GROW-WI – Gathering the Rural Obstetrics Workforce in Wisconsin
The number of rural Wisconsin hospitals offering delivery services has decreased by almost half in the last 20 years. A lack of obstetrical (OB) providers is a frequent cause of closure.
The GROW-WI ECHO program aims to bring together perinatal providers throughout Wisconsin to foster multi-specialty and interprofessional collaboration, enhance clinical skills in perinatal and newborn care, and address unique rural challenges with a focus on supporting system-level solutions, developing the OB workforce, and preventing OB unit closures.
Global Objectives
- Increase collaboration and communication among perinatal care providers in rural settings to improve teamwork across interdisciplinary members.
- Integrate current evidence-based guidelines and protocols in obstetric care.
- Identify and address the specific system-level challenges faced by rural perinatal care providers.
Program Details
Fourth Tuesday of each month from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. central time
Target Audience: Anyone invested in prenatal, perinatal, postnatal, and newborn care.
- Physicians
- Certified Nurse Midwives and Certified Professional Midwives
- Nurses
- Hospital Leadership
- Community Partners
Interested in Presenting a Case?
Participate in our live sessions by presenting your patient case to our partners and discussing questions on care management.
Submit your case to our coordinator, Jenny White, who will reach out with more details. DO NOT include any PHI.
7:30 to 8:30 a.m. central time
July 28, 2026
Sepsis and Shock Management in Pregnancy
Ryan Luellwitz, DO – OB-GYN
UW Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Madison, WI
Case:
Megan Byrnes, MD – FMOB
Mile Bluff Medical Center, Mauston, WI
August 25, 2026
Neonatal Sepsis/Group B Strep
Ryan McAdams, MD – Pediatrics
UW Department of Pediatrics, Madison, WI
Case:
River Cornelius, MD – FMOB
UW Rural FMOB Fellowship Program, Madison, WI
September 22, 2026
TBD
October 27, 2026
TBD
November 24, 2026
TBD
No session in December
January 26, 2027
TBD
February 23, 2027
TBD
March 23, 2027
TBD
April 27, 2027
TBD
May 25, 2027
TBD
June 22, 2027
TBD
July 22, 2025
Vaginal Breech Delivery
Dennis Hartung, MD – OB-GYN
Western Wisconsin Healthcare, Baldwin, WI
Case:
Caitlin Hill, MD – FMOB
Emplify Health, LaCrosse, WI
August 26, 2025
Critical Newborn Assessment
Katie Williams, MD, PhD – Pediatrics
Center for Special Children, La Farge, WI
Case:
Libby Abbas, DO – FMOB
MaineHealth, Farmington, ME
September 23, 2025
Early Pregnancy Loss Management with Mifepristone and Misoprostol
Ashlyn Brown, MD – FMOB
Jessica Dalby, MD – FM
UW Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, Madison, WI
Case:
Elisabeth Adsit, CNM – OB
Reedsburg Area Medical Center, Reedsburg, WI
Lee Dresang, MD – FMOB
UW Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, Madison, WI
October 28, 2025
Evidence-Based Induction Methods
Merritt McLean, MD – OB-GYN
Kaiser Permanente, San Francisco, CA
Case:
Kristin Graf, MD – FMOB
Emplify Health – La Crosse, WI
November 25, 2025
Labor and Delivery Closure: A Summary and Case Study in Rural Maternity Care
Zachary Baeseman, MD, MPH, FAAFP – FMOB
ThedaCare Physicians, Wild Rose and Waupaca, WI
Case:
Brianna Juszczak, RN
Mile Bluff Medical Center, Mauston, WI
No session in December
January 27, 2026
Pregnancy Care for LGBTQ+ People
Kelsey Leonardsmith, MD – FMOB
University of Minnesota Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, Minneapolis, MN
Case:
Open Forum
All participants are welcome to bring a case or topic for discussion.
