story scientisT * CLINICIAN * RESEARCHER * CONSULTANT * COLLABORATOR
I’m Janelle Palacios, a nurse midwife, researcher, story scientist and Founder of Encoded 4 Story- a consulting firm specializing in integrating history to tell stories for healthier maternal, infant, child and family health. Much of my work applies my lived experience as a Salish & Kootenai Indigenous woman growing up in poverty on a rural reservation in Northwestern Montana with my clinical experience as a nurse midwife of more than 10 years, and research expertise seeking health equity for Indigenous families and communities.
Most recently my expertise was recognized in a 4-year appointment to a national committee through HRSA as both a committee member on the Secretary’s Advisory Committee on Infant and Maternal Mortality (ACIMM), but also as a C0-Chair of the Health Equity Workgroup under this national committee, culminating in the committee’s first national report on American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) maternal/infant/child health entitled Making Amends: Recommended Strategies and Actions to Improve the Health and Safety of American Indian and Alaska Native Mothers and Infants.
Additionally, I have consulted with:
CDC’s Hear Her Campaign in creating culturally focused materials and messaging for AI/AN maternal health.
National Center for Fatality Review and Prevention (NCFRP), Fetal and Infant Mortality Review (FIMR) Strategic Storytelling Cohorts I, II, and III.
Association of Maternal and Child Health Program (AMCHP) as a: a) steering committee member assisting community based organizations link with Title V agencies in more equitable maternal/child data access and power dynamic concerns around data sovereignty; b) content expert on AI/AN maternal/child data; and c) co-creator of the Deconstructing Racism in Data (DRiD) training module.
National Institute for Children’s Health Quality Healthy Start TA Center as a consultant and co-creator of The StoryWork Project, a dynamic workshop that integrates the intersections of history and storytelling to identify healthy community stories for greater family and community health.
welcome
My Approach
Collaboration begins with communication. In working with Encoded 4 Story, you will have a tailored experience as we share ideas and jointly determine what offerings are best suited to your needs from an assortment of lecturing, workshops and varied consulting services.
Recently Completed Projects
Academic / Research Consultations
CDC’s Hear Her Campaign as a content expert targeting culturally appropriate messaging for American Indian/ Alaska Native population and health providers serving this population to improve maternal/infant outcomes.
National Consultation
Association of Maternal and Child Health Programs (AMCHP) Healthy Beginnings with Title V Project that aimed to link Title V State agencies with Community Based Organizations in identifying power dynamics in data and the importance of community centered collaboration to really greatly improve maternal/infant outcomes.
Thorsen ML, Harris S, McGarvey R, Palacios J, Thorsen A. Evaluating disparities in access to obstetric services for American Indian women across Montana. J Rural Health. 2022;38(1):151-160. doi:10.1111/jrh.12572
Academic Consultation
Thorsen ML, Palacios, J. Race and Place Matter: Inequity in Prenatal Care for Reservation Dwelling American Indian Women. (in review 2023)
Thorsen ML, Harris S, Palacios, J, McGarvey R, Thorsen A. American Indians travel great distances for obstetrical care: Examining rural and racial disparities. Social Science & Medicine. 2023; 325
National Healthy Start Association 25 Year Legacy: Grounded in Equity, Engaging & Lifting Community Voice. Rooted in Story: Storytelling in Clinical Practice, Research and Policy. March 28, 2023 (Keynote)
Public Speaking
National Stage
2022 MPHI: Maternal Infant Health Summit: Stronger Together. We are One People: Understanding Indigenous History Through StoryWork. June 21, 2022 (Opening Keynote)
Review to Action-Maria User Meeting (MUM V). Welcome Address and Plenary: Strategic Storytelling. Virtual Meeting, April 21, 2021 (Plenary)
CityMatCH 2023 Conference. From Mixed Media to Storytelling: Community Healing through Art. New Orleans. September 2023 (Keynote)
The Incubator (Podcast). Episode #149 Perinatal Care in American Indian and Alaska Native Communities. (7/2023)
Media Interviews
US World and News Report (Webinar Panel). Confronting the Crisis of Inequitable Maternal and Infant Health Outcomes. (5/2023)
National Stage
MCH Bridges (Podcast Interview). AMCHP interview around the issue of data as storytelling. To be published soon. (2023)
New Mexico In Focus. New Mexico PBS virtual interview with Dr Ed Ehlinger and Dr. Janelle Palacios on Improving the Health and Safety of Indigenous Mothers and Infants. (4/13/2023)
Strategic Storytelling Cohorts I-III addressed maternal and infant mortality through focused virtual workshops with the National Center for Fatality Review and Prevention, a collaboration with MP3Health.
Storytelling Focused
National Collaboration
Sizzling Summer Series. Storifying Data for Greater Impact. Joint offering with SquareRootStories to challenge dominant narrative and re-shaping stories of health and well-being. University of Nebraska Medical Center. (8/2023)
The StoryWork Project integrated historical events and policies to understand contemporary American Indian/ Alaska Native maternal/family health outcomes and identified individual and community stories of resilience and strength to re-frame dominant narratives.