Background & Goal
Centering Healthcare Institute (CHI) is a nonprofit established in 2001 by Sharon Rising that aims to improve health by transforming care through Centering groups. The organization has worked closely with healthcare providers from all sectors to change healthcare. With over two decades of experience and innovation, CHI has become the go-to resource for group care. It has developed and sustained the Centering group model in more than 470 practice sites and within some of the largest health systems in the world.
Broad improvement in health care delivery requires engaging patients in their care and helping providers forge dynamic partnerships with patients. The Centering model of group health care aims to change the paradigm of health services to improve overall outcomes across the life cycle by providing education, training, and support for individuals and organizations in the United States and around the world.
Description
Centering is a model of group health care with three components – healthcare, interactive learning, and community building – provided in a group facilitated by a credentialed health provider and a co-facilitator who is a nurse or other appropriate staff member. The components are defined by several key elements that support the facilitated discussion. There are patient materials available for two of the established models: CenteringPregnancy and CenteringParenting, with potential for additional models in chronic care. CHI has a network of more than 12 consultants across the US who lead training workshops, provide consultation to sites, and conduct site approval visits. Centeringgroups are composed of a stable cohort of patients who meet regularly with their care provider for 90 minutes and up to two hours, which is ten times longer than in traditional prenatal care appointments. Centering promotes individual health empowerment and the opportunity for community-building. Visit www.centeringhealthcare.org for more details.