Best Practices Awards

The following Centering programs have been awarded "Best Practice" designations for 2007. These sites are exemplary sites because their programs have mechanisms in place for sustainability beyond grant funding, they have implemented program evaluation plans, they have specific unique strengths and they have expanded their programs: All of these sites are recognized for CenteringPregnancyŽ and West Berkeley also is recognized for CenteringParentingŽ.

Clinica Campesina, Denver, CO
This program has made its Centering groups fiscally self-sufficient! The entire agency, from the CEO down through nursing, medicine and midwifery, is committed to group health care and is remodeling space to accommodate groups. This staff includes several teams of trained group facilitators and shows much passion and energy about the Centering model. The site has already developed a CenteringParentingŽ program and a benchmarking plan is also in place.

Riverstone Health Clinic - Montana Family Practice Residency
Billings, MT
This program was the first in family practice residency programs and serves as a leader and a model for other developing Centering programs in family medicine and has the strong support of its administrators. All residents have experience sharing leadership of one Centering group. The staff enthusiastically promotes the program and has accomplished a great deal in a relatively short period of time. The clinic is planning to expand to group care in other areas of medicine!

Peak Vista Community Health Center, Women's Health Clinic
Colorado Springs, CO
This program has several trained teams in the Centering model, has strong administrative support and has demonstrated sustainability by being incorporated into the overall clinic budget. It has also developed a CenteringParentingŽ program. They have an evaluation and a benchmarking program in operation and are interested in contributing to a national database.

Pinellas County Health Department, Clearwater, FL
This program enjoys the enthusiasm of its staff, which indicates they find the Centering experience "rewarding"! The agency is progressive and has been recognized locally and nationally for creation of women's health initiatives. This program is a line item in the departmental budget. They have accomplished a lot in a short period of time and have interested other health professionals in the model. The program has a written evaluation plan and a benchmarking program is in effect.

Nurse Midwives of San Francisco, San Francisco General Hospital
San Francisco, CA
This program is a longstanding seasoned and mature site with considerable depth of staff prepared in the Centering model. The director and staff are enthusiastic and promote the model at every opportunity. There is new committed space for groups and the program is expanding to an English-speaking model. The program has three sites: a community agency for low-income families, a teen program and one in a local community health center. They have successfully introduced the model to obstetricians and resident staff, who are leading some groups. Participation in the Bay Area CenteringPregnancyŽ Consortium is an added boon for evaluation of outcomes.

St. Luke's Hospital, San Francisco, CA
This program is opening a new group space, connected to the regular clinic and including a child-care space adjacent to it. Two examination rooms were demolished to make space for the new group room!! Agency administration has made a considerable investment in the ongoing maintenance and development of the program. They submitted a "gold standard" booklet of materials in their application for site approval. The program is planning to move to an "opt-out" model (i.e. all prenatal clients will be registered in Centering groups unless they do not wish to).

Trover Women's Center, Madisonville, KY
This program has demonstrated sustainability by being included in the Women's Health Center budget. More than 80% of prenatal clients at the Center are in the Centering program. Staff are very enthusiastic about Centering and the program functions as a resource to other programs in the state. A very creative marketing program in the agency has garnered much public support by a number of approaches, including highway billboards about the program! They offer an oral health component and are the cornerstone of an innovative CenteringPregnancyŽ Smiles initiative developed through the U of Kentucky Dental School.

West Berkeley Family Practice, Berkeley, CA
This program is institutionalized into the central operations of the clinic. It was the first English-speaking Centering program on the West coast and has implemented a CenteringParentingŽ program. There is "top down" and "bottom up" buy-in to the Centering model and the agency welcomes innovative models of care. The program has an "opt out" policy for women seeking prenatal care. The program is involved with the Bay Area CenteringPregnancyŽ Consortium, which supports training and program evaluation.

William Beaumont Army Medical Center, El Paso, TX
This is the first military Centering program to be approved. The program has the support from nursing administration for fiscal sustainability. It has an active and productive recruiting program and has developed a system to track the clients participating in Centering groups. This program has a well-developed and organized system for administration and is supported by an enthusiastic, committed and creative staff! An evaluation plan is in place.