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    • ana.rapoport
      • Feb 1
      • 14 min read

    California Nurse Midwifery Association February 2021 | Newsletter

    Updated: Feb 24

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

    https://docs.google.com/document/d/1S4p3IVPSdErDGtPfrOhx9vNBt5cIgXrsSUcIgemw3wI/edit?usp=sharing


    Black History Month

    CNMA Webinar

    CNMA Midwife Survey

    COVID-19 Vaccine Updates

    COVID-19 Vaccine for Midwives Working in Community-Based Birth

    Find a Vaccine for Yourself or for a Loved One

    Updates on Medi-Cal Rx

    Spotlight on Anti-Racism

    Education, Trainings, and Webinars

    Preterm Labor Management During a Public Health Crisis

    Perinatal Psychiatry CME Series, Session 2: Depression

    Caring for the Sexually Assaulted Patient when there is No SANE in Sight: A training for all healthcare providers

    Grant and Scholarship Opportunities

    Sister Song

    ACNM Foundation

    Events

    Job Opportunities

    Santa Rosa Birth Center

    Editor-in Chief of the Journal of Midwifery & Women’s Health (JMWH)

    Editor-in-Chief of the Journal Nursing for Women’s Health

    Questions? News? Want to get involved?

    Black History Month


    Welcome to February and to Black History Month! I hope you’ll join me in celebrating those who have come before us, and in honoring the roots of American Midwifery. As a reminder, our profession was not born in Kentucky. If you haven’t yet, be sure to read Into the Light of Day and Listen to me Good: The life story of an Alabama midwife, both by Linda Janet Holmes. And while you’re at it, keep up with the powerful Reproductive Justice work being done today by groups like SisterSong, Black Mamas Matter Alliance, Black Women for Wellness, and ACNM’s Midwives of Color Committee. As I think about Black History Month, I can’t help but also reflect upon our profession, and how much we owe to Black Midwives.


    But there is a dark side to the intersection of midwifery and medicine. Collectively, we have just survived the historic year of 2020: the year that the World Health Organization deemed the Year of the Nurse and the Midwife; the very year that a once-in-a-century pandemic brought to a standstill; and the same year that people gathered together in unprecedented numbers to cross color lines in protest of the perpetual murder of Black people by police. 2020 marked the 200th anniversary of Florence Nightingale's birth, a pioneer in nursing whose work was tainted by racism and white supremacy, and whose colonialist leanings have undeniably shaped modern healthcare and contribute to the racism-based disparities that permeate our systems to this day. In Decolonising the Nursing Profession, Timothy Carey explores this legacy, which we as nurse-midwives are heir to.


    This is more than our history; it is our debt. We have the duty to look at, to examine, and to dismantle those parts of our profession that still do harm; and to build, strengthen, and uplift every opportunity for equity and for justice. I hope you’ll join me this month--and every month--in doing the work of antiracism, of rebuilding midwifery, and of finally giving birth to the world we’ve been dreaming of. Here’s to Black Midwives.


    Paris Maloof-Bury, CNM, IBCLC

    President, California Nurse-Midwives Association

    CNMA Webinar


    The latest SB-1237 webinar is finally finished and ready for you to view! This video is especially helpful for hospitals, administrators, and healthcare leaders who are considering integrating midwives into their systems. Please share widely and help us scale up access to midwifery in California!


    CNMA Midwife Survey


    As we work to implement SB 1237, we want to make sure we are taking direction from you, the midwives of California. We hope you will take a moment (we think it will take ~10min) to fill out this survey to help us to understand the specific areas where you hope CNMA will take action to better serve you, the midwifery profession, and most importantly the people, families and communities we serve.

    COVID-19 Vaccine Updates


    COVID-19 Vaccine for Midwives Working in Community-Based Birth

    CNMA is actively working with the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) to streamline the process for midwives working in the out-of-hospital setting to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. At this time, CDPH recommends that community-based midwives reach out to their local health department for specific timelines on vaccine distribution as well as healthcare prioritization of vaccines. We have been informed that community-based midwives do indeed fall under Tier 2 of Phase 1a, however, this may still require education and advocacy with each local health department. Please email me directly at parisbury@gmail.com to let me know about your successes/challenges with this process, so that CNMA can continue to advocate for your access to the vaccine.


