
2023 Desmond P. Kelly, MD Nurturing Developing Minds Conference & Research and Implementation Symposium
February 23 @ 9:00 am – February 24 @ 4:00 pm
The Desmond P. Kelly, MD Nurturing Developing Minds Conference & Research and Implementation Symposium will be held February 23-24, 2023 in Greenville, South Carolina at the Greenville ONE Center. We will provide in-person learning opportunities.
This continuing professional development conference attracts a wide array of participants (researchers, policymakers, medical practitioners, and educators) and provides an interactive learning and networking opportunity.
More information on continuing professional development credits for medical practitioners and early childhood educators will be made available soon. Continuing Medical Education credits are pending approval.

Scroll below for the agenda.
This agenda is tentative and is subject to change, attendees will be notified.
Thursday, February 23

Morning Keynote (10-11 am ET)
Equity in early childhood: An ongoing process for systems-level leaders
Cemeré James, National Director of Movement Building at Children’s Defense Fund
8:30-9:45 am ET
Registration opens. Coffee & networking.
9:45-10 am ET
Welcome remarks & opening
- Jamie Moon
- Desmond P. Kelly, MD
10-11 am ET
Morning Keynote: Equity in early childhood: An ongoing process for systems-level leaders–Cemeré James, National Black Child Development Institute, and School Readiness consulting
11-11:15 am ET
Break
11:15 am-12:15 pm ET
Breakout Session 1:
- Meltdowns and Tantrums: Helping Parents Support Emotion Regulation in Toddlers who may have Autism–Sarah Edmunds, PhD, Assistant Professor of Psychology, University of South Carolina
- Striving for an Equitable Child Welfare System–Mary C. Garvey, MS, Chief Equity Officer, Institute for Child Success; Sixto Cancel, Founder & CEO, Think of Us
- The Early Childhood Workforce Across Disciplines: Program-level opportunities to build sustainable workforces in health, child welfare, and education–Megan Carolan, MPP, Vice President of Policy Research, Institute for Child Success
12:15-1:30 pm ET
Lunch: no programming. Attendees pursue lunch on their own.
1:30-2:30 pm ET
Plenary panel: Building Cross-Sector Progress for Prenatal to Age 3: Lessons from communities
- Moderator: Bryan Boroughs, JD, MPP, COO & General Counsel, Institute for Child Success
- Brenda Blasingame, Founder and Principal, Vav Amani Consulting LLC
- Mary Jane Eisenhauer, First Things First Porter County (Indiana)
- Kerrie Schnake, Executive Director of the SC Infant-Mental Health Association (SCIMHA)
2:30-2:45 pm ET
Break
2:45-3:45 pm ET
Breakout Session 2:
- Including Family Child Care in Affordable Housing: Policy, Design, and Financing Considerations–Joe Fretwell, Program Officer, Low Income Investment Fund
- Screen Time and Development: Updates in Research and Impacts to Children and Their Families–Angie Neal, MS CCC-SLP, Speech-Language Pathology Consultant, South Carolina State Department of Education
- Theory of Change: Leveraging what works for equitable service delivery and outcomes–Aimée Drouin Duncan, PhD, Vice President Impact and Practice, Institute for Child Success
3:45-4 pm ET
Break
4-5 pm ET
Breakout Session 3:
- Using the IMPACT MeasuresTool® to Support Developmental Screening in Healthcare–Tyson Barker, PhD, Chief of Science and Innovation, Institute for Child Success
- Using Family Voice to Improve Practice–Lessons Learned from Implementing Rapid-Cycle, High-Quality Feedback Loops in a Statewide Network of Home Visiting Providers–Chelsea Richard, PhD, MSPH, Director of Research and Strategy, South Carolina First Steps; Lexi Jones, MS, Evaluation Coordinator, South Carolina First Steps
- Autism and Child Care: Lessons from 2022 Oklahoma Needs Assessment–Emily Hayes, BS, MOT, OTR/L, Early Childhood Program Coordinator at the Autism Foundation of Oklahoma; Tara Warwick, OTD, MS, OTR/L, Autism Foundation of Oklahoma; Taylor Werthen Knooihuizen, MEd, Program Coordinator, Oklahoma Partnership for School Readiness; Adelaide Webb, MA, Director of Research, Oklahoma Partnership for School Readiness
5-6:30 pm ET
Poster Session & Networking Reception
Friday, February 24

Morning Keynote (10:30-11:30 am ET)
Early experiences elevate everything: Early brain and child development and the future of society
Dr. Dipesh Navsaria, MPH, MSLIS, MD, Associate Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health
8:30-9 am ET
Registration opens. Coffee & networking.
9-10 am ET
LEND Family Panel–Moderator: Karen Irick, Program Coordinator for Consumer Advisory Council, University of South Carolina Center for Disability Resources; Family Faculty for SC LEND
10-10:15 am ET
Break
10:15-10:30 am ET
Welcome remarks & opening
- Jamie Moon
- Desmond P. Kelly, MD
10:30-11:30 am ET
Morning Keynote: Early experiences elevate everything: Early brain and child development and the future of society:
– Dr. Dipesh Navsaria, MPH, MSLIS, MD Associate Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health
11:30 am-12:45 pm ET
Lunch: no programming. Attendees pursue lunch on their own.
12:45-1:45 pm ET
Breakout Session 1:
- Autism, ethics, and public policy development–David Rotholz, Anne Kinsman, Laura Arnstein Carpenter
- SC’s Two Generation Approach: Creating Community Conditions for Whole Family Flourishing–Rachal Hatton-Moore, LMSW, SC Early Childhood Advisory Council, SC First Steps, Two-Generation Coordinator; Doug Taylor, MPH, Director of Operations and Finance, Fact Forward
- Built environment, facilities, & health care–Implications for equity–Desmond P. Kelly, MD, Prisma Health–Chief Medical Research Officer, Prisma Health, Associate Dean for Research, University of South Carolina School of Medicine
1:45-2 pm ET
Break
2-3 pm ET
Breakout Session 2:
- Positive Childhood Experiences–Candace Alley, Founder/CEO, Trauma Resource Network
- Palmetto Pyramid Police Partnership–Megan Trowbridge
- Psychiatric comorbidities
3-3:15 pm ET
Break
3:15-4 pm ET
Breakout Session 3:
- Effects of pediatric chronic health conditions on families: Protective factors to restore caregiver work stability–Kate K. Chappell, PhD, APRN, CPNP-PC, Associate Professor, USC College of Nursing & Co-PD, Childcare Ready for All (CRAwl) & BabyCoach; Dana R. Martin, DNP, RN, CNE, Research Assistant, Childcare Ready for All (CRAwl) & BabyCoach; Victoria Davis, DNP, APRN, CPNP-PC, Associate Professor, USC College of Nursing & Co-PD, Childcare Ready for All (CRAwl) & BabyCoach
- Policy advocacy for providers–Bryan Boroughs, JD, MPP, COO & General Counsel, Institute for Child Success
- Pediatric health care from exam room to the community: Innovative approaches to public health challenges–Haley Armstrong, Policy Research Intern, Institute for Child Success; Martha Edwards, MD, Vice President, South Carolina chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics; Catie Buckingham, Medical Legal Partnership Director, Furman University’s Institute for the Advancement of Community Health
4 pm ET
Adjourn