June 10, 2024 10am-11am PDT

MACa’s 2024 webinar series aims to educate stakeholders of all stripes, including policymakers, hospitals, professional organizations, physicians, legislative staff, and more. This series was made possible through the generous funding of the California Nurse-Midwives Foundation.

The first webinar in this series will explore the basics of Midwifery in California and the work of Midwifery Access California.

Future webinars this year will include topics such as midwife-led care in Medi-Cal, midwives as abortion providers, midwifery policy 101 for legislative staff, and the importance of culturally congruent care and midwifery to improve racism-based disparities.

October 30, 2024, 12pm-1:15pm PDT

Midwives and Doulas: What’s the difference?

The 3rd webinar in our series will explore the differences between midwives and doulas, how they share a philosophy of care but have quite different skill sets, different scopes of practice, and different training. Midwives are primary care providers, while doulas are patient advocates, support people, and connectors to care. Together, midwives and doulas provide “whole person care” that is patient-centered.

Did you miss the webinar? No problem! Click the video above for the recording. Slides are available here.

September 10, 2024 12pm-1:15pm PDT

Midwives & Medi-cal: CA efforts to improve access to midwife-led care in Medi-Cal and the crisis of birth center closures

As reported in Cal Matters the state is facing an epidemic of hospital maternity ward closures. The problem is now being exacerbated with freestanding birth center closures, as reported by Cal Matters on August 26, 2024. The 2nd webinar in our learning series will explore the work of Midwifery Access California to improve access for Medi-Cal beneficiaries, how this work came about to address the urgent maternity access crisis, and what more can be done to save birth centers and access to midwifery care in California. We will explore:

• the landscape of midwives as Medi-Cal providers in California

• barriers that prevent or curtail midwives from filling access gaps

• key strategies to support and sustain the midwifery model of care, including best practices in contracting and reimbursement and a model for midwifery reimbursement

• a panelist discussion with midwives who have recently closed their birth centers, or who are on the brink of closure, in order to illuminate the real-time barriers to sustainability, how these closures worsen an already dire maternity access crisis, and critical actions to save birth centers.

Presented in partnership with the National Health Law Program and Western Center on Law & Poverty. This webinar is possible through funding from the California Nurse-Midwives Foundation. Click the video below for the recording.

Slides are available here.

Click here for a short video on the 5 key principles mentioned in the webinar for health plans contracting with midwives in California.

Presented in partnership with Western Center on Law & Poverty. This webinar is possible through funding from the California Nurse-Midwives Foundation. Click below for more information about these organizations.