    Find a Vaccine for Yourself or for a Loved One

    VaccinateCA is a community-driven effort to help Californians learn accurate, up-to-date, verified information about the coronavirus vaccine, so they can learn when they will be eligible and how to take their place in line. They have put together this website to help individuals find and get COVID-19 vaccines.

    Updates on Medi-Cal Rx


    Medi-Cal Rx is the transition of all administrative services related to Medi-Cal pharmacy benefits billed on pharmacy claims from the existing intermediaries to the new Medi-Cal Rx vendor, Magellan Medicaid Administration, Inc. This transition goes into effect April 1, 2021.

    Please read the following Provider Testing Notification for more information on submitting claims. Information can be found here on Electronic Funds Transfer and Set-Up and Opt-Out.

    Update and Corrections to our Spotlight on Anti-Racism for Black History Month


    This month’s spotlight on anti-racism has been updated due to language and inaccuracies that understated the role that descendants of enslaved Africans played in bringing midwifery to the North American continent, and to white women’s role in the displacement of Black midwives for their own financial and social gain. We at CNMA would like to apologize for the use of the offensive term “Granny” in the original piece, as well as for our incomplete narrative that failed to fully represent the significant work done by the Grand Midwives or the level of oppression they were subjected to by members of our own profession.


    We would like to thank the ACNM Midwives of Color Committee (MOCC) and Michelle Drew, CNM, MPH, FNP, DNP for taking the time to edit, correct, and addend our original post. Dr. Drew has brought to light additional history we were not aware of and helped us see more clearly how we can do better. We appreciate all that Dr. Drew brings to midwifery, and the wealth of knowledge she has and that she shares.


    We acknowledge that the history of nurse-midwifery is steeped in racism and eugenics. ACNM and CNMA have a lot of work to do to atone for that legacy, and to course-correct the path that led to today’s racism-based disparities in healthcare. Our antiracism work as an affiliate is a work in progress, to which we are humbly dedicated.


    This post is now housed in Quickening, and the language is available for you to read below.


    Black History Month: Honoring Black Grand Midwives and Supporting Black Midwives Today

    By Quickening -February 18, 2021


    This Black History Month, The ACNM Midwives of Color Committee (MOCC) and Black Midwives Caucus want to uplift and celebrate the importance of Black Grand midwives and the important roles they played in both caring for their communities and keeping midwifery tradition and skills alive in the United States. We encourage you to learn about Mary Coley, Onnie Lee Logan, Margaret Charles Smith, Biddy Mason, and Gladys Nichols Milton. These midwives and the legions of their unnamed counterparts are directly responsible for helping to establish and sustain the science and art of American midwifery. We acknowledge, celebrate, and thank their spirits for their contributions to midwifery and their perseverance and dedication to serving their communities in the face of disruptive, racist, and xenophobic attacks.

    In colonial times, reproductive health care was provided primarily by midwives. Notably, midwifery was practiced by Indigenous people native to North America; and midwifery practices were brought to the United States by enslaved peoples of African descent. Trained through apprenticeship by generations of experienced family members or peers, these midwives provided safe and affordable care to pregnant people in their communities. For many years, the practice of medicine did not encompass the work of reproductive health care; however, in the early 1800s the medical field of obstetrics began to develop, and white male physicians often recognized midwives as competition, an impingement on profit and stature.


    A concerted anti-midwife campaign developed, playing on racist and xenophobic tropes that painted foreign-born and Black midwives as illiterate, careless, lazy, incompetent, unclean, and dangerous. This resulted in the 1921 passage of the Sheppard-Towner Act, a federally funded statute intended to support and improve outcomes for infants and birthing people, and which required states to regulate their midwifery workforces. The statute funded white male obstetricians and white female public health nurses to “educate” community midwives in normal birth and act as gatekeepers to determine which community midwives were deemed appropriate care providers. As Danielle Thompson notes, “This meant that, in one of the most racially charged eras in American history, the livelihoods of many women of color were placed directly in the hands of White actors already negatively disposed toward them for both social and competitive reasons.”1 Despite these concerted attacks on midwifery and Black midwives, Black Grand midwives continued to serve their communities. As of 1918, almost 90% of Southern Black births were attended by Black midwives. They also attended many births of poor white women who couldn’t afford the fees of white physicians.