February 24, 2026
4th Trimester Care
Lee Dresang, MD – FMOB
UW Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, Madison, WI
Case:
Charlie Pearce, MD – Emergency Medicine
Upland Hills Health, Dodgeville, WI
March 24, 2026
Rural EMS Preparedness
James Small – Rural EMS Outreach Program Manager
Wisconsin Office of Rural Health
Case:
Craig Tschautscher, MD – Emergency Medicine – Med Flight
UW Department of Emergency Medicine, Madison, WI
April 28, 2026
TOLAC/VBAC in Rural Settings – Navigating Policy Creation
Rachel Hartline, MD – FMOB
Upland Hills Health, Dodgeville, WI
Allegra Ponshock, MD, FAAFP, DABFM – FMOB
Mile Bluff Medical Center, Mauston, WI
Case:
Stefanie Sippl, MD – FMOB
Upland Hills Health, Dodgeville, WI
May 26, 2026
Wisconsin Maternal Mortality Review Team: Updates for Rural WI
Amy Falkenberg, MD – FMOB
OakLeaf Clinics, Chippewa Falls, WI
Case:
Allegra Ponshock, MD, FAAFP, DABFM – FMOB
Mile Bluff Medical Center, Mauston, WI
June 23, 2026
Forum on Sustainable Rural OB Units
Rachel Hartline, MD – FMOB
Upland Hills Health, Dodgeville, WI
Jillian Landeck, MD – FMOB
UW Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, Madison, WI
Allegra Ponshock, MD, FAAFP, DABFM – FMOB
Mile Bluff Medical Center, Mauston, WI
April 22, 2025
Substance Use in Pregnancy and Neonatal Withdrawal Syndromes
Rachel Hartline, MD – FMOB
Upland Hills Health, Dodgeville, WI
Jillian Landeck, MD – FMOB
UW Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, Madison, WI
Case:
Rachel Hartline, MD – FMOB
Upland Hills Health, Dodgeville, WI
May 27, 2025
Scope of Practice of Licensed Midwives in WI
Korina Bauer, RN, CPM, LM
WI Guild of Midwives, Iola, WI
Case:
Katie Breitenmoser, CPM, LM
Windy Hill Midwifery, LLC, Merrill, WI
June 24, 2025
Psychopharmacology Principles for Perinatal Patients
Christina Wichman, DO – Psychiatry
The Periscope Project, Milwaukee, WI
Case:
Christine Trautman, MD – OB-GYN
Reedsburg Area Medical Center, Reedsburg, WI
Accreditation Statement
In support of improving patient care, the University of Wisconsin–Madison ICEP is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) to provide continuing education for the health care team.
Credit Designation Statement
American Medical Association (AMA)
The University of Wisconsin-Madison ICEP designates this live activity for a maximum of 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC)
The University of Wisconsin–Madison ICEP designates this live activity for a maximum of 1.0 ANCC contact hour(s).
UW Continuing Education Credits
The University of Wisconsin–Madison ICEP, as a member of the University Professional & Continuing Education Association (UPCEA), authorizes this program for 0.1 CEUs or 1.0 hour.
Policy on Disclosure
It is the policy of the University of Wisconsin–Madison Interprofessional Continuing Education Partnership (ICEP) to identify, mitigate and disclose all relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies* held by the speakers/presenters, authors, planners, and other persons who may influence the content of this accredited continuing education (CE). In addition, speakers, presenters, and authors must disclose any planned discussion of unlabeled/unapproved uses of drugs or devices during their presentation. For this accredited continuing education activity, all relevant financial relationships have been mitigated and detailed disclosures are listed in session materials.
* Ineligible companies are those whose primary business is producing, marketing, selling, re-selling, or distributing health care products used by or on patients. The ACCME does not consider providers of clinical service directly to patients to be ineligible companies.
Program Leadership & Team
Planning Committee
- Katherine Breitenmoser, CPM, LM – Windy Hill Midwifery, LLC, Merrill, WI
- Bonnie Brown, MD – UW Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, Madison, WI
- Jensena Carlson, MD – UW Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, Madison, WI
- Lee Dresang, MD – UW Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, Madison, WI
- Caitlin Hill, MD – Gundersen Health Family Medicine, La Crosse, WI
- Ryan Luellwitz, DO – UW Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Madison, WI
- Ryan Spencer, MD – UW Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Madison, WI
- Cindy Stippich, CNM – Prairie Ridge Health, Columbus, WI