Webinar Wednesday Archive
Watch past Webinar Wednesday offerings on demand in the Online Learning Center
AABC is pleased to offer these webinars as FREE benefit of AABC Membership. Guests may attend for a fee.
Peruse the sessions available - listed in chronological order (most recent first).
Budgeting for Sustainability
Presented live on 4.3.24
Is your birth center budget crafted for sustainability? Join How to Start a Birth Center Workshop Faculty Brianna Bennett for a review of essential components of a sustainable birth center budget.
The First Meal After Birth
Presented live on 8.23.23
The first meal after birth can have a profound effect on postpartum clients. Join Shelley Rahim to learn how proper nourishment immediately after birth supports postpartum healing, lactation, mental and emotional groundedness. She will share the five principles for nourishing a postpartum client, and discuss how to educate your clients about postpartum nourishment. Plus, attendees will receive recipes and methodology.
Global Update
Presented live on 7.26.23
Join us for a synopsis of the AABC and overall global birth center presence at the 2023 ICM Triennial Congress. Our presenters will share about their experiences at ICM including the International Committee's efforts to collaborate globally, an update on the establishment of a globally recognized midwifery/birth center definition, and updates on sessions presented at the ICM.
Panelists: Jennifer Stevens, CNM, DrPH, MS, Venus Standard, MSN, CNM, APRN, RACNM, LCCE, CD (DONA), Trinisha Williams, MPH, CM, LM, LCCE, FACCE, CLC,
Open Model Birth Centers
Presented live 6.28.23
Are you interested in opening your birth center to community providers? View this webinar to discover how an open staff model might benefit your practice. We explore questions such as:
- What is an "open model" birth center?
- What are the advantages and disadvantages of this model?
- What are the major elements of an Admitting Privileges Contract? What are the options for each element?
- What are some management considerations for the birth center governing body?
- Suspending or revoking privileges; reinstating privileges
- Considerations for external entities (such as consultants, hospitals, malpractice carriers).
Panelist: Cynthia Flynn, CNM, PhD, FACNM
Putting Research in the Hands of Birth Center Staff
Presented live 4.19.23
Research is a familiar and valuable concept to midwives and birth centers. Not only are the care models evidence-based, but community birth advocates and clients are also used to having to do a little digging into where or how to find needed resources and services. Data reporting and program evaluation are not just for universities – birth centers and midwifery clinics are perfectly capable of conducting investigations that provide further insight into the beneficial impact of their care models and demonstrate this impact to funders and collaborators.
The purpose of this webinar is to review some basic concepts and strategies in conducting health research, including study design and ethics, with a particular focus on how birth centers can leverage their own data to inform and promote the services provided. Dr. Sanders will also present on her own research, which started as a quality assurance project in a freestanding birth center.
Panelist: Sarah Annalise Sanders, PhD, MPH
TeamBirth for Birth Centers
Presented live 3.22.23
TeamBirth, a program developed by Ariadne Labs’ Delivery Decisions Initiative, aims to improve both safety and dignity in childbirth by structuring the essential information that should be communicated during every labor assessment and by creating ongoing opportunities for the team to review that information together throughout labor.
During TeamBirth huddles, all members of the team are named beginning with the birthing person in labor and including, at a minimum, their birth attendants. The purpose of this step is to promote “psychological safety” by giving every member of the team permission and opportunity to share concerns. For every care decision, the birthing person is asked about their preferences, the full care team reviews the plan of care together, and the team makes a commitment as to when they will communicate again.
The purpose of this webinar is to discuss the potential TeamBirth has within birth centers, recognizing that the needs and priorities differ from hospital birthing units.
Panelists: Amber Weiseth DNP, MSN, RN, Pam Harmon DNP, MSN, RNC-NIC, Melissa Denmark, MA, LM.
Understanding Our Past to Build an Equitable Future - Our Path to an Alongside Midwifery Unit
Presented live 12.14.22
Women and Infants Hospital is an academic tertiary-care facility with 8,500 births annually providing maternity care to 80% of Rhode Island. The hospital has the only state-approved in-hospital Birth Center (Alternative Birth Center, or ABC) established in 1986. Overtime, ABC utilization declined. Recognizing the importance of including designated space for physiologic birth in the plans for a labor and delivery remodel, the senior midwives did an historical analysis of the ABC to understand the internal and external barriers to utilization over the previous 35 years, as well as a Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) analysis. They brought together a multi-stakeholder team to envision a unit that would be sustainable, providing optimal experiences of care in which every family has equitable and positive outcomes. To foster new and inclusive ideas, they used an approach to problem solving based on creative thinking principles. Founded in this process, a series of evidence-based, action-oriented steps were utilized to encourage developmental thinking around the stated goal. This brought the group to an innovative solution: An accredited Alongside Midwifery Unit (AMU). This presentation explores how the midwives successfully gained the unanimous support of key stakeholders for a proposed Alongside Unit as part of a hospital redesign. The AMU addresses system level change, protected space for physiologic birth, and disparities in outcomes and experience of care. The AMU would be the first CABC-credentialed facility in Rhode Island and hopefully offer interdisciplinary teaching opportunities in physiologic birth.
