The California Health Care Almanac was created to support thoughtful planning and effective decisionmaking. The Almanac is a comprehensive online clearinghouse for data and analysis examining the state’s health care system. It provides objective information on health care costs, quality, coverage, and the delivery system (see www.chcf.org/resource/california-health-care-almanac/).

Childbirth is the number one reason for hospitalization in California. Nearly half a million births, representing about one in eight of all births in the US, happen each year in California. Half of all births are paid for by Medi-Cal.

Maternity Care in California will present findings about the delivery of maternity care based on the most recent data and should include the following topics. Given the racial disparities among birthing people, data by race should be included when available.

• Births and demographics. Analysis of births in California, including data on the demographics of birthing people.
• Workforce and supply. Provide an overview and data on the maternity workforce, including provider types and supply.
• Quality. Provide maternity quality measures data, including trend and demographic breakdowns when available.
• Risk factors. Review and analysis of medical conditions during pregnancy that increase the risk of complications.
• Mental health and substance use. Analysis of perinatal mental health conditions and substance use.

Where data allow, a comparison of California data to national averages and regional and demographic differences within California should be explored.

The contractor selected under this RFP will be required to research and develop an Almanac report. The report is intended to be data-intensive and should be weighted toward charts, tables, and graphics. (Please see the appendix for a sample template of the CHCF Almanac format.) The final report shall be completely and correctly annotated. All fact-checking of data shall be the responsibility of the contractor. CHCF will oversee the production and dissemination of final research and any resulting publicity. The contractor should anticipate several rounds of feedback from the project officer and CHCF’s editor and designer; this feedback will depend on the completeness, accuracy, and quality of the work product submitted to CHCF. Please see the CHCF Almanac Style Sheet for more information on the foundation’s publication guidelines. A copy of the template used to prepare the previous report will be provided.

The intended audience for the report includes California policymakers, leaders of health care provider organizations, and the media. Past editions of this report have been widely cited and the charts widely used in presentations, reports, and other events by maternal health advocates in the state. Given the increased visibility of this topic, this next edition of this report has the potential for significant impact and use.

Respondents may propose alternative deadlines to enable use of difficult-to-access data sources.

Applicants should email an electronic proposal of no more than six pages, double-spaced, in a 12-point font. Proposals should include the following:

1. Project cover sheet, available at www.chcf.org/grantinfo/solicited. This does not count in the six-page limit.
2. Proposal narrative. The proposal narrative should be no more than six pages, double-spaced, in a 12-point font and should include a brief description of the maternity care delivery landscape in California.
3. Description of potential topics to be included in the report and an outline of how the topics will be organized.
4. Description of the data sources that will be used for the report, including prior experience with these data sources and whether they are publicly available.
5. Preliminary list of analyses that will be completed for this project, including where national, regional, and/or other comparisons will be made.
6. A project work plan and timeline, including a list of anticipated project deliverables and milestones with planned completion dates or date ranges. Please explain any deviations from proposed deadlines for drafts and final reports.
7. Qualifications of the organization and project staff, including prior experience conducting health care–related research projects and data analysis.
8. A detailed budget for the project. The budget form, which is not included in the six-page limit, is available at www.chcf.org/grantinfo/solicited.

All proposals should be emailed in one PDF file to Robbin Gaines ([email protected]) by September 26, 2022, at 5:00 PM (PT). Proposals will be acknowledged by a return email within 24 hours of receipt.

Questions may be emailed to Robbin Gaines at [email protected] by September 9, 2022, at 5:00 PM (PT). Questions received after this time cannot be guaranteed a response.

Please share this RFP with others who might be interested.

The selected grantee will prepare the draft and final reports using a template provided by the California Health Care Foundation. A sample template is provided below.