Centering Pregnancy brings expectant moms together for education, camaraderie
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Akron: Summit County has awarded Cleveland Clinic Akron General $1 million for the medical center’s Centering Pregnancy™ program. The grant is designed to increase access to prenatal care for women who have been affected by substance use disorder.
“We are grateful to be able to offer Centering Pregnancy to our community and especially to those women impacted by substance abuse. Locally and nationally, Centering Pregnancy has improved outcomes for mothers and babies,” said Jennifer Savitski, M.D., chair of obstetrics and gynecology at Akron General. “We are pleased to receive this award and would like to thank the Summit County Opioid Abatement Advisory Council for supporting this important initiative.”
Funding for the grant was made available by a legal settlement from Johnson & Johnson to reduce the devastation of the opioid epidemic in Summit County.
Centering Pregnancy is a national program in which women who have due dates near one another gather in small groups with a doctor or a nurse to discuss issues that affect their health and that of their babies. Topics can include nutrition, stress management, labor and delivery, and infant care. Akron General partners on the program with the AxessPointe Women’s Health Center.
Each visit is up to two hours, resulting in women spending about 10 times more time with a provider than occurs with traditional approaches to prenatal care. Each woman also is seen by a healthcare provider for her regular prenatal checkup at these sessions, such as blood pressure and weight checks.
“Since receiving financial settlements from the drug manufacturers and distributors, we have worked with our community partners to formulate a framework that will allow us to deploy current and future settlement dollars in a responsible and effective way,” said Summit County Executive Ilene Shapiro. “Expanded Centering Pregnancy programming in our major health care systems will help pregnant women living with substance use disorders chart a course toward recovery and better health outcomes for mother and child.”
Centering Pregnancy is one of the core programs that Akron General is utilizing to increase access to healthcare for those affected by health disparities in Summit County. Other programs in Akron General’s Neighbor to Neighbor initiative include:
About Cleveland Clinic Akron General
Cleveland Clinic Akron General is a nonprofit healthcare organization that has been improving the health and lives of the people and communities it serves since 1914. Akron General is the hub for Cleveland Clinic’s Southern Region and includes a 532-registered-bed teaching and research medical center in downtown Akron; Akron General Partners, which includes Partners Physician Group; three Health & Wellness Centers; Lodi Hospital; and Akron General Foundation. For more information, visit akrongeneral.org.
About Cleveland Clinic
Cleveland Clinic is a nonprofit multispecialty academic medical center that integrates clinical and hospital care with research and education. Located in Cleveland, Ohio, it was founded in 1921 by four renowned physicians with a vision of providing outstanding patient care based upon the principles of cooperation, compassion and innovation. Cleveland Clinic has pioneered many medical breakthroughs, including coronary artery bypass surgery and the first face transplant in the United States. U.S. News & World Report consistently names Cleveland Clinic as one of the nation’s best hospitals in its annual “America’s Best Hospitals” survey. Among Cleveland Clinic’s 66,000 employees are more than 4,200 salaried physicians and researchers and 16,600 nurses, representing 140 medical specialties and subspecialties. Cleveland Clinic’s health system includes a 165-acre main campus near downtown Cleveland, 11 regional hospitals in northeast Ohio, more than 180 northern Ohio outpatient locations – including 18 full-service family health centers and three health and wellness centers – and locations in southeast Florida; Las Vegas, Nev.; Toronto, Canada; Abu Dhabi, UAE; and London, England. In 2018, there were 7.9 million total outpatient visits, 238,000 hospital admissions and observations, and 220,000 surgical cases throughout Cleveland Clinic’s health system. Patients came for treatment from every state and 185 countries. Visit us at clevelandclinic.org. Follow us at twitter.com/CCforMedia and twitter.com/ClevelandClinic. News and resources available at newsroom.clevelandclinic.org.
