CHI St. Alexius Health Announces Site Approval for CenteringPregnancy
Improving Prenatal Care through Proven National Program
“For quite some time, we have been dreaming of how to offer even better care to our prenatal patients, and the dream is now a reality,” noted Dr. Thomas Arnold, OB/GYN at CHI St. Alexius Health Dickinson. “This is an exciting time for our practice as we offer Centering, a nationally recognized model of care.”
About 380,000 babies are born prematurely in the United States each year, an estimated lifetime cost to society of $26 billion. A 2007 multi-site randomized controlled trial conducted by Yale and Emory researchers found that participation in CenteringPregnancy® care reduced the risk of premature birth by 33 percent compared to traditional prenatal care. Researchers concluded CenteringPregnancy care “resulted in equal or improved perinatal outcomes at no added cost.”
In CenteringPregnancy, pregnant women with similar due dates join together in a group with their healthcare provider. They receive all the components of prenatal care, including health assessment, interactive learning and community building. There is facilitated discussion of pregnancy, birth and newborn care as well as overall health, stress management, etc. Studies in sample populations show Centering care increases breastfeeding rates and duration of breastfeeding. Patient and provider satisfaction are higher than traditional care.
“We are excited to work with CHI St. Alexius Health Dickinson to expand CenteringPregnancy in North Dakota. They join a growing number of Centering practice sites throughout the U.S. who are demonstrating better outcomes and high patient satisfaction,” said Colleen Senterfitt, Chief Operating Officer for Centering.
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CHI St. Alexius Health - Dickinson Medical Center is a 25-bed, Critical Access Hospital with a Level IV Trauma Center accredited by the American College of Surgeons and JCAHO. The hospital and adjacent medical clinic are located in the same facility at 2500 Fairway Street in Dickinson. It also administers clinic services at the rural clinic in Beach, ND. CHI St. Alexius Health Dickinson is part of the CHI St. Alexius Health regional health care system, the largest health care delivery system in central and western North Dakota. CHI St. Alexius Health is part of Catholic Health Initiatives (CHI), a national nonprofit health system based in Englewood, Colorado.
Centering Healthcare Institute’s mission is to improve health by transforming care through Centering groups. Centering is an evidence-based, cost effective, patient-centered model of care. CHI is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization located in Boston, MA. Visit www.centeringhealthcare.org for more information.