Panelist: Julie Knutson, DNP, CNM, WHNP, IBCLC
Holistic Perinatal Care with Safe, Gentle and Supportive Herbs
Presented live 11.16.22
Are you looking for positive, sustainable changes to your health toward healthy pregnancy and perinatal care, yet are struggling with reaching these goals? Not actualizing your fullest potential as a woman or resolving chronic hormonal imbalances can feel painful. Give yourself the gift of joining us for a group facilitation on holistic perinatal care with safe, gentle and supportive herbs to receive the supportive structure of a safe, compassionate circle to share, learn and grow together on the path toward actualizing optimal health. We'll discuss clinical hormone balancing herbs, nutrition, recipes, community resources and more with plenty of time for everyone to share and listen to each other in the group.
Panelist: Whitney Erwin, MSc, MEd, LMT
Expanding Behavioral Health Medication and Telehealth Services
Presented live on 10.12.22
The Covid-19 pandemic brought a lot of challenges and opportunities for the birth center model of care to adapt and expand. At the beginning of the pandemic, The Midwife Center for Birth and Women’s health was well on its way to expanding the offerings of its robust Behavioral Health and Wellness services to include behavioral health medications as an option for clients. This session will encourage birth centers to look at their current behavioral health services, including medication offerings, and discuss the options for services within birth centers. A protocol for behavioral health medication initiation and incorporating client follow-up in a holistic model of care will be presented. Information on utilizing telehealth to decrease barriers for individuals needing to access behavioral health and wellness services at a birth center will also be reviewed.
Panelist: Emily McGahey, DM, CNM, MSN, FACNM
Affordable Health Care for Members
Presented live 5.18.22
For the past two years, AABC has partnered with HealthShare Works to offer its members access to affordable health coverage. Come learn how this effective alternative to insurance can bring value to your birth center and employees. Plus, hear from members who are active participants in the program.
Panelists: Maurice Reigmann, Craig Miller, and Moira Tannenbaum, MSN, APRN, CNM, IBCLC
So You Want to Open a Birth Center?
Presented live 4.27.22
Freestanding birth centers are seeing an increase in interest as childbearing families seek alternatives to delivering in the hospital. The American Association of Birth Centers (AABC), health systems, and national organizations are recommending expanding access to freestanding birth centers for low-risk women in response to the COVID-19 crisis. Join AABC's How to Start a Birth Center faculty for this webinar specifically focused on opening a freestanding birth center.
Panelists: Brianna Bennett, MBA, Amy Johnson-Grass, ND, LN, LM, CPM, and Aubre Tompkins, MSN, CNM
Opportunities for Birth Centers: Getting to Know the VA Community Care Network (VACCN)
Presented live 2.16.22
This presentation will discuss the overview of VACCN including referral process, billing information and how to follow-up on issues. Panelists will discuss the VA Community Care Network including the overview of the program. Participants will also learn how to bill for the services, referral process, etc. And the difference between VACCN and Tricare will be reviewed.
Panelists: Karen DiGiovanni, Rachel Beglan, and Olga Ryan, RN, MS-NL
Hormonal Physiology of Childbirth
Presented live 11.17.21
This presentation will discuss the hormonal physiology of labor, birth, and early postpartum and its vital but often overlooked importance in birth outcomes. Topics include routine practices that disrupt the hormonal physiology, care that enables the hormonal physiology to unfold as nature intends, and the value of birth centers and midwifery care in enhancing the hormonal orchestration of labor, birth, early postpartum and breastfeeding.
Panelist: Judith Lothian, PhD, RN
NRP 8th Edition: What's New for Birth Centers?
Presented live 9.15.21
Learn all about what’s new in the 8th edition of NRP. We will cover the differences between the Essentials and Advanced courses, look at the updated learning platform, and review updates in the algorithm. We will engage in a Q& A about the equipment and training we recommend and about our Birth Center Focused NRP program.
Panelists: Julie Moon, MSN, CNM and Olga Ryan, MS-NL, RN
A Birth Center's Guide to Becoming a National Health Service Corps (NHSC) Site
Presented live 6.9.21
Are you interested in learning what it means to become a HRSA National Health Service Corp site? Representatives from HRSA will walk us through the ins and outs of site eligibility, the application process, and the many benefits of being an NHSC site, including recruiting, hiring, and retaining providers. You'll also hear directly from a birth center NHSC site about their experience and lessons learned in the process.
