History:  The Centering Pregnancy & Parenting Association, Inc.

This format allows for the development of community and empowerment, leading to proactive, involved consumers and energized providers working together in a partnership that is exciting and fulfilling to all participants. CHI promotes the Centering model, expanding it across the lifecycle, making it available to the general public and providing education, training and support for individuals and organizations throughout the world.

CenteringPregnancy®                          and                           CenteringParenting® are models of health care delivery that integrate the provision of health assessment, education, and support within a stable group of women, families/ friends, and babies.

About  "CHI"

Since its inception in 1994, by founder Sharon Schindler Rising, MSN, CNM, FACNM, an increasing number of healthcare workers and pregnant families have had the benefit of giving and receiving care through the CenteringPregnancy®  model.  Awareness of the model and the number of sites offering Centering group care steadily grows.  In 2001, the strength and size of the organization led its leaders to make the step of creating a new non-profit corporation--The Centering Pregnancy and Parenting Association, Inc. ("CPPA"). The benefits of this new structure are numerous.  Most importantly, it reflects the mission of Centering--to change the paradigm of the care of the pregnant woman and family--and assures that it will be accomplished exclusively for the benefit of pregnant women and their families and those involved in their care. It also opens up new sources of funding that will help advance the model.

The CHI BOARD & STAFF , at it's Feb., 2008 meeting (from l. to r.) ; Doug Laube, MD; Cheryl Beck, CNM, DNSc, FAAN; Margaret Flinter, APRN, MSN;  Karen McGee, CNM, MSN, President; Carrie Klima, PhD, CNM; Carmen Strickland, MD; Sharon S. Rising, MSN, CNM, FACNM, Exec. Dir.; Rima Jolivet, CNM, MSN, Faculty Liaison.  Absent from photo: Kelli Viscounte, MSEd., CLC; Ben Doolittle, MD, MDiv.

copyright© 2008   Centering Healthcare Institute Inc.                  Web site created/managed by Ron Rising, Rising Images              ron@risingimages.com   /   www.risingimages.com            For more information:  info@centeringhealthcare.org

The Centering Healthcare Institute, Inc. (CHI), a private, non-profit (401c3) corporation, is an outgrowth of the Centering Pregnancy and Parenting Association, Inc. (See history below)

The Goals of CHI include: • Informing health professionals, students, parents and individuals about the Centering model; • Developing and conducting workshops; • Providing consultation services; • Developing and updating educational, training, and promotional materials; • Providing site approval and certification for workshop leaders and site group leaders; • Supporting research on the Centering model; and • Assuring financial stability of the organization.

The Mission of CHI The Mission of Centering Healthcare Institute (CHI) is to change the paradigm of health services to a group care model in order to improve the overall health outcomes of mothers, babies, new families and all individuals across the life cycle.