May 5-9, 2025 - Virtual via Zoom
May 5-9, 2025 - Virtual via Zoom
In Washington State, the preterm birth rate is about 9%, however stark health disparities exist with a disproportionate impact on families in rural areas and BIPOC families. Preterm birth rate is almost doubled in the middle region of the state, which also happens to be where maternal healthcare deserts exist. As prematurity is often a reason for NICU admission, it is important to understand the distribution of NICUs in our state. Level 4 NICUs, the highest level of care, are concentrated in urban areas (Seattle, Tacoma, and Spokane) and even the level 3 NICUs are still disproportionally located in the western part of the state. In addition to geographic disparities, racial disparities are prominent in preterm births. For example, while American Indian/Alaska Native infants were 1.3% of the lives births in Washington state from 2020-2022, these infants had the highest preterm birth rate at 13%.
Discharging home then from a level 3 or 4 NICU requires those units to have knowledge of and a process for supporting families to reintegrate into their local communities, often across large parts of the state. Each hospital has a different process, potentially delaying access to critical supports and exacerbating health outcomes. Each county often has different resources and entry into community supports, potentially impacting the types of referrals made or access to critical supports. As providers working with infants and families either during their NICU stay or following discharge, you see these barriers and opportunities for improving the transition of care from NICU to home particularly for families in rural areas and BIPOC families. But how do you get started? Join us as we discuss strategies, provide examples and offer tangible actions to take to coordinate and improve systems of care for these infants and their families to optimize perinatal mental health, infant developmental outcomes, and foster positive infant-parent relationship.
Sara Circelli, MA, IMH-E, PMH-C is a Family Resources Coordinator and Hospital-to-Home Systems Change Manager at Northwest Center, a Seattle-based Early Supports agency. Sara has received extensive training in recognizing and supporting Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders. She is a certified Promoting First Relationships (PFR) provider, a University of Washington program designed to help caregivers best support their young child's social-emotional development. She is also trained as a Group Peer Support (GPS) facilitator and leads a group for Parents of 1 - 4-year-old children for Postpartum Support International.
Tiffany Elliott is a Speech-Language Pathologist, Certified Neonatal Therapist, and an International Board-Certified Lactation Consultant, specializing in pediatric feeding/swallowing disorders with emphasis on preterm and medically complex infants and strengthening the caregiver-infant dyad. She works in a grant-funded position at Northwest Center as a hospital-to-home systems change specialist, where she focuses on improving the transition from hospital-to-home and building workforce capacity. Additionally, she works at Seattle Children’s Hospital, as a SLP on the outpatient infant feeding team providing direct service for infants and families.
