Scaling the Strong Start Birth Centers: Promoting Equitable Maternity Outcomes

Strengthening Interprofessional Collaboration to Improve Transfers Between a Freestanding Birth Center and an Academic Medical Center

“…True integration of a freestanding birth center within the larger regional perinatal care network has solidified a model that enables pregnant patients to move relatively seamlessly through all levels of care with midwives as their primary providers, optimizing perinatal care to meet national health care goals. [19][20][21]…”

“…Midwives and their perinatal partners have worked hard to address challenges to collaboration and improve patient and provider satisfaction, especially when transfer between birth sites is necessary. True integration of a freestanding birth center within the larger regional perinatal care network has solidified a model that enables pregnant patients to move relatively seamlessly through all levels of care with midwives as their primary providers, optimizing perinatal care to meet national health care goals 19–21 …”

“…Integration of birth centers within the broader health care delivery system facilitates rigorous and ongoing risk screening throughout pregnancy and birth and the ready availability of obstetric and neonatal support when needed 18–21 . Birth centers have the capacity to reach the elusive Triple Aim in health care for optimizing patient satisfaction, health outcomes, and cost effectiveness 19–21 . A recent analysis of the multicenter Strong Start demonstration project comparing Medicaid beneficiaries receiving care in a birth center with those receiving typical care showed that regardless of birth location, dyads (birthing people and their newborns) under birth center care had significantly improved outcomes in the first year of life 22–24 .…”

“…Birth centers can be part of the solution to an overburdened and expensive maternal health system. Integration of birth centers within the broader health care delivery system facilitates rigorous and ongoing risk screening throughout pregnancy and birth and the ready availability of obstetric and neonatal support when needed 18–21 . Birth centers have the capacity to reach the elusive Triple Aim in health care for optimizing patient satisfaction, health outcomes, and cost effectiveness 19–21 .…”

“…Integration of birth centers within the broader health care delivery system facilitates rigorous and ongoing risk screening throughout pregnancy and birth and the ready availability of obstetric and neonatal support when needed. [18][19][20][21] Birth centers have the capacity to reach the elusive Triple Aim in health care for optimizing patient satisfaction, health outcomes, and cost effectiveness. [19][20][21] A recent analysis of the multicenter Strong Continuing education (CE) is available for this article.…”