McLaren Flint, part of statewide McLaren Health Care and home to the comprehensive Family BirthPlace, has expanded its women’s health services with the addition of an innovative group approach to prenatal care to enhance the outcomes for the mother and baby while encouraging a supportive community for pregnant mothers.
Laura Taylor, DNP, CNM, PMHNP-BC
Optional for patients, CenteringPregnancy® brings together small groups of women with similar due dates in an evidence-based model that provides the mothers and their partners with a supportive atmosphere while navigating their pregnancy.
Led by an experienced midwife, sessions combine medical check-ups, pregnancy assessments, education, and peer support as well as extended time for open discussions that will allow patients to share thoughts and concerns of their pregnancy and its impact on their lives, while fostering connections with their provider and the other members of their group.
“The CenteringPregnancy approach represents a new way of thinking about prenatal care — one that places additional focus on making connections and sharing experiences,” said Laura Taylor, McLaren Health Care Director of Corporate OB Women’s Health Service Line. “The mothers’ medical care and needs are met, but by adding the group format and fostering connections, we are enhancing how expectant women are supported throughout their pregnancy and prepare for their new arrival.”
While prenatal care traditionally calls for one-on-one appointments between patient and provider, the group setting of CenteringPregnancy supports patients’ ability to still participate in their care while also engaging in meaningful discussions on a variety of pregnancy- and labor-related topics, including nutrition, stress, preparation, breastfeeding, home life, newborn care, and more.
With CenteringPregnancy, patients are able to spend more time with their providers through these shared sessions, with the model demonstrating an ability to improve mother-baby outcomes, reduce pre-term birth rates, and increase patients’ overall birthing experience.
McLaren Flint CenteringPregnancy sessions are hosted at McLaren Flint Women’s Health South (1314 South Linden Road, Suite A, in Flint). Patients interested in learning more or registering can call the office at (810) 342-1750.
To make an appointment with a McLaren Flint OB/GYN, visit mclaren.org/appointments.
To learn more about all services available at McLaren Flint, visit mclaren.org/flint.
About McLaren Flint
McLaren Flint is a 378-bed acute care hospital located in Flint, Michigan, serving the communities of greater Genesee County. Part of statewide McLaren Health Care, McLaren Flint provides a range of patient-centered care offerings, including primary, preventive, and diagnostic services, trauma (verified Level III) and emergency medicine, and specialty care, including surgical, cardiovascular, orthopedics, neurosciences, bariatrics, and women’s health services. A branch of the Karmanos Cancer Network, the largest network of cancer providers in the state, cancer care provided at the Karmanos Cancer Institute at McLaren Flint is anchored by the world-renowned Karmanos Cancer Institute in Detroit. The hospital also operates the McLaren Proton Therapy Center, offering the most precise form of radiation therapy cancer treatment, as well as McLaren Fenton, a multidisciplinary medical campus and freestanding emergency department. An ACGME-accredited facility, the hospital’s graduate medical education department trains dozens of tomorrow’s health care providers across eight residency and eight fellowship programs. McLaren Flint is accredited by The Joint Commission and holds a trusted place in the community as well as an extensive history of providing comprehensive and advanced care to its patients. Learn more at mclaren.org/flint.
About McLaren Health Care
McLaren Health Care, headquartered in Grand Blanc, Michigan, is a $6.9 billion, fully integrated health care delivery system committed to quality, evidence-based patient care and cost efficiency. The McLaren system includes 12 hospitals across the state, ambulatory surgery centers, imaging centers, a 730-member employed primary and specialty care physician network, commercial and Medicaid HMOs covering more than 242,000 Michigan lives, home health, infusion and hospice providers, pharmacy services, a clinical laboratory network, and a wholly owned medical malpractice insurance company. McLaren operates Michigan’s largest network of cancer centers and providers, anchored by the Karmanos Cancer Institute, a National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center. McLaren has 20,000 full-, part-time and contracted employees and more than 93,000 network providers throughout Michigan and Ohio. Learn more at mclaren.org.