Centering Healthcare Institute Announces Major Expansion & Secured Funding

BOSTON, Sept. 25, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Centering® Healthcare Institute (CHI) today announced the launch of an aggressive plan to expand access to the Centering model of group healthcare, including CenteringPregnancy® and CenteringParenting®.  The effort launches October 1, 2017 and will focus on underserved communities with poor health outcomes.

With two major growth initiatives launching for a two-year period, CHI seeks to rapidly scale the Centering model in the communities where group care can have the greatest impact.  The first initiative will be a grant program offering technical assistance and implementation services to 130 eligible sites - primarily in FQHCs and community health centers - eliminating the financial barrier to those in resource-limited communities.  Secondly, CHI will establish two new regional offices and place staff in key states to better support Centering practices and focus on stakeholder and payer engagement.  CHI will partner with two exemplary community health centers to host the regional offices and to help pilot innovative applications of the Centering model. These Centering Regional Leadership Partners will be instrumental in expanding Centering care to new patient populations and visit types.

"What happens to a woman during pregnancy not only affects the health of her and her baby but also the health of a community and beyond. We have this incredible opportunity to scale the Centering model, but more importantly, to improve lifelong health by transforming birth outcomes, early childhood and family health in the U.S.," says CEO Angie Truesdale.  "CHI is uniquely poised to support the healthcare community in implementing this innovative, evidence-based and cost-saving care delivery model."

Valhalla Charitable Foundation has committed to providing an extraordinarily generous initial investment of $4 million to serve as the catalyst to CHI's five-year plan focusing on six key areas:

• Drive adoption of the Centering group model to increase patient access to Centering care
• Provide a pathway to help clinical practices in resource-poor communities implement Centering at a very low cost
• Expand access to Centering training opportunities
• Offer enhanced technical support and resources for practice sustainability
• Improve and expand data collection and reporting
• Drive independent research efforts to build upon Centering's evidence base

In the coming weeks, CHI will initiate a competitive Request for Proposal (RFP) process to assist in identifying clinical sites that are eligible for the technical assistance grants.  A total of 130 grants are expected to be awarded on a rolling basis over the next two years.  CHI will also begin reaching out to potential Centering Regional Leadership Partners.

"Centering offers a unique opportunity for the healthcare system to support new mothers from pregnancy to when the child is two-years-old, in a way that's proven to improve health outcomes for their families," said Signe Ostby, President and Director of Valhalla Charitable Foundation. "Expanding the paradigm shift of health services from an individual to a group care model not only delivers these health outcomes at a lower cost, but also provides critical social support networks for the families."

CenteringPregnancy® group care follows the recommended schedule of ten prenatal visits, but each visit is ninety minutes to two hours long—giving patients ten times as much time with their provider team. Patients engage in their care by taking their own weight and blood pressure, recording their own health data, and have private time with their provider for belly check.

CenteringParenting® provides family centered well-child care for the first two years. Parents are actively involved in their child's assessment at every visit: tracking their growth, development, immunizations and oral health. Individual well-child health assessments, immunizations and developmental screenings follow the Bright Futures™ nationally recognized guidelines. An emphasis on self-care, wellness and women's health is woven throughout.

CHI is improving health by transforming care through Centering groups. With over two decades of experience as the go-to resource for group healthcare, it has developed and sustained the Centering model in 500 practice sites and within some of the largest health systems in the world. The combination of health assessment, interactive activities and community building allows learning from the provider and from one another. Working with many dedicated individuals and organizations, CHI is building a future where group healthcare becomes the standard of care.

Valhalla Charitable Foundation is a private foundation that invests in early childhood development, among other areas. It focuses on interventions that demonstrate sustained learning and life outcomes and that have potential for impact at national scale.

For more information:
Nicole Lewis
Communications Manager
Centering Healthcare Institute 
857-284-7570
[email protected]

SOURCE Centering Healthcare Institute

Related Links

http://www.centeringhealthcare.org