OhioHealth Celebrates 10 Years of CenteringPregnancy

Key Takeaways: 

• CenteringPregnancy at OhioHealth Grant Family Medicine is celebrating 10 years of providing group prenatal care, education and connection for expectant parents.
•  Approximately 319 patients and families have participated in the program, building supportive relationships while discussing topics from delivery preparation to mental health.
• The program’s impact extends beyond pregnancy, with many families staying connected through visits, updates and events as their children grow.

For the past decade, CenteringPregnancy at OhioHealth Grant Family Medicine has brought expectant parents together to receive prenatal care, learn and build connections. Recently, patients, families and staff reunited to celebrate the program’s 10-year anniversary and the milestones they shared along the way.

Instead of a traditional prenatal appointment with one physician, CenteringPregnancy brings together patients who are at similar stages in their pregnancies. This program creates a supportive and safe space for patients to have conversations about different topics ranging from delivery preparation to mental health.

“What I love about Centering is that it gives our patients a chance to learn, ask questions, and connect with other families who are going through some of the same things,” said Bre’Shawn Williams, Centering Program Patient Navigator at Grant Family Medicine. “Sometimes the best conversations come from one patient asking a question and another person saying, ‘I was wondering the same thing!’”

Over the past 10 years, approximately 319 patients and families have participated in CenteringPregnancy. The reunion brought many of those families and staff members back together to celebrate the program's growth and reflect on its impact over the years.

“For me, one of the biggest things is watching the relationships develop. You may have patients come into that first group who are really quiet, nervous, or don’t know what to expect,” Bre’Shawn said. “Then, as the sessions continue, you see them start opening up, asking questions, laughing, sharing their experiences, and becoming more comfortable with each other and with us.”

Reaching the 10-year milestone also gave the team an opportunity to reflect on the hundreds of families they have supported throughout their pregnancy journeys.

“Celebrating 10 years of CenteringPregnancy is really special to me because Centering is so much more than prenatal care,” Bre’Shawn said. “We get the opportunity to build real relationships with our patients and their families and be part of such an important chapter in their lives.”

For many families, those relationships can continue long after families complete the program. Whether they stop by to visit, send updates or return for events, the CenteringPrenancy team gets to see the families grow beyond their time in the program.

“My hope is that every family who comes through our program leaves knowing that they were heard, supported, cared for, and that they always had someone in their corner,” Bre’Shawn said. “Seeing some of those babies come back years later as big kids is probably one of the best reminders of why we do what we do.”