Kristen Terlizzi
Kristen Terlizzi is a maternal health and patient safety advocate based out of Silicon Valley, California. In 2014, Kristen spent two months postpartum in the hospital due to complications of placenta accreta, a life threatening pregnancy complication requiring attentive multidisciplinary care. Kristen now shares her patient story to elevate the patient voice surrounding United States maternal mortality and morbidity. She is passionate about utilizing patient storytelling as a tool to increase engagement in quality improvement initiatives, and she actively brings attention to efforts to safely reduce cesarean birth rates, placenta accreta and the patient experience of high risk obstetrics. Kristen’s medical case report is published in the official journal of the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) and her patient story has been featured in numerous media outlets. Kristen has been quoted as an influential patient voice in the movement to improve United States maternal health; she speaks at events to empower women, families, and healthcare providers to keep moms safe.
Please contact us for scheduling inquiries and availability.
MEDIA - Kristen's Story
“California decided it was tired of women bleeding to death in childbirth,” Vox.com, Science and Health, June 29, 2017
“The Quest to Untangle Why Pregnancy Can Turn Deadly,” The Wall Street Journal, Environment & Science, December 9, 2016
"‘If You Hemorrhage, Don’t Clean Up’: Advice From Mothers Who Almost Died," NPR & ProPublica, August 3, 2017
"California Woman Nearly Bleeds to Death After Childbirth as U.S. Maternal Mortality Rates Double: ‘It Was Frightening’," People.com, Human Interest, August 4, 2017
MEDIA - ADVOCACY
“VIDEO: Kristen Terlizzi's Call to Action for Cesarean and Accreta Reduction,” Patient Safety Movement, February 2018
"Severe Complications for Women During Childbirth are Skyrocketing," NPR & ProPublica, December 22, 2017
"What One California Woman's Delivery Experience Can Teach the U.S.," The Bump, June 30, 2017
“VIDEO: The Importance of Blood Donation & Safe Blood Products - Kristen’s Perspective,” Roche, June 2019
“VIDEO: Kristen Terlizzi’s Experience - From Patient to Volunteer,” Stanford Health Care, October 2016
recognition
Kristen was named a 2018 Patient Advocate for the Patient Safety Movement Foundation, a powerful video on her accreta story and advocacy work was showcased at the 2018 World Patient Safety Summit in London. She also participated in a panel discussion on reducing unnecessary cesareans at the event.
Kristen received the 2017 Patients' View Institute Impact Award, which honors a patient story that has a positive and widespread impact on healthcare.
Kristen Completed with Distinction the six week course: Partnering with the Public and Patients in Medical Research offered by Stanford Medicine X Program at Stanford University School of Medicine in April 2019
RECENT SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS:
GUEST LECTURE: STANFORD UNIVERSITY MEDICAL SCHOOL
March 27, 2023 & April 19, 2023- Palo Alto, California
Kristen Terlizzi returned as a popular guest lecturer at Stanford University Medical School for OBGYN216: Current Issues in Reproductive Health and OBGYN 282: Pregnancy, Birth, and Infancy
PAN-AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR THE PLACENTA ACCRETA SPECTRUM (PAS2)
October 8-9, 2022 - Salt Lake City, Utah
Kristen Terlizzi and NAF Board member Brianna Evans spoke at the keynote on the lived experience of placenta accreta spectrum and contributed to a group panel discussion.
GUEST LECTURE: STANFORD UNIVERSITY MEDICAL SCHOOL
January 24, 2022 - Palo Alto, California
Kristen Terlizzi returned as a popular guest lecturer at Stanford University Medical School for OBGYN216: Current Issues in Reproductive Health
ILPQC 8th ANNUAL CONFERENCE
October 29, 2020 - Kristen Terlizzi presented “Listening to Patients: The Importance of Integrating Patient Perspectives for Optimal Quality Improvement”as part of the Illinois statewide perinatal leadership event. Kristen also participated in a breakout session about engaging healthcare providers in efforts to promote appropriate use of cesareans
SOCIETY FOR MATERNAL-FETAL MEDICINE 40TH ANNUAL PREGNANCY MEETING
February 5, 2020 - Dallas, Texas
Kristen Terlizzi presented “The Lived Experience of Placenta Accreta Spectrum (PAS)" as part of the Placenta Accreta Scientific Forum
Guest Lecture: STanford University Medical School
March 2, 2020 - Palo Alto, California
Kristen Terlizzi guest lectured at Stanford University Medical School for OBGYN216: Current Issues in Reproductive Health
SOCIETY FOR OBSTETRIC ANESTHESIA AND PERINATOLOGY 52ND ANNUAL MEETING
May 13, 2020 - Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
Kristen Terlizzi was scheduled to present “The Life Changing Placenta: My Story of Accreta & Post-Traumatic Growth”
*** event cancelled due to COVID
CALIFORNIA MATERNAL QUALITY CARE COLLABORATIVE STATEWIDE LEADERSHIP MEETING
June 10-11, 2020
Kristen Terlizzi presented as part of the statewide leadership meeting “Uniting to Improve Birth Outcomes for Mothers: Celebrating Success & Shaping the Future for Maternal Care in California”
CHAMPIONS FOR CHANGE SUMMIT
October 2-4, 2020 - Houston, Texas
Kristen Terlizzi presented as part of the executive council of MoMMA’s Voices - a national coalition of patient organizations and individuals with lived experiences or those who represent them, using their voice to reduce maternal complications in pregnancy and the postpartum period.
