Coalition for Improving Maternity Services - 2013 CIMS Forum Information

2013 CIMS Forum: Health Disparities in Maternity Care; Using Mother-Friendly and Baby-Friendly to Build Health Equity

Early Bird Registration now extended to February 14th!

Pre-Forum Offerings Forum Sessions Forum Fees Register Forum Extras

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Join us in Kansas City for an eventful, inspiring two days that will have you rethinking how we deliver maternity care. You will hear from some of our top authorities on our selected topics. You’ll enjoy our Midwestern hospitality, enjoy a taste of Kansas City, and meet colleagues from around the country who are ready to share ideas and exchange information that will benefit at-risk women and babies in our home communities.

The Forum will be held at the KCI Expo Center, located at 11730 N.W. Ambassador Drive, Kansas City, MO 64153. Directions can be found here.

Attendees will fly into Kansas City International Airport; the airport code is MCI. The airport is small, clean, modern, uncongested and easy to navigate. The 2013 CIMS Forum will take place at the KCI Expo Center located about 2 miles from the Kansas City International Airport. A free hotel shuttle will transport you to and from the airport. After you have claimed your baggage at the baggage claim area, pick up the courtesy phone (also located in the baggage claim area) for the Holiday Inn KCI Expo and call for the shuttle to pick you up (about a 10 min wait). The shuttle will also return you to the airport when you are ready to leave. You may also reach the shuttle driver directly at (816) 564-5475. The use of the shuttle is complementary for up to a 5-mile radius around the hotel (the airport is 2 miles away). All activities away from the hotel and Expo Center will include bus rental transportation.

Guests will stay at the Holiday Inn adjacent to the KCI Expo Center. Accommodations include free high-speed Wi-Fi (in the hotel not the Expo Center), heated indoor pool, a 24 hour fitness room, a business center, in-room refrigerators and microwaves by request (as long as they last) and 3 ATM machines are available (one in the hotel and two in the KCI Expo Center).

Rooms at the discounted rate are available until January 28th, so book your room today. A double room is $89.00 ($105 with taxes and fees) per night and can accommodate up to 4 comfortably with two queen-size beds.

You may book your 2013 CIMS Forum Holiday Inn hotel room online here or you may call 1-800-957-4654 to make your reservation. Be sure to mention that you are with the CIMS Forum when making your reservation so that you get the discounted rate.

Rooms are available on a first-come, first serve basis, so don't delay in booking your room!

We have an alternative nearby hotel if the Holiday Inn runs out of double rooms for our attendees that will match our Forum pricing. You may call Quality Suites Airport at (816) 464-5500. Make sure you mention that you are with the CIMS Forum to receive the discounted pricing.

(Quality Suites Airport is located at 11951 NW Ambassador Drive, Kansas City, MO, US, 64153)

Take a virtual tour of the Holiday Inn KCI Airport and the KCI Expo Center.

Shuttle Phone # 1-816-564-5475

There is a complimentary shuttle available from the airport. However, it is important to note that CIMS Forum attendees need to use the Holiday Inn at KCI Expo shuttle, NOT the Holiday Inn-Express shuttle from the airport. If you take the Express shuttle, you will be taken to the wrong hotel, so please watch carefully for the correct transportation!

Thursday, February 28, 2013

Workshop: Dancing for Birth™ with Stephanie Larson (9am-5pm)
Workshop: “Birth across Cultures: An Evolutionary Perspective” with Robbie Davis-Floyd (9am-noon)
Master Class on Labor Support with Penny Simkin (3-6pm)

Read all about each of the Pre-Forum Offerings here. Pre-Forum offerings may be registered at the individual links above or you may add them to your Forum Registration here.

Go here to view all of the available Forum sessions.

Breastfeeding babies in arms up to six months of age are welcome to join their registered parent at our Forum.

The Coalition for Improving Maternity Services (CIMS) Mother-Friendly Childbirth Forum has been recognized among childbirth professionals for offering the most authoritative and up-to-date research information pertaining to normal birth and the Ten Steps of the Mother-Friendly Childbirth Initiative (MFCI). We will continue that tradition in Kansas City as we exam the impact of both Mother-Friendly and Baby-Friendly on health disparities. This conference is for healthcare professionals, such as midwives, physicians, nurses, lactation consultants and allied birth professionals such as doulas, childbirth educators, peer counselors, maternal and infant health researchers, educators, and public health specialists. We also welcome maternity care advocates and consumers.

This year’s Forum will focus on addressing health disparities. Our Mother-Friendly track will focus on strategies that utilize the Mother-Friendly Ten Steps to decrease health disparities. Our Baby-Friendly track will focus on strategies that utilize the Baby-Friendly Ten Steps to decrease health disparities. We will learn from researchers, hear from boots-on-the-ground front-line workers fighting the battle of health disparities. In addition to our dual-track focus, we will offer opportunities for you to meet the speakers face to face, have your books signed by the authors, participate in pre-Forum activities, tour our local birth centers and so much more.

Kansas City is a lovely, medium-sized Midwestern city with friendly folks and small town hospitality. While our Forum activities take place near the airport, north of the city, proper, we hope you will build in time to see the sights and sample the local flavor, which is far more diverse than just Bar-B-Q.

Visitors may check out the attractions list here, or check out the Kansas City Convention & Visitors Association website to help plan your visit. The Kansas City CVA has a brand new mobile app for the iPhone or Android phones: "Visit KC: Official Guide to Kansas City" that you may download here.

Please take the time to visit our Exhibit Hall and see our supporting vendors with products and services that you may find of interest. Our vendor hours last throughout the two-day Forum and you will have many opportunities during breaks and meal times to stop in, to chat, learn about a new product or services, maybe even make a purchase or two. Our vendors have been selected for your enrichment and enjoyment, so stop in to see the sights.

Registration will be located in the Exhibit Hall and will be open Thursday morning (February 28th) for those attending any of our pre-Forum offerings, and Thursday afternoon for those registering for the Forum. We anticipate a smooth process to get you checked in quickly and efficiently. Those requesting CEUs may need to sign in on both days. Registration will be open both days of the conference for those attending one day only. Look for our banner at the entrance of the KCI Expo.