Spring It On!
In April, the AABC Foundation said Spring It On! With a virtual marathon in the Grand Canyon to fundraise to advance the birth center model and improve maternity care in the U.S. The all exercise virtual challenge followed a 26.2 mile rim-to-rim route through the Grand Canyon. Fifty-seven participants logged 2,238 miles and raised $17,451!
Special thanks to the 2023 Spring It On! Sponsors:
Coach sponsors: AABC, Geneva Woods Birth Center, Marnie – Medical Practice Management & Consulting, The Midwife Plan/Southern Cross Insurance Solutions
Assistant Coach sponsors: CABC, The Midwife
Center, Willow AZ, Innovation Billing Services Inc
Trainer sponsors: Bauer Family, Linda Cole, Marketing Tea, Judy Ruszkowski
Welcome New Board Members
The AABC Foundation welcomes two new board members – Dixie Morgese and Chris Capato.
Dixie Morgese has over 25 years of experience working with families and the multiple health and human systems that serve them. She has worked many with partners on local, state, and national levels to address social determinants of health, health equity, parent leadership, and family resiliency. She has provided consultation to the Center on Substance Abuse and Child Welfare (NCSACW), the Center for the Study of Social Policy (CSSP), the National Association of Counites (NaCo), the Florida Department of Children and Families, and the Florida Department of Health. Dixie recently retired as the Executive Director of the Healthy Start Coalition of Flagler and Volusia Counties. She self identifies as a woman in recovery from trauma and substance use disorder and continues to work directly with people seeking a pathway to a better quality of life as a coach and sponsor.
Chris Capato is the Finance Director for the Independence Public Media Foundation. He has over ten years of experience in finance and administration of non-profit organizations in public media, education equity and women’s healthcare, including serving as the chief financial officer for The Midwife Center for Birth and Women’s Health in Pittsburgh. Prior to that, he has spent nearly twenty years in the administration, compliance and investment of pension and endowment funds in bank trust departments and accounting/ consulting firms. Chris has also been appointed Treasurer of the AABC Foundation.
We are delighted to have Dixie and Chris on the AABC Foundation board!
Research Grants
Each year, the AABC Foundation awards research grants of up to $5,000 to support research projects relating to the birth center model of care. This year, we’ve awarded grants to the following projects:
Community Education on Birth Center Care: Assessing the Landscape for Vermont Birth Options
Neonatal Resuscitation Provider Training for Birth Center Staff - An Analysis of Efficacy
The Impact of Alongside Midwifery Unit (AMU) and Free-Standing Birth Center (FSBC) Environments on the Maternal Outcomes for Racially and Ethnically Diverse Women
Birth Center Support Grants
The Changemaker Accreditation Grant program supports birth centers seeking accreditation. This grant pays for an AABC member birth center’s accreditation fees with the Commission for the Accreditation of Birth Centers. This year we have awarded:
Balance Midwifery/Gilbert Birth Center in Gilbert, AZ
Clarksville Birth Center in Clarksville, TN
Lilac Health Midwifery and Birth Center in Asheville, NC
Mt Vernon Birth Center in Mt Vernon, WA
We hope these birth centers will all successfully complete the accreditation process and continue to make a difference in their communities.
The Birth Center Membership Grant program supports birth centers that want to join AABC for the first time or current members that may be experiencing a fiscal crisis. This grant pays for half of the annual dues for a birth center membership. This year we have awarded two grants:
Modern Day Midwife in Phoenix, AZ
Mt Vernon Birth Center in Mt Vernon, WA
The AABCF reviews applications for these birth center support grants on a rolling basis. Birth centers may apply at any time during the year. Learn more about these grants at https://www.aabcfoundation.org/
Scholarships
This year the AABC Foundation awarded six Amy Polk scholarships. The scholarship provides the opportunity to take the AABC How to Start a Birth Center course either online or in-person. Congratulations to the 2023 awardees: Anika Johnson, CharLee King, Caitlin Madigan, Lauren Maggi, Tierra Lanier, and Tonia Wright. They are looking to start birth centers in east Texas, rural Illinois, rural Missouri, southern Oregon, southern Maryland, and Baltimore. Best of luck to them and their birth center endeavors!
The AABC Foundation is now accepting applications for the Lisa Ross Scholarship. This scholarship pays the registration fee to attend the AABC Birth Institute conference, as well as a stipend for travel and lodging. The deadline to apply is July 15th. To learn more about this scholarship and other opportunities, visit aabcfoundation.org/scholarships.
2023 Fundraising Gala
The AABC Foundation is excited to invite you to the 2023 Gala to Grow Birth Centers: Desert Starlight! The gala will be held under the Sonoran Desert sky at El Conquistador Tucson, A Hilton Resort in Tucson, Arizona on Friday, October 13th during the AABC Birth Institute. The Gala to Grow Birth Centers is an event to raise funds to support the AABC Foundation and its programs to advance the AABC birth center model of care. The evening will feature a variety of activities, including a silent auction, hors d’oeuvres, raffles, games, drinks, and more. Visit aabcfoundation.org to join our mailing list and be the first to hear about gala updates!