Lucile “Tee Rae” Dismukes was the executive director of the Georgia Maternal and Infant Council and acted as a liaison with the Georgia Department of Public Health, Medicaid, and state government. She was instrumental in implementing programs to improve the health of mothers and infants in the state of Georgia.   Every year, GPA awards the “Tee Rae” Dismukes Award to a GPA member (past or present) who has gone above and beyond in the mission of promoting and improving the health of mothers and infants.

Guidelines for nominations for T. Rae Dismuke Award are the following:

Past awardees have been the following:

The Lucile “Tee Rae” Dismukes Award is presented each year to a GPA member who exemplifies the work, mission, and values of the Georgia Perinatal Association. The 2024 recipient is Kaprice Welsh.

Kaprice Welsh is a visionary leader and passionate advocate for women’s health, with over 30 years of expertise spanning clinical care, public health policy, and advancing health equity. Currently pursuing a PhD in Nursing at Emory University, she also serves as a certified nurse midwife at Kaiser Permanente, providing inpatient intrapartum care. Her dedication to maternal and infant health is evident in her commitment to impactful research, innovative practices, and transformative contributions to the field.

She earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Syracuse University and holds dual master’s degrees in Nursing and Public Health, along with a Certificate of Midwifery from Columbia University. Her career spans a rich blend of direct clinical care and transformative leadership roles aimed at improving maternal and infant health outcomes.

Kaprice began her career as a registered nurse specializing in labor and delivery and later became a certified nurse midwife, providing compassionate care to women during their most critical health moments. In 2009, she transitioned to the Georgia Department of Public Health as the Perinatal Nurse Program Manager, where she managed statewide contracts for regional perinatal centers and prenatal care programs. By 2011, she had ascended to the role of Director of Women’s Services at Georgia’s Department of Community Health (Medicaid), where she played a pivotal role in implementing Georgia’s first family planning waiver program, expanding access to reproductive health services across the state.

For over a decade, Kaprice served as the Clinical Liaison for the Georgia Obstetrical and Gynecological Society, supporting obstetricians and gynecologists statewide through outreach, education, and strategic partnerships. Her expertise extended to academia, where she has mentored the next generation of nurses as a clinical faculty member at Emory University and Chamberlain University.

A sought-after national speaker on maternal mortality and health equity, Kaprice has established herself as a trailblazer in addressing systemic disparities in care for Black birthing women and other marginalized populations. Kaprice’s passion for improving maternal health equity is further demonstrated through her leadership in co-developing the Moms Heart Matter (MHM) postpartum hypertension program at Liberty Regional Hospital. She has been tapped as the Nurse Case Manager at the Center for Black Women’s Wellness where she leads the integration and scale of the MHM program within the Atlanta Healthy Start Program.

Nationally recognized for her expertise, Kaprice previously served as Co-Chair of the Dismantling Racism Workgroup for the March of Dimes’ Mom Baby Action Network (MBAN), as a member of the MBAN Advisory Committee, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) Health Equity Committee, and the previous treasurer and DEI chair for ACNM Ga chapter.  She also held the role of Co-Chair of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee for the Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN). Her work as a Clinical Expert Faculty includes transformative initiatives such as serving as faculty at the Institute for Healthcare Improvement’s Addressing Inequities in Postpartum Care Learning Collaborative and the National Network of Perinatal Quality Collaboratives (NNPQC).

Outside of her professional pursuits, Kaprice cherishes time with her teenage children, Denzel and Dallis, and their dog, Luna. She balances her academic and professional endeavors with a deep dedication to her family and the communities she serves.