Panelists: Evan Krasomil and Kendra Wyatt
Facility Billing for Birth Centers
Presented live 3.31.2021
When you bill for birth center facility services, are you using the correct codes or billing on the right form? Join AABC Industry Relations Committee (IRC) members Abigail Lanin Eaves and Brianna Bennett for an introduction to the newest IRC toolkit “Facility Coding for Birth Centers.” This webinar is a must for everyone who runs a birth center. Even if you already have contracts, come learn about this new tool to use for renegotiating your current contracts for uniformity and better reimbursement.
Panelists: Abigail Eaves, MSN, CNM and Brianna Bennett, MBA
Getting Payment Right: Unlocking High Value Care Through Appropriate Birth Center Reimbursement
Presented live on 2.24.21
Interest in birth centers is growing rapidly among system stakeholders in response to evidence showing improved outcomes and reduced costs with birth center care. Enhancing access to birth center care is a strategy that could serve multiple policy aims, including addressing health disparities, providing primary maternity care access in maternity care "deserts," and reducing cesarean and preterm birth rates and costs at the population level. At the same time, there is confusion about how to establish fees and structure payments to drive appropriate use of birth centers. This webinar will summarize results of an in-depth analysis of the birth center payment system and present guidance to birth centers, payers/purchasers, and health systems to ensure equitable access to and financial viability of the birth center model.
Panelists: Amy Romano, MSN, MBA, CNM, Jennifer Moore, PhD, RN and Claudia Jennings
Licensing and Regulation of Birth Centers
Presented live 1.27.2021
Regulatory complexity represents a potent barrier to entry for new birth centers and a substantial administrative strain on existing centers, and there is no evidence it enhances safety. States can remove structural barriers and address inequitable access to the birth center model of care by modernizing their birth center licensing regulations, or by introducing appropriate regulations where none exist. This webinar will cover best practices in birth center licensure and regulation and introduce AABC's new Model Regulations Toolkit, which provides draft regulatory language, fact sheets, and other implementation support.
Panelists: Amy Romano, MBA, MSN, CNM, FACNM; Molly Harris, JD, MS; Charlotte Bennett; and Jill Alliman, DNP, APRN, CNM
Is Your Birth Center Laboratory CLIA Compliant? Introducing the CLIA Compliance Toolkit
Presented live 12.16.2020
Point of care tests and microscopy are key to providing timely, accurate diagnosis as well as cost efficient care in the birth center setting. CLIA laboratory certification is required to provide such care, so birth centers must navigate the process of obtaining certification and complying with CLIA regulations. This presentation provides the key information birth center administrators and directors need to know to obtain certification and maintain continuous compliance with CLIA rules and best practices. A new toolkit will be introduced, featuring training modules for staff, quality assurance and quality control templates, compliance checklists and additional resources to support the success of every birth center lab.
Panelists: Amy Romano, MBA, MSN, CNM and Laura Thielke, MS, CNM
Finding the Right Fit: Hiring Midwives for Your Birth Center
Presented live on 10.21.20
Finding midwives that align with the culture of your practice can be challenging, as many midwifery programs do not prepare students for the paradigm shift that is necessary to work well within the birth center setting. In this panel webinar, we explore hiring strategies for your birth center or alongside midwifery unit, models that require midwives to embrace normal, physiologic birth and align with the philosophies of clients who typically seek midwifery care in birth centers, including mutual trust, the client's right to autonomy, and evidence-based, shared decision making. It's also important that prospective midwives understand the expectations on their time and the potential to assume multiple roles, which may vary greatly from the in-hospital setting. At the same time, birth centers can offer midwives more rewards, both personally and professionally, including the ability to provide more comprehensive care and a greater depth and richer interactions in their relationships with clients.
Panelists: Pamela Harmon, MSN, RNC-NIC, Belinda Hodder, DNP, RM, CNM and Diane Ortega, DNP, CNM
Coordination and Collaboration with EMS for Safe, Timely Transfers: Introducing the AABC EMS Toolkit
Presented live 9.9.20
Emergency transport from a birth center to a hospital is rarely needed, but when emergencies do occur, swift and coordinated transport to a higher level of care is needed. Emergency medical services (EMS), therefore, play an important role in the overall safety of birth centers. This webinar shares best practices for engaging with local EMS services, including establishing effective collaboration, planning and running EMS drills, and more. The speakers also introduce a new toolkit of resources from AABC, designed to facilitate seamless emergency transport through active engagement and teamwork with EMS providers.
