Join the Cen­ter­ing Movement 

in New Jersey 

Imple­men­ta­tion Awards for Cen­ter­ing Expansion 

New Jersey continues to rank among the worst US states for maternal and infant health outcomes, with a maternal mortality rate[1] of more than 25.7 deaths per every 100,000 live births, placing it higher than the national average, and ranking 36th in the nation. The racial disparities for mothers and babies are even more alarming. Currently, a Black mother in New Jersey is almost seven times more likely to die than a White mother due to pregnancy-related complications, and a Black infant is more than three times more likely to die than a White infant before his/her first birthday. In addition, New Jersey earned a B- on its annual preterm birth score card from the March of Dimes overall; the preterm birth rate among Black women is 55% higher than the rate among all other women. As of 2021, every 1 in 11 babies in New Jersey was born preterm, with the rate being highest for Black newborns. Preterm birth is the leading cause of death and disability among infants, including long-term cognitive and developmental disabilities, delays in physical development, learning and social emotional skills, chronic respiratory problems, and vision and hearing impairment.

Centering is one way to change that. The Burke Foundation, a New Jersey-based private foundation focused on the First 1,000 Days, has teamed up with Centering Healthcare Institute (CHI) to address these alarming maternal infant health statistics and disparities by bringing Centering to more families and regions in New Jersey. With over 150 published studies and peer-reviewed articles, research demonstrates that Centering improves health and wellness outcomes for mothers and babies, including a reduction in racial health disparities in preterm births. For the third year of this initiative, up to 8 implementation awards are being offered to help clinical practices implement the CenteringPregnancy and CenteringParenting care models. The goals of the Strengthening Maternal, Infant, and Child Health through the Expansion of Centering Group Care in New Jersey initiative are to:

  1. Expand a relationship-based group healthcare model to improve health and wellness for mothers, babies, and families, with a focus on reducing racial disparities.
  2. Build community awareness and support for Centering – both from local stakeholders (for example, community-based organizations that could serve as referral sources) and patients.
  3. Root Centering within the culture and operational systems of participating sites so that it becomes part of the healthcare landscape in New Jersey long term.

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[1]Maternal mortality is defined as women who die while pregnant or within 42 days postpartum using death certificate codes. Deaths due to pregnancy-related complications can occur during pregnancy or up to one year postpartum.

Award Details

These awards will cover one year of implementation support from the CHI team, including:

Centering365 implementation plan

  • Remote support from a dedicated CHI Advisor
  • Centering launch site visit
  • Site accreditation visit and determination
  • Centering facilitation training for four participants

Centering facilitation training seats for one additional participant
Patient curriculum materials and leader kit
Starter set of CHI promotional materials

Additional support in year 2 for additional CHI services may be considered with the successful completion of year 1 and continued funding by The Burke Foundation.

  • Advanced facilitation training for up to four participants
  • Patient curriculum materials

IMPORTANT: This is NOT a monetary award. It is an award for in-kind services valued at approximately $36,000-37,200.

Those selected for the above award would qualify for an additional $5,000 mini-grant to support start-up operational expenses, such as nutritional snacks for Centering patients and medical supplies, directly from the Burke Foundation

How to Apply

In 2023, CHI intends to launch a total of four (4) CenteringParenting sites and four (4) CenteringPregnancy sites, for a total of up to 8 awards. If all awards are not given out in this round, additional round(s) will be carried out until all are distributed, or until April 30, 2024, whichever occurs first.

The Request for Applications (RFA) narrative for CenteringPregnancy and CenteringParenting outlines in detail the eligibility requirements and application process, selection criteria, awarded services and support, as well as project activity and timeline. Healthcare settings interested in participating will follow the process outlined below:

Step 1:

Complete and submit a Readiness Assessment to CHI that gathers information about the practice site such as patient volume, the proposed space to convene groups, and administrative support.

Step 2:

Once sites complete the CHI Readiness Assessment, they will be contacted by Mary Fitzmaurice, Regional Director at CHI, to schedule a phone discussion to explore and assess the site’s readiness for CenteringPregnancy or CenteringParenting and address any questions that sites may have.

Step 3:

Qualifying candidates whose readiness is verified by the CHI team following the phone discussion will be invited to submit the application materials listed below:

  • Letter of Intent detailing the vision and goals for Centering at your site
  • Letter of Support from practice leadership
  • Planning Your Centering Budget document
  • Master Site License Agreement
  • Service Agreement

The application process will include an in-person meeting with staff from CHI and the Burke Foundation in September 2023.

Note: If you are new to the Centering model, please visit here or get in touch with Mary Fitzmaurice at mfitzmaurice@centeringhealthcare.org to learn more. She would be happy to have a conversation prior to completing a Readiness Assessment.


Application Submission Timeline

Application materials must be submitted electronically by September 8, 2023. Site visits will be conducted by the end of the month, and sites will be given advance notice of the timeframe for planning purposes. Award Notification: You can expect to hear back within one month of a completed application and site visit.

Implementation is expected to commence following contracting with CHI and notification of a successful application. Please note that it’s anticipated that groups would start around 3-6 months from that point.

Please note: Organizations may submit applications to implement one or both group care models (CenteringPregnancy and CenteringParenting). Submitted applications will be reviewed collaboratively by CHI and The Burke Foundation.


Award Qualification Criteria

The following are criteria on which applications will be assessed:

  1. Site must be new to CenteringPregnancy or CenteringParenting (never implemented Centering previously), or expanding the model to a new location.
  2. The obstetric, pediatric, or family practice clinic must be located in New Jersey.
  3. Priority will be given to Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), community health centers, and hospital-based or affiliated clinics that serve a majority of patients on Medicaid, SCHIP, and/or are uninsured.
  4. Applicants must be approved to participate by the award committee, which is composed of representatives from both CHI and the Burke Foundation.

The following counties have been identified as priority communities for expansion based on a data analysis of maternal and pediatric outcomes, conducted by the New Jersey Healthcare Quality Institute. These counties report greater health disparities and thus are a higher priority for investment. However, since community-level data may indicate other areas of need, CHI welcomes applications from providers that serve a high percentage of under-resourced patients anywhere in the state.

CenteringParenting Burke Foundation
CenteringPregnancy Burke Foundation

Expectations of Grantees

To meet the goals of this initiative and set sites up for success, all applicants commit to adhering to model fidelity; collaborating with and receiving support from CHI staff; engaging with a Centering community of practice; conducting quality improvement activities, collecting and reporting on data, and completing any evaluation-related deliverables. These efforts will help improve health outcomes as well as patient satisfaction with received health care, reduce health disparities, and ultimately result in lower costs to the practice and the overall health care and social support systems. Details on specific grant expectations are outlined in each RFA.

Prior to implementation launch, selected grantees must complete all required CHI documentation to obtain a Centering site license, including the annual site license fee. Click to view and download samples:

Questions?

For questions regarding the Centering model, Centering readiness guidelines, licensure and accreditation, please submit an inquiry to CHI.

For any questions regarding this grant, please feel free to contact Mary Fitzmaurice at mfitzmaurice@centeringhealthcare.org.


Apply Now

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