XBluesky

Tanesha Mondestin

is a Research Associate at the Georgetown University McCourt School’s Center for Children and Families (CCF).

Email Tanesha

Tanesha Mondestin is a Research Associate at the Georgetown University McCourt School of Public Policy’s Center for Children and Families (CCF). Her work focuses on supporting state partners that have a focus on maternal and early childhood health. She also highlights opportunities to improve Medicaid and CHIP for young children, pregnant and postpartum women and their families.

Before joining CCF, Tanesha interned at the Association of Maternal and Child Health Programs. She has also worked for the CDC Foundation, Maryland Department of Health, and Baltimore County Department of Health. She has experience working with non-profit organizations such as Life of Hope, where she worked on the Haitian Women’s Birth Equity initiative to try to bridge the gap between care that migrant women receive in Brooklyn, NY. She is passionate about health equity and Black maternal health.

Tanesha earned a Master of Science in Public Health in Population, Family, and Reproductive Health from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Her concentration was in maternal, fetal, and perinatal health. She also has Bachelor of Science degrees in Anthropology and Public Health Science at the University of Maryland College Park.

Latest

  • One Big Beautiful Bill, One Big Rural Maternity Crisis

    Before H.R. 1 passed, rural America was already facing difficulties with access to maternal health care. From hospital closures, workforce shortages, low reimbursement rates, and policy changes, rural maternal healthcare systems have faced a deep crisis that threatens patient access to medical services. 109 rural hospitals have closed since 2005. Between 2024 and early 2026…

  • Transforming Perinatal Care in Colorado: Q&A with Elephant Circle Founder Indra Lusero

    We have been watching and tracking all of the progress in states to improve Medicaid for pregnant and postpartum people during a period of rapid, positive change, even during the most recent legislative sessions under a backdrop of federal cuts. Colorado was one of the early states to pursue comprehensive maternal health initiatives, so we…

  • Inside the 2026 Maternal Mental Health State Report Cards: No More Overall ‘F’s, But a Brand New Failing Grade for U.S. Parental Support

    Last week, the Policy Center for Maternal Mental Health, in collaboration with the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health, released the much-anticipated 2026 Maternal Mental Health State Report Cards. One in five mothers experience maternal mental health conditions in the United States. The financial toll of untreated disorders is estimated to cost…

  • Protecting Maternal Heart Health and Lives: Key Takeaways from the New NASEM Report

    As Say Ahhh! Health Policy Blog readers know, the US rates for maternal mortality and pregnancy-related mortality and severe morbidity are high, with Black and Indigenous women experiencing the highest rates. In 2024, the maternal mortality rate for Black mothers was 44.8 deaths per 100,000 live births, which was significantly higher than the rates for…

  • When Grief Becomes a Crime in Texas: Black Maternal Mental Health and Care Gaps We Cannot Ignore

    By Tanesha Mondestin and Kay Matthews A Mother’s Pain, A System’s Failure In February 2026, Tamisha Cheyniece Drake of Lufkin, Texas, lost her newborn daughter at birth. Two months later, she returned to the cemetery where her baby had been buried, dug up the grave, and removed her daughter’s remains. She was arrested and charged…