    Only 21 years later, Mary Breckinridge founded the American Association of Nurse-Midwives (AANM). An active white supremacist, she did not allow membership of African American midwives nor did she educate a Black nurse at the Frontier Graduate School of Midwifery from 1939 until her death in 1965, despite being in direct violation of Brown v Board of Education from 1954 onward. This organization became part of the newly created American College of Nurse-Midwives. Midwifery education programs from Tuskegee, Flint Goodridge, and Tuskegee Movable School (located in Macon County) during the 1930s prepared the 41 Black nurse-midwives that were practicing at the time, but unfortunately, the effects of the medical establishment’s racist and xenophobic smear campaign and the racist foundation of midwifery persisted and continues still today.


    The midwifery profession today is over 90% white; midwives attend only 11% of births in the United States, with 45% of those births being to Black, Latinx, and Indigenous mothers; and clients of color, especially Black birthing people, suffer hugely disproportionate disparities in health outcomes. As midwives, we must learn about, acknowledge, and make reparations for the specific role anti-Black racism has played in the history of our profession as well as current educational, certification, and practice environments. Either through apathy, implicit bias, or structurally racist policies, many of the 20th and 21st century midwifery leaders and educators have contributed to the oppression and exclusion of racialized people from modern professional midwifery. Whether these past oppressions were intentional or not, there is a growing understanding of the need to respectfully align with racialized midwifery students, educators, and leaders. Truth, healing and reconciliation in our profession must begin with uplifting and celebrating the Black Grand midwives who were foundational in the persistence of midwifery in this country. It is difficult to engender trust and professional collegiality without first removing barriers to diversification of our profession, ensuring that every Black aspiring midwife is aided and supported along their professional pathway.


    Adapted with permission from the California Affiliate of ACNM (CNMA), with contributions from ACNM’s Midwives of Color Committee (MOCC) and Michelle Drew, chair of ACNM’s Black Midwives Caucus.

    References:

    1. Midwives and Pregnant Women of Color: Why we need to understand intersectional changes in midwifery to reclaim home birth by Danielle Thompson

    Further Learning:

    • Constructing the Modern American Midwife: White Supremacy and White Feminism Collide by P. Mimi Niles and Michelle Drew

    • ON SALE IN FEBRUARY! Into the Light of Day: Reflections on the History of Midwives of Color Within the American College of Nurse-Midwives by Linda Janet Holmes, MPA – proceeds go to The A.C.N.M. Foundation’s Midwives of Color Scholarship Fund

    • ACNM’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging efforts, including our Anti-Racism Roadmap for Change

    • Eliminating the Racial Disparities Contributing to the Rise in U.S. Maternal Mortality: Perspectives from the American College of Nurse-Midwives (ACNM), Black Mamas Matter Alliance (BMMA), and International Confederation of Midwives (ICM)

    • Racism, Antiracism, and Racial Equity article library in the Journal of Midwifery & Women’s Health

    • 125 Black-Owned Bookstores in America that Amplify the Best in Literature

    Spotlight on Anti-Racism (original post)


    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.


    For Black history month we are going to take a moment to uplift and celebrate the importance of Black Grand midwives and the important roles they played in both caring for their community and keeping midwifery tradition and skills alive in the United States. We encourage you to learn about and celebrate: Mary Coley, Onnie Lee Logan, Margaret Charles Smith, and California’s own Biddy Mason. These midwives and the legion of their unnamed counterparts are directly responsible for helping keep the science and art of midwifery alive in this country. We celebrate them and thank their spirits for their contribution to midwifery. Their perseverance and dedication to serving their communities in the face of racist and xenophoic attacks on midwifery intended to denigrate them and eradicate their role in the community is an inspiration.


    In colonial times, reproductive health care was provided primarily by midwives: Midwifery was practiced by Indigenous people native to North America, and midwifery practices were brought to the United States by enslaved peoples of African Descent and by European immigrants. Trained through apprenticeship, by generations of experienced family members or peers, these midwives provided safe and affordable care to pregnant people in their community. For many years the practice of medicine did not encompass the work of reproductive health care; however, in the early 1800’s the medical field of obstetrics began to develop and white male physicians recognized midwives as competition, an impingement on profit and stature.


