Boston, MA, Oct. 18, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- New York City (NYC) Department of Health and Mental Hygiene has partnered with Centering Healthcare Institute (CHI) to improve birth outcomes for 1200 women and babies over the next two years. The initiative will launch CenteringPregnancy® prenatal care at five healthcare centers that serve women who live in zip codes with the highest rates of adverse birth outcomes. It also supports clinics that already offer CenteringPregnancy by providing ongoing training, program support, and a community-of-practice for clinical care teams.
"We applaud the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene for taking a bold and aggressive step to improve the health of moms and babies in high-risk areas of the city,” says Angie Truesdale, CEO of Centering Healthcare Institute. “CHI is thrilled to be partnering with NYC in this manner and we look forward to continuing the expansion with CenteringPregnancy in these neighborhoods and increasing the potential for young families to thrive."
CenteringPregnancy is a nationally recognized and evidence-based model of care shown to improve a wide range of birth outcomes. With this funding, CHI will identify and partner with five prenatal care practices in NYC to start the CenteringPregnancy model. Each practice will receive a two-year implementation support package that will culminate in accreditation by CHI.
“The NYC Department of Health is dedicated to eliminating racial disparities in birth outcomes. Investment in holistic models of health care, like CenteringPregnancy, bolsters our efforts to work towards health equity,” says Acting New York City Health Commissioner Dr. Oxiris Barbot. “We’re excited about our partnership with the Centering Healthcare Institute to allow more New York City mothers and families to have access to this innovative model of care.”
CenteringPregnancy group care follows the recommended schedule of ten prenatal visits. 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 their belly check.
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CHI is improving health by transforming care through Centering groups. With over two decades of experience in group healthcare, CHI has developed and sustained the Centering model in more than 550 practice sites and within some of the largest health systems in the world. The evidence-based model of group medical visits brings patients out of the exam room and into a group setting where they learn from their providers and each other. Working with many dedicated individuals and organizations, CHI is building a future where group healthcare becomes the standard of care.