Birth Institute Program

Pre/Post Conference Workshops

DatePre Conference Workshop
November 6th-7thAABC How to Start a Birth Center Workshop (2 days)
November 6th-7thAABC Learning Collaborative for Birth Center Sustainability (2 days)
November 6thMidwifery-led Resuscitation Training (1 day)
November 7th Prevent + Heal Psychological Stress, Moral Injury, Burnout, and Increase Joy (1/2 day)
November 7th Maintaining Birth Center Accreditation (1/2 day)
November 7th Preparing for Birth Center Accreditation (1/2 day)

Thursday - November 7th

TimeSession
1:30pm - 4:30pmBirth Center Directors Network Meeting
4:30pm -5:30pmMeet the Boards Reception
7:00pm - 8:30pmWelcome Celebration + Keynote Address - Nicola Pemberton, MD, FACOG
8:30pm - 10:00pmExhibit Hall Opening + Welcome Reception

Friday - November 8th

TimeSession
8:00am - 9:00amState Chapter Officers Meet Up
9:00am - 10:00amFriday Keynote: Understanding the Current Landscape of Midwifery and Birth Centers - Monica R. McLemore, PhD, MPH, RN
10:00am - 11:00amCoffee Break in the Exhibit Hall / Poster Presentations
11:00am - 12:00pmClinical Breakout: The Art and Science of Neworn Assessment - Julie Moon, MS,CNM, APRN, NRP Instructor Mentor and Olga Ryan, MS-NL, RN, NRP Instructor Mentor
11:00am - 12:00pmLeveraging Automation for Birth Center Sustainability - Tyler Hixson
11:00am - 12:00pmBarriers to Breastfeeding: How to Get It Right - Sasha Bariffe, WI-LM, CPM, IBCLS and Nicole Miles, MA, CD, NCS, IBCLS
12:00pm - 1:15pmNetworking Lunch
1:15pm - 2:15pmDessert in the Exhibit Hall / Poster Presentations
1:15pm - 2:15pmAffinity Circles - Members of the Global Majority, White Allyship
1:15pm - 2:15pmAABC, CABC, AABC Foundation - Joint Executive Committees Meeting
2:15pm - 3:15pmResearch Panel: 1) Landscape Analysis of Birth Justice: Defining, Mapping, and Strategizing, 2) Closing the Gap: Importance of Racially Concordant Care in Birth Center Settings to Improve Outcomes for BIPOC Families - Indra Lusero, JD, MA, Danika Lâm, MPP, Myla Flores, CD, LCCE, SpBCPE, CLC, Jordan Smith, CNM, MSN, WHNP, and Lailah Kara-Newton, MD
3:30pm - 4:30pmClinical Breakout: Compassion in Action: Transformative Education for Effective Birth Advocacy - Elisabeth Howard, PhD, CNM, FACNM and Cynthia Voytas, MSN, CNM
3:30pm - 4:30pmAdmin Breakout: Beyond Transfer: Exploring Financial, Programmatic, and Administrative Integration Between Birth Centers and Hospitals - Claudia Jennings and Amy Romano, MBA, MSN, CNM, FACNM
3:30pm - 4:30pmTimely Topic Breakout: Advocacy for Birth Center Access - How We Can Move Forward in State and Federal Policy - Jill Alliman, DNP, CNM, FACNM, Debbie Jessup, PhD, CNM, FACNM
4:30pm - 5:15pmFacilitated Networking - Debriefs on the day's topics
7:00pm - 8:30pmBirth Center Open Houses

Saturday - November 9th

TimeSession
8:00am - 9:00amChapter Information Session
9:00am - 10:00amSaturday Keynote: Breaking the BMI Barrier: Pathways to Size Inclusive Maternity Practices - Jen McLellan, CBE
10:00am - 11:00amCoffee Break in the Exhibit Hall
11:00am - 12:00pmClinical Breakout: GYN and Tonic - Aubre Brouillette, MSN, CNM
11:00am - 12:00pmAdmin Breakout: Be Ready to Say Yes - Ariel Swift
11:00am - 12:00pmTimely Topic Breakout: Revitalizing Midwifery Precepting: Building Bridges, Enhancing Skills, Reigniting Passion - Suzan Ulrich, DrPH, MSN, MN, CNM, FACNM, and Tarnisha Hemphill, DNP, MSN, CNM
12:00pm - 1:15pmNetworking Lunch
12:00pm - 2:00pmAABC Foundation Board of Trustees Meeting
1:15pm - 2:15pmDessert in the Exhibit Hall / Poster Presentations
1:15pm - 2:15pmAffinity Circles - LGBTQIA+
1:15pm - 2:15pmAffinity Circles - LGBTQIA+ Allyship
2:15pm - 3:15pmOpen Forum
3:30pm - 4:30pmClinical Breakout: Improving Effective Holistic Postpartum Care in an Urban Freestanding Birth Center Utilizing Evidence-based Postpartum Toolkits - Grace Dible, DNP, CNM
3:30pm - 4:30pmAdmin Breakout: Leveling Up: Money, Management and Operations - Marnie Cabezas, Consultant & Former Midwife
3:30pm - 4:30pmTimely Topic Breakout: CABC Sentinel Event Reviews: What is the Impact? - Maria Petrie, MHIT, BSN, and Olgan Ryan, MS-NL, RN
4:30pm - 5:15pmNetworking - Debriefs on the day's topics
7:00pm - 11:00pmAABC Foundation Fundraising Gala

Sunday - November 10th

TimeSession
9:00am - 10:00amResearch Panel: 1) Prolonged Second Stage - Does Transferring Matter? 2) Neonatal Outcomes of Newborns of the Gestational Age Range of 36-43 Weeks at Freestanding Birth Centers - Nancy A. Niemczyk, CNM, PhD, FACNM, and Emmanuel Komladzah, MSN, RN
10:15am - 11:15amClinical Breakout: Speaking into Silence: Making Space for Loss in the Community Birth Setting - Denika Anderson, RN, MA, CBD (CBI),SBD
10:15am - 11:15amAdmin Breakout: Innovative Models to Accelerate Equitable Access to Midwifery-led Birth Center Care - Gianna Fay RN, MSN, CNM, WHNP-BC, Diana Derige, MPH, DrPH, and Ebony Marcelle, DNP, CNM, FACNM
10:15am - 11:15amTimely Topic Breakout:
11:15am - 12:30pmAwards Brunch
12:30pm - 1:30pmClinical Breakout: Step Up Together Action Collaborative: Improving Birth Cetner to Hospital Transfer Through Interdisciplinary Simulation - Amy Romano, MBA, MSN, CNM, Jennifer Johnson, MSN, CNM, and Alexa Dougherty, MSN, PHN, CNM
12:30pm - 1:30pmAdmin Breakout: Enhancing Birth Center Care Through Functional Medicine - Melissa Dean, LM, CPM, CFMP
12:30pm - 1:30pmTimely Topic Breakout: Midwifery Paradox in the US: Nurturing Others, But Not Always Each Other - Rhonda R. Johnson, DNP, CNE, CNM, FACNM, and Letitia Sullivan, CNM, MSN, FACNM
1:45pm - 2:45pmClosing Keynote: The Deep South Initiative - Tanya Smith Johnson, MS, CPM
6:30pm - 8:30pmAABC Board of Directors Dinner

Monday - November 11th

TimeSession
9:00am - 3:00pmAABC Board of Directors Meeting