    A concerted anti-midwife campaign developed; playing on racist and xenophoic tropes painting foreign-born and Black midwives as illiterate, careless, lazy, incompetent, unclean and a danger. This resulted in the 1921 passage of the Sheppard-Towner Act. The federally funded statute intended to provide funding to improve outcomes for infants and birthing people required that states regulate their midwifery workforces. The statute funded the white male obstetricians and white female public health nurses to “educate” community midwives in normal birth and act as gatekeepers to determine which community midwives were deemed appropriate care providers. As Danielle Thompson notes, “This meant that, in one of the most racially charged eras in American history, the livelihoods of many women of color were placed directly in the hands of White actors already negatively disposed toward them for both social and competitive reasons.” Despite these concerted attacks on midwifery as a profession and Black midwives in particular, Black Grand midwives continued to serve their communities. As of 1918, almost 90% of southern Black births were still attended by Black midwives.


    Only 21 years later, Mary Brekenridge founded the American Association of Nurse-Midwives (AANM). An active white supremist, she did not allow membership of African American midwives. This organization became part of the newly created American College of Nurse-Midwives founded by Hattie Hemshemeyer with the aim to create a professional midwifery organization open to all nurse-midwives regardless of race. Unfortunately, the effects of the medical establishment’s racist and xenophoic smear campaign and the racist foundation of nurse-midwifery persist today. As of this writing, the midwifery profession is still over 90% white; we attend only 11% of births and our clients of color, especially Black birthing people, suffer hugely disproportionate disparities in health outcomes. As nurse-midwives we must learn about, acknowledge, and make reparations for the specific role anti-Black racism has played in the history of our profession. We must uplift and celebrate the Black Grand midwives who were foundational in the persistence of midwifery in this country. We must remove all barriers to diversification of our profession ensuring that every Black aspiring midwife is aided and supported along their path.


    In honor of Black History Month and in celebration of Black Grand Midwives, we offer the following readings to learn more about the history of midwifery in the United States.


    Constructing the Modern American Midwife: White Supremacy and white Feminism Collide by P. Mimi Niles and Michelle Drew


    Midwives and Pregnant Women of Color: Why we need to understand intersectional changes in midwifery to reclaim home birth by Danelle Thompson

    Education, Trainings, and Webinars


    Preterm Labor Management During a Public Health Crisis


    This free webinar will cover the management of pregnant patients with symptoms of preterm labor during the COVID-19 pandemic. He will highlight the tools available and how providers can effectively use them to assess a patient's risk of delivering preterm. This program will also cover the importance of screening for STIs, which are associated with an increased risk of preterm birth. Two opportunities to attend: February 2, 2021 at 9:00 AM and February 3, 2021 at 1:00 PM.


    Perinatal Psychiatry CME Series, Session 2: Depression


    The second webinar in the Perinatal Psychiatry CME Series will be offered on February 10, 2021, 12:30 – 1:30. Presented by Miriam Schultz, MD, will focus on Depression. For more information and to register, click here.


    Caring for the Sexually Assaulted Patient when there is No SANE in Sight: A training for all healthcare providers


    This two hour course is FREE and open to everyone! Get more information and register here.

    Course Outline:

    • The Neurobiology of Trauma

    • The Coordinated Community Response

    • The Medical Forensic Examination

    • Courtroom Testimony

    CNE and CME credits are available at no cost upon completion of the course through IAFN.

    Grant and Scholarship Opportunities


    Sister Song


    SisterSong is launching a one-time RJ for Black Lives grant opportunity to make substantial investments in Black women and trans-led organizations working at the intersection of RJ and other social justice movements and facilitate collaboration among them. To submit an application, please complete the grant questionnaire by the application deadline, February 8, 2021. There will be two optional information sessions for applicants to answer questions about the grant on February 1 at 3PM EST and February 2 at 10:30AM EST. Webinars will be recorded and shared with any applicants who are interested but cannot attend.


    ACNM Foundation


    The ACNM Foundation’s grant and scholarship season is in full swing, with deadlines fast approaching!

