The Centering Healthcare Institute is a nonprofit based in Boston, Massachusetts, that works with health care providers to offer an alternative, collective approach to health care. The original area of expertise was prenatal and maternal healthcare, but its model has expanded to cover other health issues. It also lobbies and campaigns for greater reimbursement for its services and to expand its model’s use.

According to the institute, there are 560 practice sites in 46 states that currently utilize its model.

Overview

Centering began in the 1990s as an alternative approach to prenatal care for women. Its founder, Sharon Rising, began bringing pregnant women together to form a community, discuss their prenatal visits, and work together to secure better health care. ¹ Rising founded Centering Healthcare Institute in 2001. ²

Currently, there are over 560 “centering” practice sites in 46 states. ³ The practices that implement this method include John’s Hopkins Bayview, Columbia University Medical Center, Kaiser Permanente, and U.S. Army Medical Department. ⁴ Among the healthcare systems that use this model are some of the nation’s largest systems. ⁵

The “Centering” Model

The “centering” model was created in the 1990s and initially began as a way to help expecting mothers carry their babies to term. The model allows for group care instead of individualized treatments for specific health issues and treatments. ⁶

The institute offers three programs: CenteringPregnancy, CenteringParenting, and CenteringHealthcare. The three programs have three common components. ⁷

The first component is the health assessment. The patient and the provider go through an in-depth health assessment and the patient learns to take some of their own assessments. It intends for patients to become more involved in their own health care or that of their child. ⁸

The second component is the interactive learning. The provider goes through a presentation or a facilitated discussion in order to better inform patients so they can make the best possible choices for themselves and their families. ⁹

The third component is the community-building aspect of the program. The patients are then gathered together for a group meeting. The patients are encouraged to ask questions because they may be shared by more than one patient. The purpose of the group meeting is to break the sense of isolation a patient may face while receiving treatment. ¹⁰

CenteringPregnancy is targeted towards expecting mothers. CenteringParenting is geared towards young families. CenteringHealthcare is a concept that can be implemented for some types of chronic health conditions. ¹¹

Leadership

Angie Truesdale serves as the chief executive officer and has served in that role since 2015. Under her leadership, CenteringPregnancy was adopted by the U.S. Army. Previously, she spearheaded the federal lobbying efforts for the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization and the American Diabetes Association. ¹²

Shannon Merrell is the managing director of practice transformation. She oversaw the implementing of Centering programs with Kaiser Permanente and the U.S. Army. ¹³

Carmen Strickland is the chair of the board. Amy Fine is the vice chair of the board. Andrea Darby-Stewart is the secretary. Ashley Lanfer is the treasurer of the board. Sharon Rising is the president emeritus and also serves on the board. ¹⁴

Financials

According to the 2018 Form 990, Centering Healthcare Institute generated $4.5 million in revenue and $3.9 million in expenses. ¹⁵

In 2020, CHI received $13 million in grants from the Bezos Family Foundation, MacKenzie Scott, the Valhalla Charitable Foundation, Imaginable Futures, the Overdeck Family Foundation, and Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Foundation to expand use of its model. ¹⁶

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15. Form 990. 2018. Ebook. Guidestar. https://pdf.guidestar.org/PDF_Images/2018/061/622/2018-061622668-112f25a0-9.pdf?_ga=2.118557193.1421986026.1606711695-1729401998.1573449492.
16. “Centering Healthcare Institute Receives $13 Million In Philanthropic Funding To Improve Health & Well Being Of Mothers, Young Children And Families”. 2020. Globenewswire. https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2020/11/12/2125951/0/en/Centering-Healthcare-Institute-Receives-13-Million-in-Philanthropic-Funding-To-Improve-Health-Well-Being-of-Mothers-Young-Children-and-Families.html.