AABC Birth Center Members have access to the IRC Toolkits resource.  Use these member-only resources for help with the contracting process, and educating employers, purchasers and payers on the benefits of including birth centers in their benefit plans.
	Join Industry Relations Committee (IRC) members Elizabeth Simmons and Laura Wiegand on Wednesday, June 10th at 12:00 PM ET for IRC Office Hours. They will discuss strategies for increasing reimbursement rates and lead a Q&A session to brainstorm the issues members are challenged with. AABC membership is required. A benefit of AABC membership.  Registration is required.

Next Office Hours

Wednesday, June 10th at 12:00 PM ET
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IRC Office Hours Leaders

Elizabeth Simmons

Elizabeth Simmons, MS is the Financial Director of The Birth Center of Boulder. Elizabeth founded the birth center with two other women in 2014 and has worked diligently to ensure the financial health and stability of the center. Elizabeth also enjoys teaching prenatal and reunion classes for BCoB clients and families.  At the national level, Elizabeth chairs the AABC Industry Relations Committee.

Brianna Bennett

Brianna Bennett, MBA is an expert in birth center administration and an experienced non-profit medical manager.  As the business director of the Women's Birth & Wellness Center in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, she has helped the center grow and expand its services to serve over 3500 clients. Most recently, she launched the Women's Birth & Wellness Boutique which offers healthy and environmentally friendly products for mom and baby.  Brianna serves on the Board of Trustees of the AABC Foundation.

Cynthia Flynn

Cynthia Bullock Flynn, CNM, PhD, FACNM has extensive management experience, having served as executive director of The Birth Center, Bryn Mawr, PA; the general director of Family Health and Birth Center, Washington DC, where she negotiated the merger of the birth center with a Federally Qualified Health Center in order to provide stable financing; and founder/owner of Columbia Women’s Clinic and Birth Center, Kennewick, WA.   At the national level, she is a past president of the American Association of Birth Centers (AABC), and serves on the AABC Government Affairs and Research Committees as well as the Legislative and Policy Committee of the Midwives Association of Washington State (MAWS).  Additionally, she has provided consulting for organizations wishing to start, expand, sustain or replicate midwifery practices and/or birth centers in order to increase access for healthy women to a proven method of obtaining a safe delivery.  

STEVEN HALL

Steven Hall, MBA is the co-founder and finance director of Babymoon Inn in Phoenix, where he provides strategic direction and manages the birth center’s finances, accounting, information technology, and insurance billing. Prior to (and during) his role at Babymoon Inn, Steven was a consultant firms such a Navigant Consulting, FTI Consulting and  Business Valuation Advisors. After seeing first-hand the incredible service provided by midwives and birth centers, Steven realized that this was a cottage industry that needed to grow!  Throughout his consulting career, Steven has advised many businesses in the healthcare industry and is excited to be able to combine his experience with a personal passion. He has served on the AABC Board of Directors as Treasurer and has chaired the Industry Relations Committee.

Fran Schwartz

Fran Schwartz JD, has vast experience in the healthcare business of maternity and birthing centers. She is the founder of Integral Healthcare for Women, a consulting company for birthing centers across the country and recent founder of MyBirthSpace, an up-and-coming venture to connect birthing centers into a provider network for direct contract payment by employers. She was the CEO of the Brooklyn Birthing Center in New York and has championed national efforts in promoting greater birth center acceptance and higher reimbursement rates.  She has been an elected alternate and Board member of AABC and the recent Chair of AABC’s Industry Relations and Bylaws Committees.

Laura Wiegand

Laura Wiegand currently serves as the COO/Co-Founder of Birth Partners, Inc. She successfully managed the opening of the Birth Center of Bloomington Normal in Illinois and assisted with opening Beginnings Birth Center, Colorado Springs, Colorado.  She is in the process of opening two other birth centers.  At the national level, she severs on the AABC Industry Relations Committee. She works at the state and local level to educate the public, medical communities and health insurance providers about the benefits of the midwifery model of care including better patient outcomes, reduced costs for families and payors.   Laura is also the Administrator at Obstetrics and Gynecology Care Associates in Bloomington IL.  With over 20 years practice management experience, Laura has made a career of directing multiple site operations, while securing financial results and building a team that focuses on maximizing patient care and the entire the patient experience.  Laura serves as a resource for all aspects of practice management and birth center operations.