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Blog
Listening to the Frontlines: Kaiser Permanente’s Lessons on Integrating Doulas for Medi-Cal
Kaiser Permanente’s experience with California’s doula benefit reveals the importance of listening to the people closest to the work.
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Resource
Maternity Care in California Almanac — 2026 Edition
The Maternity Care in California Almanac provides an overview of the delivery of maternity care in California, using the most recent data. This report compares California data to national averages, metrics by race/ethnicity, and trends in the specialty.
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Blog
Midwives Help Fill Maternity Care Gaps as California Faces OB-GYN Shortage
Patients’ access to birthing services would improve if numerous obstacles to midwives’ efforts were removed.
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Resource
Midwifery Care in California
Learn about midwifery care and California’s midwife workforce in this collection of CHCF resources.
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Blog
The Untapped Power of Midwives in California’s Maternity Care Ecosystem
California has a skilled midwifery workforce that’s ready to plug gaps in patient-centered, high-quality birthing care.
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Resource
How Los Angeles Community Clinics Use the Collaborative Care Model to Improve Maternal Mental Health
This explainer provides an overview of the Los Angeles County Maternal Mental Health Access initiative’s goals, strategic components, and lessons to date.
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Blog
Pulse of Change: Reimagining Care to Support the Health and Wellness of Black Californians
The initiative seeks to find new ways to deliver respectful care that is responsive to the Black community’s specific health needs.
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Event
CIN Webinar – Collaborative Care Model for Perinatal Mental Health
This webinar will introduce the Collaborative Care Model (CoCM), an evidence-based approach to integrating behavioral health into primary care, with a focus on addressing perinatal depression. Participants will learn about the model and hear real-world insights from a Los Angeles-based…
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Resource
What Is a Birth Center?
Despite offering high-quality perinatal care, 80% of California’s licensed birth centers have closed in five years. This fact sheet examines the compounding challenges that birth centers face.
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Resource
What Is a Midwife? — Policy at a Glance
Midwives, ob/gyns, and family physicians are trained to deliver babies in California. In California, a worsening ob/gyn shortage paired with hospital labor and delivery unit closures have generated urgency for expanding access to midwives.
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Blog
Maternity Workforce Insights
This series of conversations takes a look at the critical roles of doulas, lactation professionals, mental health professionals, and midwives.
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Resource
Midwives Speak: Integration Challenges in California’s Health System
Midwives provide comprehensive health services during pregnancy, labor, and postpartum, including as the primary birth attendant. This issue brief describes the scope of practice and integration of midwives in California; their relationships with physicians, hospitals, and health plans; and their…
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Blog
Shifting the Narrative About Black Birthing Experiences
A conversation with birth equity advocate Kimberly Seals Allers about improving maternity care for Black women and birthing people.
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Resource
Listening to Community Voices: A Health Plan’s Approach to Reduce Racial Disparities in Maternity Care
Through a structured process with providers, health plan members, and CBOs, Molina Healthcare identified three lessons that might help other organizations collaborating with communities on reducing racial disparities in maternal health care.
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Resource
What Is a Doula? — Policy at a Glance
Doulas improve birth outcomes and advance health equity, especially for families of color. California covers doula care for Medi-Cal enrollees, but opportunities remain to further expand access to doulas.
