Last year, the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation announced that it would be awarding grants to initiatives that could demonstrate viable models for reducing preterm birth.
We are thrilled to announce that the American Association of Birth Centers was awarded a $5.35 million four-year grant! The birth center model of enhanced prenatal care program, known as AABC Strong Start in Birth Centers, will be evaluated in 48 birth center sites, located in 22 states across the US. In the New York metro area, Brooklyn Birthing Center was chosen as AABC’s Strong Start participant!
We are truly honored to be participating in this program. We believe preventable maternal and infant health problems can be reduced when providers take a more holistic approach to family health. Because our model of care combines evidence-based medicine with multidisciplinary services and patient education, Brooklyn Birthing Center and other birthing centers across the US are perfectly suited to implement programs like Strong Start.
Check out the full press release below!
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Birth Centers Receive Grant to Reduce Preterm Birth
Contact: Jill Alliman 423-253-4455, jkalliman86@gmail.com
Washington, District of Columbia- Preterm birth is estimated to cost over $26 billion per year and impacts close to 12% of all births in the United States. Preterm birth is associated with increased risk of lifelong health and developmental problems. The preterm birth rate has increased by 36% in the last 20 years.
In response to this persistent problem, the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation announced early last year that it would be awarding grants to initiatives that could demonstrate viable models for reducing preterm birth. The American Association of Birth Centers was recently chosen to receive a $5.35 million four year grant to measure outcomes and costs from enhanced prenatal care using the birth center model of care for women enrolled in Medicaid or CHIP who are at risk of having a preterm birth.
The birth center model of enhanced prenatal care program, known as AABC Strong Start in Birth Centers, will be evaluated in 48 birth center sites, located in 22 states across the US. In the New York metro area, Brooklyn Birthing Center was chosen as AABC’s Strong Start participant.
Since its inception in 1999, Brooklyn Birthing Center (BBC) has served families from diverse cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds, including a high percentage of Medicaid-eligible clients. As the only private, freestanding birthing center in the New York metro area, BBC is a unique resource for families interested in receiving quality OB/GYN care and giving birth in a more home-like environment.
Birth center maternity care is focused on the needs of the woman and her family, and is a time intensive relationship-based style of care that employs evidence based medicine, health education, and emotional support. Birth center care is a collaborative practice, with teams of health professionals available for referral when needed.
“Freestanding Birth Centers have a strong track record of providing high quality care for mothers and babies for over 30 years in the U.S, including significantly lower preterm birth rates. AABC looks forward to partnering with CMMI to identify how birth centers can best contribute to a national solution to improving our maternal infant outcomes,” said Jill Alliman, Project Director for AABC’s Strong Start project.
The superior outcomes and cost savings of birth centers were recently re-confirmed by the National Birth Center Study II, published in January 2013. Study data demonstrate a 6% cesarean rate and significant cost savings over the cost of hospital care. Study authors estimated the savings from study participants in NBCS II of over $30 million.
AABC is one of 27 awardees nationally, and one of two that will test the birth center model of care to reduce preterm births and improve maternal infant outcomes while measuring cost effectiveness of care. More information is available on the Strong Start initiative from the CMS Innovations Center.
About Brooklyn Birthing Center (BBC)
Located in the Midwood neighborhood of Brooklyn, BBC is the only private free standing birthing facility in the New York metro area. At BBC, maternity care is provided by a small team of dedicated board-certified nurse-midwives. Clients typically birth in the center’s roomy private suites— though those interested in a water birth may opt to deliver in the birthing tub.
BBC’s midwives have privileges at Maimonides Medical Center (MMC), and are thus able to manage normal deliveries in a hospital setting. In the event that a hospital delivery is medically necessary or desired, BBC midwives accompany clients to the nearby MMC maternity unit.
BBC offers GYN care, including annual exams, family planning services, and BRCA testing. An internationally board-certified lactation consultant (IBCLC) and a social worker are available by appointment. BBC also recently launched an educational series, which includes a childbirth education program and classes on breastfeeding and newborn care. All classes are open to the general public.
About the American Association of Birth Centers
The American Association of Birth Centers (AABC) is a multi-disciplinary membership organization comprised of birth centers, and individuals and organizations that support the birth center concept including certified nurse midwives (CNMs), certified professional midwives (CPMs), physicians, nurses, women and their families. Founded in 1983, AABC is dedicated to developing quality holistic services for childbearing families that promote self-reliance and confidence in birth and parenting. AABC publishes materials on birth centers, sets national standards for birth center operation, and promotes state regulations for licensure and national accreditation by the Commission for the Accreditation of Birth Centers.
About the Strong Start for Mothers and Newborns Initiative
The Strong Start for Mothers and Newborns initiative is an effort by HHS to reduce preterm births and improve outcomes for newborns and pregnant women. This initiative is a joint effort between the CMS, the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), and the Administration on Children and Families (ACF) and is also supported by various programs across the multiple agencies of HHS. The Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation (CMS Innovation Center) will administer these awards through cooperative agreements over four years.
