MONTHLY NEWSLETTER

The presentation will include content on the current state of maternity care in California and the necessary changes that hospitals and health systems need to put in place to be in compliance with SB 1237 in 2021. We will also focus on the benefits of midwifery care and why hospitals should integrate nurse-midwives into their workforce.

November 30, 2020, 1:00 – 2:30 p.m., Pacific Time

For more information or to register, click here.

Updates on Medi-Cal Rx

California Department of Health Care Services (Medi-Cal Rx) – NCPDP Standard Payer Sheet, Version 1.0, dated October 22, 2020, may be found here

Medi-Cal Rx List of Covered Enteral Nutrition Products effective January 1, 2021, which may be found here

Implicit bias training e-learning course now available to meet requirements for SB464.

Diversity Science and project director, Rachel Hardeman, PhD, MPH have created the first in a series of interactive e-learning modules for perinatal providers focused on implicit bias and reproductive justice. This is a FREE series! For more information or to register, go to https://equalperinatalcare.diversityscience.org/

Malpractice Insurance Discount for CNMA Members!

Southern Cross Insurance Solutions is now offering a 30% discount off premium costs for CNMs who are members of CNMA. The "The Midwife Plan" is a national liability carrier for malpractice insurance through MedPro Group. The discount is available both to new and renewing policies in California. For more information, please visit www.southerncrossins.com.

The Midwife as Surgical First Assistant

November 17, 2020 | 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM ET, Members: Free; Non-members: $49

Register Now

This webinar, offered by ACNM will explore ways that surgical first assisting fits into a variety of different practice settings. We will hear from five Certified Nurse-Midwives as they discuss the value of becoming a midwife surgical first assistant, as well as maintaining a continuing expanded practice. We will also review important topics like privileging, scope of practice expansion, and billing.

Greater Bay Area Research Study on in-home COVID-19 testing: Call for Participants

Stanford University is conducting a study to identify community prevalence and spread of Covid-19 in the Greater SF Bay Area. Testing is done in-home with kit delivery and pickup by courier to your door. Results are released on line within 48 hours of kit pickup. After taking a short on line survey to determine eligibility, participants are asked to maintain ongoing daily symptom reporting charts. If selected for testing, the participant is sent a kit to test and instructions on returning the sample, all at no cost to participants. For more information and FAQ’s see www.catchstudy.stanford.edu/mission.

CDPH clarifies guidance and recommendation on doulas during COVID-19

“The presence of a partner or support person is essential to the mental health of patients who are in labor and delivery. CDPH recommends that one support person be allowed to be present with the patient. In addition to the support person, CDPH recommends that a doula, if desired by the patient, be permitted to be present if prior arrangements have been made with the hospital and the doula complies with hospital PPE and infection control guidelines.” More here

“Belly of the Beast” documentary exposé of forced sterilization and human rights abuses in women’s prison.

20% of ticket proceeds will directly benefit SisterSong. More information is available here.

Job Opportunities

Director of Perinatal Services at CommuniCare Health Centers. For more information or to apply, click here.

UCSF Uro-Gyn WHNP, full time. Please contact Mirha Buric with questions: Mirha.Buric@ucsf.edu

Nurse-Midwife, Cadillac Hospital in Northern Michigan. Please contact Lesli Humphrey, MS, CMSR at lhumphrey1@mhc.net or call (231)633-2211

Job openings to share?

If you have a job opening, please post it at www.CNMA.org/jobs! We will happily share your listing in our newsletter and on social media.

Questions? News? Want to get involved?

Email us at info@cnma.org

That's all for this month's issue. Catch you next time!

-CNMA MEDIA TEAM

NEWSLETTER

ana.rapoport
- Nov 1
- 11 min read

NOVEMBER 2020 | NEWSLETTER

https://www.cnma.org/news/categories/newsletter

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1wym3i5pXRBdIuP3id4xXcu_SS2J1lV6oRBhVTVvR5gI/edit?usp=sharing

Message from incoming President Paris Maloof-Bury

SB 1237 - What’s new and what’s next?

California Hospital Association Webinar on SB1237 Implementation

Update to Abortion Services Due To COVID-19

Updates on Medi-Cal Rx

The California Department of Public Health says that birthing people should have access to both a support person and a doula in labor!

CNMA Stands with Jemel Roberson

Spotlight on Anti-Racism

Antiracism Workshop Series For White Birth workers

Update on the cases of Adora Perez and Chelsea Becker in Kings County

Racism and Health Disparities chapter in Gynecologic Health Care 4th Edition

National Perinatal Taskforce: Building a movement to Birth a more just and loving world

ACNM Antiracism Webinar Series: “Black Midwifery History”

ACNM Foundation renames the $1000 Mary Breckinridge donor level the Foundation Level, in acknowledgment of her racist legacy.

Malpractice Insurance Discount for CNMA Members!

Free CNMA Membership for Midwives of Color

Job Opportunities at Expecting Justice in San Francisco

Job openings to share?

Questions? News? Want to get involved?

Message from incoming President Paris Maloof-Bury

Hello California midwives!

As the incoming president of CNMA, I’d like to introduce myself and share with you my vision and priorities for my term. But first, I want to share my gratitude with each of you for trusting me with this position. I am humbled and honored by this opportunity to serve my fellow midwives, birth workers, advocates, and families in this great state of California. So thank you!

Over the course of my tenure, I intend to do everything within my power to increase access to midwifery care, and to make the practice of midwifery more equitable.

This means advocating for midwives to have full active medical staff privileges in hospitals throughout California so that midwives can serve families in every community, and that community-based nurse-midwives can gain privileges to admit their own patients to hospitals when they need to move from home or birth center setting to hospital. It means closing the gaps to completely eliminate maternity care deserts by bringing midwives to those communities and gaining access to critical access hospitals for the families we will serve there.

It means CNMs and LMs joining forces and working synergistically to offer more community-based birth and interconception care. It means partnering to offer smooth transitions when needed.

It means helping CNMA to become a truly antiracist organization so that we can fulfill our mandate as a profession to reduce racial disparities in maternity care. It means collaborating with BIPOC-led organizations to enact reproductive justice. It means diversifying our leadership and our workforce, and creating pipelines for BIPOC folks to have a seat at the table.

It means increasing access to clinical placement sites and mentorship for student nurse-midwives throughout the state. It means growing and empowering our membership with continuing education opportunities, professional practice guidance, as well as the advocacy we are already known for.

It means that we have a lot of work to do if we’re going to achieve all of this in just two years!

Again, thank you for this opportunity to serve. I look forward to all we will achieve together, and to doing the work to get us there.

With undying enthusiasm and fierce optimism,

Paris Maloof-Bury, MSN, CNM, RNC-OB, IBCLC

SB 1237 - What’s new and what’s next?

The BRN will soon be soliciting new members for the Nurse-Midwifery Advisory Committee. The committee has a meeting on November 10 and they will begin discussions of implementation of the bill. CNMA met with members on that Committee and we will keep open lines of communication so we can ensure the bill is implemented in the way it was intended.
We have recently met with, and will continue to meet with, major hospital systems. They are quite motivated to become compliant with the law as soon as possible and are engaging with the APRN/CNM leadership within their facilities to gain their expertise and perspective. We are encouraged by this.
We will be co-hosting a webinar with the California Hospital Association on November 30th from 1-2:30pm. Please save the date! Paris Maloof Bury, Holly Smith, and Kathleen Belzer will be presenting a one hour tutorial on the bill and a half hour Q&A session. This is directed toward hospital administrators and obstetrical physician department leads, but this is open to everyone and it is free! If you haven’t yet joined a webinar to review the bill, this is your chance! Please join and encourage your institutions to attend. The registration link is HERE.
We will continue to hold “office hours” on SB 1237 throughout November! Anyone or any group who needs a 1-to-1 tutorial on the new law, or simply wants to ask questions, please register HERE for an “office hours” session. We encourage everyone to listen to (or view the slides) for the SB 1237 presentation during the CNMA Annual Meeting and read the SB 1237 Q&A before attending office hours. This will make the office hours process much more efficient.
Be on the look out for more informational webinars, including one focused on the impact of the law on community birth practices.
We will be updating the CNMA website very shortly. For now, the resources you need for SB 1237 are all located HERE. This document will continually be updated as we get closer to January 1, 2020 when SB 1237 truly becomes a reality!

California Hospital Association Webinar on SB1237 Implementation

The California Hospital Association will be hosting a webinar on the implementation of SB1237 on November 30, from 1-2:30 PM! This webinar will:

Inform hospitals and health systems on the new law provisions
Describe the timeline of events for bill provisions
Discuss scope and obligations of the new nurse-midwives' roles
Describe how the bill relates to medical staff membership, discipline, privileging, and corporate bar

Identify areas of bill ambiguity and future legislative work

A registration link is coming soon, so save the date! In the meantime, you can check back in the coming weeks at https://www.calhospital.org/current-programs

Update to Abortion Services Due To COVID-19

Recently a federal preliminary injunction Civil Action No. TDC 20-1320 was released regarding the “In-Person requirements contained in the mifepristone REMS as to medication abortion patients, to extend until the resolution of this case or until 30 days after the end of the public

health emergency declared by the Secretary of HHS pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 247d, whichever comes first.”

The Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) is complying with the decision made in this injunction that ruled that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) must temporarily suspend enforcement of the Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategies (REMs) as a restriction on medication used for early abortion, since it subjects patients to COVID 19 by forcing them to make an unnecessary trip to their health care provider just to pick up the medication and sign a form. In compliance with the federal ruling, providers who bill using HCPCS code S0191 to prescribe mifepristone to end early pregnancies, may provide medically necessary services without an in-person visit or signature. Providers should include a notation of “Civil Action No. TDC 20-1320” in the patient’s medical record to indicate prescription compliance with this prescription method.

Further, DHCS is revising the abortion section of the Provider Manual to ensure flexibilities exist for providing medically necessary abortion services during the COVID-19 public health emergency and to remove requirements for a Medicare denial for certain abortion services.

A separate Medi-Cal Update and NewsFlash will be released in the future once the system has been updated and the revised provider manual section has published.

Updates on Medi-Cal Rx

DHCS continues to make significant progress towards a successful transition of pharmacy services on January 1, 2021 to Medi-Cal Rx. Medi-Cal Rx transitioning pharmacy services from Medi-Cal managed care to fee-for-service will, among other things:

Standardize the Medi-Cal pharmacy benefit statewide, under one delivery system.
Improve access to pharmacy services with a pharmacy network that includes the vast majority of the state’s pharmacies and is generally more expansive than individual Medi-Cal managed care plan pharmacy networks.
Apply statewide utilization management protocols to all outpatient drugs, as appropriate.
Strengthen California’s ability to negotiate state supplemental drug rebates with drug manufacturers as the largest Medicaid program in the country with over 13 million beneficiaries.

Recently, DHCS/Magellan launched the training registration application on the Medi-Cal Rx portal for Medi-Cal prescribers and pharmacies. Registration is the first step in the process toward full utilization of the secure Provider Web Portal and the included tools for delivery and management of consumer services. The secure Provider Web Portal includes key functions for providers and prescribers such as:

Prior Authorization Information and Submittal Instructions
Beneficiary Eligibility Look Up
Web Claims Submission, Activities, and Inquiries

For detailed registration and training instructions, access the Medi-Cal Rx Web Portal and Training Registration article located on the Pharmacy News Page (https://medi-calrx.dhcs.ca.gov/provider/pharmacy-news) or visit https://medi-calrx.dhcs.ca.gov/provider/ and click Register in the upper right hand corner.

It is important that registration be completed early so the users training and functionality are complete and active for use on January 1, 2021. Also, be the first to know, a Medi-Cal Rx subscription service is now available - sign up and receive Medi-Cal Rx updates by email.

The California Department of Public Health says that birthing people should have access to both a support person and a doula in labor!

As of August 7, 2020, it is the recommendation of the CDPH that birthing people should have access to both a support person and a doula during labor and birth. Please inform your institutions of this and encourage them to come into compliance. For more information, visit https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CHCQ/LCP/Pages/AFL-20-38.aspx

CNMA Stands with Jemel Roberson

In October, the Cook County State's Attorney's Office stated that it would not bring charges against the officer who murdered Jemel Roberson, a security guard who was killed while restraining a gunman who had opened fire in the bar where Jemel was working. A heroic man who acted bravely was instead killed by a police officer. Justice has not been served. CNMA opposes this decision and stands with Roberson’s family and our communities of color. We desperately and urgently need significant changes in policing.

Please take a moment to put your passion into action today:

-Sign the petition to urge Illinois Governor Jay Pritzker to demand the Department of Justice investigate the murder of Jemel Roberson by Midlothian Police officer Ian Covey, and calling on President Trump and Attorney General William Barr to follow through on their promise of a federal investigation in this case.

-Visit The Grassroots law project, an organization which combines grassroots organizing with legal expertise to radically transform policing in America. Donate or join their team of volunteers.

-Visit Campaign Zero, an organization which is working towards ending police violence in America through evidence based solutions and policy changes. You can donate, volunteer, or use it to track your local representative and demand they pass legislation to end police violence.

Spotlight on Anti-Racism

CNMA is working towards becoming an antiracist organization. In 2019 new bylaws were approved that recognize CNMA’s responsibility to actively address racism and the resulting health inequalities suffered by communities of color. Importantly, we must actively support efforts to increase racial diversity in our profession while engaging actively in self-education. “Spotlight on Antiracism” is a new section of the newsletter where you will find a monthly educational offering. We encourage our membership to check it out and share widely in your workplaces.

This month, we encourage our members to look deeper at the historical basis of whiteness with the podcast “Scene on Radio: Seeing White.” This podcast explores the invention of whiteness as a means to systematically exploit and oppress people of color for centuries. Through conversations with leading scholars, we see how our country was founded on white supremacy, and how these ideas are alive and thriving today. Although we urge you to listen to all 14 episodes, there is a specific question which is posed by collaborator Chenjerai Kumanyika in

episode 7: “How attached are you to the idea of being white?” So, we implore our white members to wrestle with this idea individually. What does this mean for you? How does your attachment to being white either positively or negatively affect your ability to engage in antiracist work, and how does this show up in your own practice as a midwife?

Antiracism Workshop Series For White Birth workers

Aïcha K. Scott, Midwife at Kaiser San Leandro is organizing an in depth antiracism workshop series, open to all white-presenting/white identifying female midwives and birth workers. The upcoming course is scheduled for Thursdays, Jan 7, 14, 21, and 28, and Feb 4, 2021 12-2:30pm (CA time) on Zoom.

Aïcha took the class in January 2020 and say "I have been on a personal revolution ever since. It was mind opening/blowing and I literally see everything with new eyes now. I am more skillful and more comfortable as a midwife and a white woman in a world moving toward Black liberation."

See more information here. If you are interested in joining this class or learning about future versions please email aichascott@gmail.com

Update on the cases of Adora Perez and Chelsea Becker in Kings County

In conjunction with the Drug Policy Alliance and the ACLU, CNMA has signed on to separate Amicus Briefs for both women who are incarcerated in Kings County, and charged with murder for separate fetal deaths. Find more information here.

Racism and Health Disparities chapter in Gynecologic Health Care 4th Edition

Jyesha Wren, Liz Donnelly, Kim Dau, and Karline Wilson-Mitchell co-authored the chapter on Racism and Health Disparities in Gynecologic Health Care 4th Ed. The chapter is being made available free online by the publishers.

National Perinatal Taskforce: Building a movement to Birth a more just and loving world

The National Perinatal Task Force is a grassroots movement to start and grow Perinatal Safe Spots (PSS) in every ‘Materno-toxic Area’ in the USA, in order to eliminate racial and class disparities in birth outcomes, and to create equity and power in maternal child health care.

The task force has opportunities for birth workers and/or their organizations to identify as a "Perinatal Safe Spot" which is defined as follows:

A place to connect moms, family members, community, to each other and the baby
A judgment-free zone that can be physical or virtual
Unique to individual communities, ZIP Codes, Maternal Toxic Areas – breaking through the real barriers to quality care
Giving mothers the real tools they need to have power and agency in their childbearing decisions
A place to gain knowledge for the healthiest pregnancy, mom, and baby
Physical, emotional and informational support so childbearing families have true options

The task force is nationwide and is led by Jennie Joseph who has been active in the birth justice community for some time (many of you will know of her). To learn more, please go to www.perinataltaskforce.com

ACNM Antiracism Webinar Series: “Black Midwifery History”

Know Black Midwifery History in America: It Matters!

November 12, 2020 | 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM ET | CEs Offered | Registration link coming soon

Speaker: Linda Janet Holmes, MPA, author of Into the Light of Day: Reflections on the History of Midwives of Color Within the American College of Nurse-Midwi

ACNM Foundation renames the $1000 Mary Breckinridge donor level the Foundation Level, in acknowledgment of her racist legacy.

The message from the ACNM Foundation can be found here. For more information, please visit www.acnmf.org.

Malpractice Insurance Discount for CNMA Members!

Southern Cross Insurance Solutions is now offering a 30% discount off premium costs for CNMs who are members of CNMA. The "Midwife Plan" is a national liability carrier for malpractice insurance through MedPro Group. The discount is available both to new and renewing policies in California. For more information, please visit www.southerncrossins.com.

Free CNMA Membership for Midwives of Color

If you identify as a midwife of color, join or renew your membership with 100% off your California affiliate dues with discount code CA2020!

Job Opportunities at Expecting Justice in San Francisco

The Abundant Birth Project (ABP), an innovative income supplement program for Pacific Islander and Black women in San Francisco, is currently searching for a program manager. Housed in Expecting Justice, the program manager will be responsible for the daily operations of ABP (including program implementation and some case management). The salary range is $85-95K.

Additionally, Expecting Justice--the collective impact collaborative running ABP--is also searching for an Associate Director. Expecting Justice works to advance birth justice in San Francisco, with a focus on Pacific Islander and Black communities. The salary range is $85-95K.

Please share widely!

Job openings to share?

If you have a job opening, please post it at www.CNMA.org/jobs! We will happily share your listing in our newsletter and on social media.

Questions? News? Want to get involved?

Email us at info@cnma.org

That's all for this month's issue. Catch you next time!

-CNMA MEDIA TEAM

Visit us at cnma.org

This newsletter will be archived on our website at cnma.org/news

NEWSLETTER

ana.rapoport
- Oct 1
- 10 min read

OCTOBER 2020 | NEWSLETTER

California Nurse-Midwives Association

OCTOBER 2020 | Newsletter

https://www.cnma.org/news/categories/newsletter

https://rb.gy/vgiguq

Table of Contents:

National Midwifery Week 2

Recap of 9/26 Annual Meeting And A Farewell!! 3

Support Sarah Davis, LM for CA State Assembly, District 78 5

SB 1237 - What’s Next? 5

Midwives need full medical privileges! 6

Attention lapsed or new members! Flash sale Oct 5th to Oct 8th! 6

CNMA Stands with the Black Lives Matter Movement - Justice for Breonna Taylor 7

CNMA stands with whistleblower Dawn Wooten and condemns forced sterilizations 7

Spotlight on Antiracism 7

Midwives in the News 8

ACOG District IX Antiracism Webinar Series 8

Wisdom of A Midwife Docu-Series 8

Maternal Mental Health 8

Questions? News? Want to get involved? 9

National Midwifery Week

October 4-10th

Thank you to all the midwives and student midwives for your hard work and commitment to supporting birthing persons! We hope that you take time during this week to celebrate yourself and your colleagues.

During National Midwifery Week, CNMA would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the huge contribution of our Licensed Midwife colleagues in their important role in maternal health in California. We appreciate the incredible dedication and steadfast commitment Licensed Midwives give every day to birthing individuals and their families!

Recap of 9/26 Annual Meeting And A Farewell!!

For those of you who attended the zoom meeting on 9/26, feel free to skip this portion of the newsletter! For those of you who were not in attendance, I wanted to provide a short recap and send a farewell to all of you!

We had approximately 175 individuals register for the meeting and approximately 126 joined. This was the largest Annual meeting we've ever had! If you attended please follow this link to complete the Continuing Education Evaluation, please keep in mind that this evaluation needs to be completed by October 5th to receive your CE certificate. All certificates will be sent out after the October 5th deadline.

If you were unable to make it, you can view the recording of the meeting here. The meeting agenda can be found here. You can still receive CEs for listening to the educational portion of the meeting as long as you complete the Continuing Education Evaluation

by October 5th.

Every CNM in the state should take the time to watch the educational portion by Ana Delgado and the panelists. You can find just Ana's presentation and the panel here. CNMA thanks them for sharing their incredible knowledge and personal stories.

The Meeting was a time for celebration but we began with reflection over the past year. It was important for us to collectively acknowledge the challenges and devastation that the year 2020 has been. These challenges include a pandemic, fire storms raging, police brutality, killing of innocent individuals, ongoing intolerable injustices to black people and communities of color, a toxic political environment, and individuals living in perpetual fear.

We took time to acknowledge some very recent and devastating but not unexpected events. We've witnessed the unwillingness of the Grand Jury to indict the individuals responsible for the murder of Breonna Taylor; we've witnessed the strength and courage of Nurse Dawn Wooten, the ICE whistleblower; and we acknowledged the devastating reality of Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s passing. A moment of silence was shared.

While acknowledging these events, we also recognized the ongoing collective strength & resilience that we have always seen and will continue to see from communities that are most impacted by this ongoing oppression. We thanked the midwives of color who have engaged with CNMA and we will continue to work to earn their trust and listen to their voices. Going forward, if we fail at this in any way, please reach out to one of us.

For all that 2020 has been, it will also always remain the year that we succeeded in removing the grinding and unrelenting weight of physician permission to practice. This is a monumental and unprecedented time for all nurse-midwives, aspiring midwives, & the communities we serve. In this process, given all these difficulties, we have seen the best our team and all of you have had to offer. We also see this in our country with the loud outcries, the calls to action, the protests, and the outrage. This gives me some faith that we have the ability to rise above many of these seemingly unsurmountable challenges; and for that, I am grateful.

Speaking from my perspective as your outgoing President, I could not be more proud of the work we have collectively accomplished. In saying this, I am speaking for ALL the individuals who have fought for change in our organization and their communities for decades. As Holly said, this Board is privileged to be here at this celebratory moment, but this is because of the work of so many who have come before us. I want to take this opportunity to thank all of them.

The Transition of the Board of Directors:

Individuals leaving the Board:

Rebecca Garrett-Brown: So Cal Rep

Ana Rapaport: Nor Cal Rep

Evelynn Dronberger: Student Rep CSUF

Kathleen Belzer: President to Immediate Past President

Individuals joining the Board:

Maria Ramos: Board Representative

Brittany Edwards: Board Representative

Mayra Lizzette Yniguez and Elena Gutierrez: Student Representative (Shared UCSF role)

This will be a voting position going forward

Paris Maloof Bury: Incoming President transitioning to President

Current & Ongoing Board Members:

Jyesha Wren: Reproductive Justice/Anti-Racism Advisory Committee Chair and voting Board member

Ali Young: Secretary

Elizabeth Smith: Treasurer (2nd term)

Jillian Cauley: Nor Cal Rep/Annual meeting planning Chair

Betsy Jenkins: So Cal Rep

Maribeth Claassen: Central Cal Rep

Committee Chairs:

Holly Smith: HP Chair

Liz Donnelly: Vice HP Chair

Emily Carter: Membership

Jyesha Wren: Reproductive Justice/Anti-Racism Advisory Committee Chair

Ana Delgado: Reproductive Justice/Anti-Racism Advisory Committee Vice Chair

Ana Rapoport: SM Chair (Newsletter & Email blasts)

Elizabeth Kicko: Webmaster (CNMA and California Nurse-Midwives Foundation).

Kathy Heilig: Bylaws Chair

I am grateful to our team of talented & brilliant individuals that I have learned so much from. For me personally, the work of CNMA has been my ‘baby’ for the last few years. This work included

the passing of SB 1237, starting our new Foundation and funding essential projects, the birth of the Reproductive Justice/Anti-Racism Advisory Committee, and rewriting our bylaws to begin to address the racism that exists. This work has been my reason to forge on and get out of bed every day through this unprecedented time.

As I transition from this role, it is impossible to express my feelings. It has been an honor and a pleasure; I thank you for this opportunity to serve. This team is the most dedicated and hardworking group of volunteers I have ever encountered and each individual has contributed in such meaningful and impactful ways. I have gained SO much from each of you. I especially GIVE thanks to Holly Smith who has been my ‘CNMA wife’ of the last two years!

I am thrilled to hand over the reigns to Paris who brings such passion, vision, and determination to this role. Your new Board is a much more diverse Board than we have ever seen. In fulfilling our revised Bylaws, we now have three positions that are filled by historically underrepresented groups. It is with great pleasure that I welcome these new Board members. They will bring

diverse voices and perspectives. We will not only LISTEN to their important voices, but we will CENTER our work going forward around their perspectives and guidance.

With Gratitude,

Kathleen Belzer (your CNMA Immediate Past President as of today!!)

Support Sarah Davis, LM for CA State Assembly, District 78

CNMA has officially endorsed Sarah Davis for Assembly District 78 (includes La Jolla, Del Mar, Torrey Pines, San Diego, Coronado, etc). What better way to support National Midwifery Week than to support a Licensed Midwife running for the California Legislature? You don’t have to be from this district to attend – all of California will benefit from Sarah’s expertise and leadership in Sacramento. Join our Virtual Fundraiser and Conversation with Sarah Davis, LM.

When : Thursday, October 8 @ 6:30pm

More Info and Registration Here

SB 1237 - What’s Next?

SB 1237 – the Dignity & Equity in Maternity Care Act – was signed into law by Governor Newsom on September 18! California is no longer a supervision state for CNMs!

Additionally, AB 890 (AKA the “Nurse Practitioner Bill”) was also signed this week. It has truly been the “Year of the Nurse and the Midwife.”

So now what? Well, we have work to do! The law takes effect January 1, 2021. No time can be wasted – everyone must understand what the new law entails in order to operationalize how their practice, hospital, and/or system will ultimately come into compliance. CNMA will be hosting various webinars and meetings, as well as “office hours” to give personalized technical assistance to solo CNMs, medical groups, birth centers, hospitals/systems as needed. Look for upcoming messages regarding dates/times of these events in October, November, and December. In the meantime, you can view the annual meeting here, for a quick primer on the bill; or go here for a short Q&A to serve as your “Quick Start Guide.” This document will be continually updated. If you have questions you would like added to this document, please contact advocacy@cnma.org.

MIDWIVES NEED FULL MEDICAL STAFF PRIVILEGES!

Now that SB1237 has passed, it is time for us to take the next step toward full practice autonomy in this state--and across the country! While SB1237 allows us to practice without physician supervision (permission), it does not guarantee that hospitals will grant us privileges, or that we'll have a seat at the table when decisions are made about policies that affect us. It is time for midwives to be full partners in maternity care in U.S. hospitals.

The National Government Affairs Committee's Subcommittee on Privileging is actively working to seek legislative sponsors to introduce a bill that will mandate full medical staff privileges for qualified certified nurse-midwives in every hospital that receives Medicare reimbursement. This is power! This is a seat at the table! But this means we need your help.

Please use this link to write to your representatives TODAY! Tell them that we're here, we're ready to care for women and families, we just need a guaranteed seat at the table. And while you're at it, ask your family, friends, and other healthcare colleagues to do the same. Let's keep this momentum going!

Attention lapsed or new members! Flash sale Oct 5th to Oct 8th!

We have joined ACNM in offering a 30% discount on dues for joining or renewing from October 5th to October 8th. This means that you will get 30% off both ACNM membership AND CNMA membership! To take advantage of this offer, go to ACNMs website and use discount code NWM30 at checkout. But this offer will only be available from Oct 5th and will expire on Oct 8th, so don’t delay!

Additionally, we are still offering FREE California affiliate dues for midwives of color through December 2020 with discount code CA2020. You may use both discounts by entering the first code and clicking apply, then entering the second code and clicking apply. If you have any issues, please reach out to ACNM directly.

