Background / Purpose: The state of Colorado continues to see variation in cesarean birth rates by facility and persistent disparities in maternal outcomes, highlighting the need for consistent, evidence-based labor support. Trauma-informed care and physiologic birth practices are proven strategies, but they are not reliably integrated into everyday care. The CPCQC Labor Support Workshop was developed to address this gap by building skills, providing state context, and supporting a shared approach to patient-centered labor support across disciplines. This session will highlight how the workshop is being implemented by our SOAR program across Colorado and its role in improving outcomes and advancing equity.
Methods: The workshop brings together nurses, providers, midwives, and doulas for interactive training that combines didactic content with hands-on practice, such as patient positioning and comfort measures. Participants learn practical techniques to support physiologic labor and apply trauma-informed communication. Ongoing evaluation includes participant feedback, self-assessed confidence and skill use, and tracking of primary cesarean rates. Feedback from participants and sites also helps identify barriers and opportunities for implementation.
Results: Participants report increased confidence in providing hands-on labor support and incorporating trauma-informed approaches into care. Hospitals have noted improved communication across teams and more consistent labor support practices at the bedside. Early trends suggest progress toward reducing variation in care and supporting lower cesarean rates, with continued evaluation underway.
Implications: This work demonstrates how a practical, skills-based training can support systems-level change in maternity care. Public health professionals can use similar approaches to scale evidence-based practices, strengthen the workforce, and advance equitable, respectful care. Participants will leave with concrete ideas to implement and sustain trauma-informed labor support in their own settings.
