Education

2026 PROUD Summer Series: Strengthening the Systems of Care
What We Miss When We Don’t Listen: Patient Story, Cultural Humility, and Trauma-Informed Reproductive Care
Tuesday, June 9, 9:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Connecticut Hospital Association, 110 Barnes Road, Wallingford, CT 06492

This interactive, in-person workshop kicks off the 2026 PROUD Summer Series, themed “Strengthening the Systems of Care.”  More information on the upcoming sessions will be shared next week.

Reproductive healthcare experiences — spanning fertility, pregnancy, birth, loss, and postpartum — often unfold within high-pressure hospital environments where patient stories can be truncated, misunderstood, or overshadowed by clinical urgency.  For individuals navigating trauma histories, substance use or recovery, and marginalized identities, these encounters can feel stigmatizing, disempowering, or unsafe.

Through a trauma-informed and culturally responsive framework, the session will highlight how bias — particularly related to substance use, mental health, and reproductive decision-making — can unintentionally shape care delivery.  Attendees will examine real-world scenarios and identify how language, workflow, and system design can either reinforce or reduce harm.

Target Audience: This conference is designed for healthcare professionals, educators, social service providers, and policy leaders committed to creating systems that recognize and respond to the impact of trauma.

Learning Objectives:

• Describe the role of story-listening in trauma-informed reproductive healthcare across hospital settings and along the care continuum
• Recognize how stigma, bias, and lack of cultural humility impact care for patients, particularly those experiencing substance use or in recovery
• Identify clinical and systems-level moments where patient voice is lost, minimized, or misinterpreted
• Apply non-stigmatizing, culturally responsive communication strategies in reproductive healthcare interactions
• Develop at least one actionable change to improve trauma-informed, story-centered care within their setting

Continuing Education Credits will be awarded for nurses, physicians, and social workers.

Registration | Event Flyer

On-Demand Education Offerings

Connecticut Urgent Maternal Warning Signs Bracelet Initiative Provider Trainings
Virtual
On Demand

Registration is open for three virtual on-demand training sessions designed to educate healthcare providers on the statewide implementation of the Connecticut Urgent Maternal Warning Signs Bracelet Initiative.  Each webinar is specifically tailored to inform target audiences.  Registration is required to access the recordings.  Click the links below to register.

1. Training for Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Personnel and Emergency Department (ED) Providers
2. Training for Hospital Staff and Healthcare Providers
3. Training for Community-Based Organization Healthcare Providers and Staff

Continuing education credits are available for one year from the live training dates.  After one year, the sessions will still be accessible, but continuing education credits will no longer be offered.

Registration links are also available in the Bracelet Initiative Hospital Implementation Toolkit, which also houses valuable patient and provider resources and digital educational materials.