Presented by Southern Cross Insurance Solutions

Join us LIVE from the AABC Birth Institute in Anchorage, Alaska, for a panel discussion with co-editors and some authors of the new book, "Freestanding Birth Centers: Innovation, Evidence, Optimal Outcomes." Through a Q&A discussion, learn about the evolving role of birth centers and the future outlook for the birth center model of care. Compared to the hospital-based birth model, the freestanding birth center offers a well-documented, healthier, more cost-effective, and more humane way to care for women and newborns. This rapidly expanding model of care has many positive implications for high-quality, individualized care and birth outcomes across the United States.

Although nearly 50% of reproductive-age women are overweight or obese, providers remain uncertain how to approach conversations about weight. The techniques of motivational interviewing (MI) are an effective way to discuss behavior change and weight loss. This session will review the current research on obesity and reproduction, discuss how basic MI techniques can be incorporated into routine clinical care, and increase provider awareness of societal weight bias.

Indian health services (IHS) is grossly underfunded in the U.S., yet they may be leading the way in terms of patient centered and culturally safe care. IHS clinics serve Native American/Alaskan Native communities in urban and rural areas, and services and care providers are often closely tied to the communities they serve. Community health and traditional health practices are typically incorporated into clinical care and truly collaborative practice is the norm. Health care rhetoric in the U.S. calls for holistic, family centered care, but the reality is, health care delivery often falls short. Come find out what IHS does differently, and in many ways, better.