Panelists: Panelists: Amy Romano, MBA, MSN, CNM and Laura Thielke, MS, CNM
How Birth Centers Can Drive the Equity Conversation
Presented live 7.29.20
In this interactive panel presentation, we explore the historical and economic context that has led to the lack of birth centers run by people of color as well as current obstacles that many birth center startups face. Each panelist presents on their own work to bring birth options to their communities and shares opportunities for all birth centers to address disparities in maternal and infant outcomes. Together, we can make this model more accessible for everyone who seeks midwifery care in birth centers.
Panelists: Trinisha Williams, MPH, CM, LCCE, LC, Ebony Marcelle, MS, CNM, Leseliey Welch, MPH, MBA
Introducing the AABC Risk Management + Sentinel Events Toolkit
Presented live 6.24.20
In this webinar, you'll learn how to best use this new resource developed by a joint task force of the American Association of Birth Centers and the Commission for the Accreditation of Birth Centers. The toolkit was designed to provide birth centers with information and tools for prevention, management, and mitigation of sentinel events. You'll learn how to prepare for the unexpected, follow established protocols when the unexpected occurs, and how to learn and improve after a sentinel event. Resources include checklists, samples, policies, and drills, and how to conduct a root cause analysis, supporting staff, and handling media inquiries. We also share resources on risk management, including an orientation on the types of liability insurance available and tips for shopping for coverage.
Panelists: Dominic Cammarano, DO and Amy Johnson-Grass, ND, LN, LM, CPM
Strengthening Intermittent Auscultation in Birth Center Practice
Presented live 3.25.20
Intermittent auscultation is the standard of care for fetal assessment in birth centers, but many midwives, nurses, and clinical team members have minimal formal training in auscultation skills, and national guidelines for performing and interpreting intermittent auscultation are inconsistent. In this webinar, you'll learn how to strengthen the intermittent auscultation skills in the birth center setting using simulation-based training and continuous quality improvement methods.
Panelist: Amy Romano, MBA, MSN, CNM
Adding Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy to Your Birth Center Practice
Presented live 1.29.20
Have you been curious about pelvic floor physical therapy and how you can incorporate it into your birth center? Join us for an informative session. We review anatomy and function of the pelvic floor muscles and how to identify medical diagnoses in a client's history that may signal pelvic floor dysfunction. We'll also help you identify when a birth center client may benefit from pelvic floor physical therapy based on presentation and results of current treatment.
Panelist: Melissa Sundberg, DPT
PDR Advanced - Getting the Most from Your Data
Presented live on 11.20.19
Have you been entering data into the PDR but haven’t accessed your own data for data quality assurance and statistics? This webinar will explore PDR features, data quality assurance, exporting data, and getting statistics. We discuss how to perform routine data quality audits, ask specific questions of your data, calculate your statistics from your data export, and use the PDR statistics function. Take full advantage of what the PDR has to offer.
Presenter: Jennifer Wright
PDR Basics - Getting Started with the AABC Perinatal Data Registry
Presented live on 11.6.19
Are you planning to sign up for the PDR or are you new to the PDR and want to become more familiar with the data collection system? This webinar will guide you through getting started with the PDR. We will discuss the value of the PDR, designing your PDR system sustainably, prospective data entry, the comprehensive vs. minimum dataset, navigation of the platform, data entry, and saving and accessing saved records. Use the PDR with comfort, ease, and efficiency.
Presenter: Jennifer Wright
Using Root Cause Analysis to Review Sentinel Events
Presented live on 5.8.19
When issues arise it can be very easy to blame someone or sweep it under the rug instead of taking the time to discover the true cause of the issue. In this webinar, you'll discover practical tools to uncover the “root cause” of some of your most stressful birth center issues and what you can do to prevent them from happening again. This approach will help you build a better culture of safety in your birth center and prevent future harm.
Panelists: Susan Stapleton, DNP, CNM and Denise Roy, MSN, CNM
Best Practices in Water Birth
Presented live on 8.15.18
This is a presentation of the best available evidence and best practices for use of immersion in water for labor and birth. The session includes controversies and areas in which more evidence is needed. The presenters also review their guidelines and problems they have seen in their birth centers.
Panelists: Susan Stapleton, DNP, CNM, Amy Johnson-Grass, ND, LN, LM, CPM, and Mary Yanagawa, CDM
How to Build Effective Drills for Your Birth Center
Presented live on 5.24.17
Are you getting the most out of your emergency drills? This webinar will walk you through the process of building your drills from scheduling to case selection to how to set the birth room. Participants will receive examples of actual drills.
Presenter: Joan D Smith, CNM, MPH, MSN