2018 & 2019 SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS
"Survivors Call to Action," March for Moms, Washington D.C., May 11, 2019
"KEYNOTE: Power of Patient Storytelling: How Patients and Care Teams can Partner to Improve Outcomes," Connect19: Advance Health Care Experiences Through Meaningful Connections hosted by World Congress, Boston, Massachusetts, September 23, 2019
“Champions for Change 2019 Summit: Influencing Change in Maternal Health,” hosted by Preeclampsia Foundation, Every Mother Counts, National Accreta Foundation, Amniotic Fluid Embolism Foundation & 2020 Mom; Houston, Texas, October 18-20, 2019
"Utilizing the Patient Voice to Improve Quality, Safety and Experience," Dignity Health Perinatal Leadership Summit, San Diego, California, November 12, 2018
“Champions for Change 2018 Summit: Influencing Change in Maternal Health,” hosted by Preeclampsia Foundation, Every Mother Counts, National Accreta Foundation, Amniotic Fluid Embolism Foundation, & 2020 Mom; Chicago, Illinois, October 12-14, 2018
"The Patient Experience of High Risk Obstetrics," Dignity Health Patient Experience Summit, Las Vegas, Nevada, September 13-14, 2018
"The Power of Nurses to Influence Patient Experience and Obstetric Outcomes," The Mid-Coastal California Perinatal Outreach Program: Spring 2018 High Risk Obstetrics, Menlo Park, California, June 14, 2018
"National Maternal Health Rally Invited Speaker," March for Moms, Washington D.C., May 6, 2018
“The Impact of Safe Blood Supply to Maternal Health,” Roche Molecular Systems, Pleasanton, California, March 15, 2018
"Cesareans & Maternal Health Panel," 6th Annual World Patient Safety, Science & Technology Summit, Patient Safety Movement, London, United Kingdom, February 23-25, 2018
PRior SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS
Patients' View Impact Award Acceptance, National Healthcare Ratings Summit Awards Dinner, The Leapfrog Group & Patients' View Institute, Arlington, VA, December 7, 2017
Keynote Speaker, "The Power of Patient Storytelling in Understanding the Patient Experience," The Beryl Institute Regional Roundtable Event, Palo Alto, September 28, 2017
“The Million Dollar Cesarean and the Power of Patient Storytelling,” Stanford Medicine X, ePatient Ignite, Stanford Health Care, September 15-17, 2017
“OBGYN 282 Guest Lecturer: Placenta Accreta and the Patient Experience of High Risk Obstetrics,” Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, May 2015, 2016 and 2017
“The Power of Patient Storytelling to Engage and Promote Empathy in Medical Education,” Stanford Medicine X|ED, Engagement, Learning & Design Track, Stanford Health Care, April 2017
“Impact of Patient & Family Speakers,” Institute of Patient and Family Centered Care International Conference, Los Angeles, February 2017
“Patient Speaker: Support Vaginal Birth and Reduce Primary Cesareans Toolkit Kick-off,” California Maternal Quality Care Collaborative (CMQCC)
Los Angeles Area Hospitals, May 2016
Pleasanton Area Hospitals, January 2017
San Diego Area Hospitals, January 2017
“Patient Speaker: World Blood Donor Day,” Roche Molecular Systems, Pleasanton, May 2016
“The Importance of Family Centered Care,” New Hospital Sneak Peek Donor Event, Stanford Hospital, May 2016
“Compassion in Healthcare & the Patient Experience,” Stanford Health Care Leadership Meeting, Stanford Hospital, February 2016
Keynote Speaker, Stanford Blood Center Staff Retreat, Palo Alto, October 2015
journal articles
“Quality of life and sexual function after a pregnancy complicated by placenta accreta spectrum,” The Australian and New Zealand Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology (ANZJOG), 25 March 2021
“The Million Dollar Cesarean,” Narrative Inquiry in Bioethics, Volume 7, Number 3, Winter 2017, pp. 211-213
“Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation Complicating the Conservative Management of Placenta Percreta,” Obstetrics & Gynecology, November 2015, Volume 126, Issue 5, pp. 1016–1018
PATIENT/CONSUMER ADVOCACY & REPRESENTATION
INSTITUTE FOR HEALTHCARE IMPROVEMENT (IHI) in partnership with AMERICAN COLLEGE OF OBSTETRICIANS AND GYNECOLOGISTS (ACOG)
Kristen Terlizzi represents National Accreta Foundation at the IHI/AIM Safe Reduction of Primary Cesarean Birth Expert Meeting to build a reliable, evidence-based change package to complement the AIM Safe Reduction of Primary Cesarean Birth Patient Safety Bundle
California Maternal Quality Care Collaborative
Kristen represents NAF as a current patient advocate member on CMQCC’s OB Hemorrhage V3.0 TaskForce
Kristen represented NAF as an inaugural member serving on the Executive Steering Committee of MoMMA’s Voices, a coalition of Maternal Mortality and Morbidity Advocates
Actionable Patient Safety Solutions (APSS) for C-Sections
Kristen represented NAF as a member of the Optimizing Obstetric Safety Work Group, Patient Safety Movement Foundation
“My Birth Matters” Campaign - Engaging Consumers to Reduce Unnecessary C-Sections
Kristen participated as a Patient Advisor Stakeholder on this project, partnering with California Health Care Foundation in partnership with CMQCC and Consumer Reports
Blood Products - Patient Transfusion Experience
Kristen participated as a Patient Advisor on this project, partnering with the Center for Advancing Patient Safety (CAPS), Stanford Health Care in November 2016
Post Operative Pain Management Research Initiative
Patient Advisor, Stanford Health Care, January 2016