    • Basic Midwifery Student Scholarships – $3,000 – Apply by February 15, 2021

    • Fellowship for Graduate Education – $2,500 – Apply by March 1, 2021

    • Dianne S. Moore Midwifery Research Scholarship – $2,500 – Apply by March 1, 2021

    Learn more and apply here at the ACNM Foundation’s website.

    Events



    Let’s all GET OUT AND RUN while raising money for a fantastic cause! Miles for Midwives proceeds go to the California Nurse-Midwives Foundation (CNMF) and Every Mother Counts. Afraid of attending an event? No worries! This is virtual and done on your own time. Registration extended until 2/5/2021. Register here.

    Job Opportunities


    Santa Rosa Birth Center


    The Santa Rosa Birth Center is hiring an additional CNM to join our team! We are celebrating our 28th anniversary of full-scope reproductive health, prenatal, postpartum and lactation support within several different clinical environments. We attend births at our free-standing, fully licensed and CABC accredited birth center and at 2 local hospitals. Our population is primarily publicly funded, with ~80% of all clients receiving MediCal. The position is for a full-scope CNM. Position includes medical, dental and vision benefits and paid time off. New grads are welcome to apply. Willingness to relocate to Santa Rosa preferred. Our practice is collaborative and BUSY. Each CNM plays an integral role in the functioning of the birth center. This is an excellent opportunity to work in a joint, in-and-out of hospital setting, but isn't for the faint of heart. We seek a candidate with a desire to promote midwifery care in the community and who will help us grow our practice. Please send a letter of interest & CV to esmith@santarosabirthcenter.com


    Editor-in Chief of the Journal of Midwifery & Women’s Health (JMWH)


    The American College of Nurse-Midwives (ACNM) is currently inviting applications for the position of Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Midwifery & Women’s Health (JMWH). The society is looking to select a new Editor-in-Chief to start on July 1, 2021, building in a six-month transition period through the end of 2021 with the journal’s current Editor-in-Chief Frances E. Likis, DrPH, NP, CNM, FACNM, FAAN. All candidates must be a certified nurse-midwife or certified midwife.

    Please visit the application website (https://www.midwife.org/editor-in-chief-application) for a job description, candidate qualifications, and application requirements. All applications must be emailed to Julie Nash at julie@jjeditorial.com by February 19, 2021 to be considered by the selection committee.


    Editor-in-Chief of the Journal Nursing for Women’s Health


    AWHONN is seeking applications from nurses for the editorship of Nursing for Women’s Health (NWH), the term for which could begin as early as mid-2021. NWH editor Mary C. Brucker, PhD, CNM, FACNM, FAAN, has announced her plan to retire from the role at the end of 2021. The deadline to apply is February 26, 2021.


    Applications shall include:

    • A one‐page cover letter stating your reason for applying to the role, and how your unique experience and vision will shape the journal under your leadership, including

    addressing your impressions as to the journal’s current shortcomings and strengths as a thought leader in clinical scholarship and nursing practice.

    • A 450‐word editorial that would serve as a model for how you would write an editorial for each issue of the journal on a topic of your choosing. In addition to the editorial, please include a list of three other topics about which you may want to write editorials during your tenure as editor.

    • Two published writing samples of your choosing.

    • Three letters of reference: Letters of reference should address the author’s opinion of your abilities to serve as editor and shall be emailed directly from the letter writer to NWH senior managing editor, Jennifer Hellwig, at jhellwig@awhonn.org.


    All applications should be emailed to NWH senior managing editor, Jennifer Hellwig, at jhellwig@awhonn.org. For further questions and a full list of qualifications and job responsibilities, call Jennifer at 202-261-1467.


    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
      • Jan 16
      • 5 min read

    January 2021 | Mid-Month Update

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

    https://docs.google.com/document/d/1DSw5AmS5HjYNQkv1NEPqMHLyfYhXuanqJ0ek1DYuI6Y/edit?usp=sharing


    Table of Content

    CNMA Midwife Survey

    COVID-19 Vaccine Updates

    COVID-19 Vaccine for Midwives Working in Community-Based Birth

    COVID Vaccine Advice for Pregnant and Breastfeeding People

    CDC COVID-19 Vaccination Training & