IRC Office Hours
Monthly Sessions for AABC Members
Connect with AABC Industry Relations Committee (IRC) leaders monthly for discussions on navigating the complexities of billing and reimbursement. As always, the sessions offer insights into AABC resources, contracting and payment tools, and a chance to brainstorm solutions for your specific challenges.
IRC Office Hours sessions are an exclusive benefit for AABC members. Registration is required.
Not yet an AABC Member? Join today!
Upcoming IRC Office Hours
Protecting Your Practice: Cybersecurity for Birth Centers
Date: Wednesday, January 21, 2026
Time: 12:30PM Eastern
You might feel like just "small potatoes" with a plate that is already overfull. You have no time to worry about cybersecurity, and you likely can’t afford to hire someone to worry for you. But you don't need a large budget or a dedicated IT team to protect your birth center from costly data breaches.
Spend an hour with an expert to discover why human error is often the biggest security risk and how to effectively manage your exposure. We'll share free or low-cost tools and techniques that you can implement today to avoid the expensive headache of a cyber event. This session will be conversational, not a formal presentation, so please bring your questions and we'll be happy to discuss the answers!
Join IRC Leaders Cynthia Flynn and special guest Paul Smith, CEO of Techromatic, Inc. for this interactive IRC Office Hours session.
Past IRC Office Hours Presentations
Occasionally, IRC Office Hours presentations are recorded. AABC members can access available recordings here.
Getting Started with CDC Wonder
This recorded IRC Office Hours session, led by IRC Leaders Erica Biesinger and Claudia Jennings, provides an introduction to CDC Wonder (Wide-ranging Online Data for Epidemiologic Research).
CDC Wonder is a powerful, free-to-use public health data portal maintained by the CDC, which houses essential birth certificate data.
In this recording, we explore how to navigate the site and use the data to strengthen negotiations with payers.
Presented live on November 19, 2025.
Building Bridges with Your State Legislators
Strategies in Cultivating Advocates for Your Birth Center
We all know we should spend time with legislators, but who has the time to do it? In this recorded session, IRC Leaders Cynthia Flynn and Nancy Koerber provide practical strategies on starting small and leveraging your time to create advocates that help you get sustainable contracts for your birth center.
Presented live on August 20, 2025.
Surviving to Thriving
Lessons from the Learning Collaborative for Birth Center Sustainability Workshop
IRC Leaders and LCBCS faculty Erica Biesinger and Jillian Helleloid lead this valuable discussion on how LCBCS course participants are applying lessons from the LCBCS workshop. Learn from their experiences as they work towards sustainable birth center reimbursement in their states.
If you've considered taking this impactful workshop, this recording is an excellent chance to learn from the experiences of past participants.
Presented live on July 16, 2025.
Marketing for Your Birth Center
Special guest presenter Kylar Seifer, Social Media Marketing Manager, Fort Worth Birthing Center, join IRC Leaders Cynthia Flynn and Carla Morrow, for this insightful and informative presentation on effective marketing strategies for your birth center.
Presented live on June 18, 2025.
Navigating Claim Audits and Client Tracking
Ensure accurate and timely reimbursement. IRC Leader, Jillian Helleloid, shares practical strategies for effectively auditing client information and tracking claims, helping you minimize denials and maximize revenue.
Presented live on May 21, 2025.
Federal Law and Birth Center Coverage: What You Need to Know
Presented live on April 16, 2025.
Navigate the complexities of federal law and birth center coverage. Learn what you need to know in this important legal update led by Industry Relations Committee Co-Chair, Desiree LeFave.
Projections - Predicting Revenue with Uncertain Reimbursements
Presented live on March 19, 2025.
Join IRC member and billing expert Marnie Cabezas to learn how to accurately forecast your revenue 9 months out by calculating your full umbrella fee, AP and IP transfers, and learn what to expect from payors.
A Look at Birth Center Closures
Presented live on January 25, 2025
In this presentation, Industry Relations Committee leader Laura Wiegand and AABC Executive Director, Kate Bauer, explore the issue of birth center closures, comparing them to small business survival and failure rates. Compared to other industries, the birth center survival rate is better than most.