award-winning Director of the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health’s Center for Community Engagement and Health Partnerships Regional office. Ms. Green Harris was appointed director of the Lifecourse Initiative for Healthy Families (LIHF) in 2018 because of her demonstrated experience with developing successful community engagement programs in high risk and underrepresented communities. Ms. Green-Harris has expertise in the areas of program development, diversity and inclusion, cultural competency, leadership development, and research. In addition to her work with LIHF she also serves as the Director of the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Institute (WAI) Regional Milwaukee office and the Director of the All of Us Research (AOU) program in Milwaukee. She received her Master of Business Administration from Franklin University in Columbus, OH and her Bachelor of Science at Central State University in Wilberforce, OH.
Diamond D. Hanson, DrPH, MPH, Assistant Director
Diamond D. Hanson has nearly a decade of combined experience in the areas of maternal and child health, mental health, social services, sexually transmitted infections, HIV/AIDS, alcohol, tobacco and other drugs. She focuses her public health work on community and neighborhood-based approaches that address the social determinants of health from overall safety, affordable housing and education to jobs and violent crime in order to decrease remaining health disparities. Dr. Hanson earned her Doctor of Public Health from Walden University in Minneapolis, MN, a Master of Public Health from Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta, GA, and a Bachelor of Science in Maternal and Child Health Education from Howard University in Washington, DC.
Pat Batemon, M.S., Community Strategist (Milwaukee)
Pat Batemon has extensive experience in the non-profit field, working directly and organizationally with diverse groups and underserved populations. Batemon joined LIHF in 2016 as the collaborative coach, under the former LIHF model where she managed the engagement, coaching, technical assistance and training efforts of the LIHF Program Office. She has worked extensively on issues impacting the Milwaukee community such as domestic violence, aging, housing, fatherhood, and improving child care, health and safety. Ms. Batemon holds a Master of Science degree in Organizational Leadership and Quality from Marian University and a Bachelor of Science in Social Work from the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee.
Preneice Love, Community Strategist (Racine)
Preneice Love has extensive experience in case management, program development, community leadership and training and development. She has worked in Racine promoting healthy birth outcomes, helping families with prenatal and postnatal issues, in addition to compliance. Ms. Love received her Master of Business Administration from Cardinal Stritch University, a Bachelor of Arts in Community Leadership from Alverno College and is pursuing a nursing degree from Gateway Technical College.
Atifa Robinson, Community Strategist (Kenosha)
Atifa Robinson has 15 years of experience in social service management, project development, financial planning, community outreach, mental health and patient advocacy. She specializes in building strategic plans to assist organizations to advance towards health equity. Ms. Robinson pioneers in navigating families to community resources to improve health outcomes. She began working on the LIHF project starting in 2014, in her prior role as a Family Service Manager through Kenosha Area Family and Aging Services Inc. (KAFASI) Healthy Families program. Atifa has a Bachelor of Science in Human Service Management.
Michelle Corbett, MPH, CHES, Evaluation Specialist
Michelle Corbett has over 20 years of public health research and evaluation experience. A Researcher at the Center for Urban Population Health, she has supported LIHF since 2013 through evaluation and evaluation capacity building. Ms. Corbett earned her Master of Public Health in Community Health Education from Southern Connecticut State University and completed additional training in Culturally-Responsive Evaluation through the American Evaluation Association.
David Frazer, MPH, Strategic Planning Specialist
David Frazer has aided the strategic planning for LIHF for the past decade. Mr. Frazer is the Associate Director of the Center for Urban Population Health. In addition, Mr. Frazer leads the expansion and sustainment of community partnerships and coordinating community-based research and initiatives. David received his Master of Public Health from Tulane University's School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine. His focus of study included program management and evaluation. He has worked in public health for 26 years and his experience ranges from forging grassroots community-based organization collaborations to providing technical assistance to World Health Organization.
Vivian King, Communications Advisor
Vivian King has more that 14 years of executive level communications, public and media relations. In the past five years, she has worked in the healthcare field for a high-profile health care system. Ms. King is a well-respected journalist and media personality both locally and nationally. She has worked extensively with communities of color across southeastern Wisconsin, and beyond, and she is well-versed in the issue of health disparities and health inequities. She received a Bachelor of Journalism degree from the University of Missouri-Columbia.