CNMA Stands with the Black Lives Matter Movement - Justice for Breonna Taylor

A grand jury indicted a former Louisville police officer on Wednesday for wanton endangerment for his actions that killed Breonna Taylor, a Black medical worker who was shot and killed by police officers in March during a botched raid on her apartment. No charges were announced against the other two officers who fired shots, and no one was charged for causing Ms. Taylor’s death. (See NYT coverage here or listen to the podcast of their reporting here. Read Tressie Cottom's gut wrenching response here.)

We oppose this grand jury’s decision and stand with Breonna Taylor and the Black Lives Matter Movement in demanding justice be served for the killing of an innocent woman. We recognize this ruling causes further pain and trauma for the black community. We encourage you to support the foundation in Breonna’s honor supporting police reform, black youth engagement, scholarships for black youth seeking medical careers and support for black women business owners.

CNMA stands with whistleblower Dawn Wooten and condemns forced sterilizations

In early September whistleblower Dawn Wooten revealed people held by ICE in the Irwin County Detention Center, privately owned and operated by LaSalle Corrections, in Ocilla, Georgia were subject to forced hysterectomies. CNMA condemns this horrific human rights violation. We recognize reproductive control as a tool of white supremacy and that eugenic practices such as forced sterilizations, and coercive birth control policies and practices have a long history that extends into current day practices. We recognize that this legacy and the current incarnations cause continued harm to our BIPOC clients, colleagues and community members. We encourage our members to: sign the Sister Song Statement, Uplift and support organizing work by Georgia reproductive justice and imigration justice organizations

Spotlight on Antiracism

So far we have explored white privilege with the classic, White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack, by Peggy McIntosh, and last month we recommended our members go deeper by exploring the tenants of white supremacy culture and their antidotes in Tema Okun’s work: white supremacy culture. This month we are looking to explore how white supremacy culture has harmed people of color and created intergenerational trauma.

Who Gets to Be Afraid in America?: Americans don’t see me, or Ahmaud Arbery, running down the road—they see their fear by Ibram X. Kendi.
Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome. How Is It Different From PTSD? | AJ+ Opinion - Dr. Joy DeGruy
we are no longer surprised - adrienne maree brown

Midwives in the News

Check out incoming CNMA Board Member, María Ramos Bracmontes’ feature in Quickening!

ACOG DIstrict IX Antiracism Webinar Series

Sponsored by Section 2. Kameelah Phillips, MD, FACOG, IBCLC will be presenting a talk titled "History of Racism in Gynecology: What You Wish You Learned in Residency" on Thursday, October 8, 2020 from 6-7 pm PDT.

Guest speaker Dr. Kameelah Phillips is the founder of Calla Women's Health in Manhattan, New York. Her interests include Minority Women's Health and health care disparities, lactation, sexual and menopause medicine. Dr. Phillips is leading the way to bring attention to the racist roots of gynecology and why we should rename the Sims instrument as "Lucy."

You can follow her on Instagram @drkameelahsays

Please register for this Zoom webinar at the following link:

https://stanford.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_TOXQAIt6SL-IeJ2xstiwWQ

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

Wisdom of A Midwife Docu-Series

California Homebirth Midwife Yelena Kolodji has a collection of interviews with midwives sharing their perspective on the role and importance of midwifery care. Check out these inspiring interviews here. One features CNMA Health Policy member and CNMF (Foundation) member, Kavita Noble!

Maternal Mental Health

Do you ever want expert advice when counseling your patients in their mental health needs? You can get Free Perinatal Psychiatric Consultation Services from Dr Miriam Schultz. See HERE.

There is also a Free Zoom Support Meeting offered to your patients and clients.

For Spanish speaking clients: Tuesdays at 1-1:45. See Flyer HERE

For English speaking clients: Tuesdays at 2-2:45. See Flyer HERE.

The services below are provided by Common Spirit Health/Dignity Health

Questions? News? Want to get involved?

Email us at info@cnma.org

That's all for this month's issue. Catch you next time!

-CNMA MEDIA TEAM

Visit us at cnma.org

This newsletter will be archived on our website at cnma.org/news

NEWSLETTER