Transforming maternity care: a high-value proposition: summary of Childbirth Connection 90th Anniversary Symposium proceedings.

On April 3, 2009, in Washington, DC, close to 250 participants gathered at the invitation of Childbirth Connection, in partnership with the Jacobs Institute of Women's Health, at a symposium entitled Transforming Maternity Care: A High-Value Proposition, to share concrete solutions intended to improve the state of the U.S. maternity care system. This paper summarizes the reports that were presented at the symposium, along with responses to each report prepared by invited panelists, and audience comments that were made throughout the event. Papers presented include five stakeholder workgroup reports that will be published online on the Childbirth Connection website, as well as the "2020 Vision for a High-Quality, High-Value Maternity Care System", and "The Role of Medicaid in Promoting Access to High-Quality High-Value Maternity Care," both of which are published in full in the current issue. Participating in the symposium were consumers and advocates, maternity care clinicians and educators, hospital and health system administrators, measurement and quality experts, liability insurers, and private and public maternity care payors and purchasers, as well as policy makers, legislators, journalists and other stakeholders.