Oral

While past public health achievements have greatly improved pregnancy outcomes, perinatal problems still occur. Substantial evidence exists that promoting the health and wellness of women and couples prior to pregnancy and reducing risks through behavioral modification translate into more favorable outcomes. In partnership with over 40 federal, state, local and professional organizations, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention launched the Preconception Health and Health Care Initiative in 2004. Working together, the groups have developed and published Recommendations for Preconception Health and Health Care, developed strategies for the implementation of the recommendations, planned and held two National Summits on Preconception Health and Health Care, published a special supplement of the Maternal and Child Health Journal, and are currently working on two journal supplements on the issues on policy and finance and another on the clinical content of preconception care. This session will:  Provide an overview and an update of the Preconception Health and Health Care Initiative  Describe pregnancy outcomes among women on Quest/Medicaid in Hawaii  Describe a baseline measure of private providers' preconception health counseling practices in North Carolina  Provide data to guide future interventions targeted at increasing the cultural competence of local providers in order to improve the health of pre/interconception women and eliminate the disparities in infant mortality  Describe North Carolina’s P4 Program and its role in improving women's health, enhancing continuity of care, and educating health care providers about interconception health practice.

Session Objectives: • Identify a set of proven components of preconception care, supported by strong evidence of effectiveness if delivered before pregnancy • Understand the current recommendations related to women's health before and between pregnancies and ways health care providers can use these recommendations to improve the care they provide to women • Learn about the opportunities for women's health promotion through preconception care • Identify indicators of disparate health status for pregnant and interconception women • Define potential steps that can be taken to increase public policy awareness and response to the interconception care issue. • Describe the differences in pre-and inter-conception needs of women of different races, ethnicities and ages

CE Credits: CME, Health Education (CHES), Nursing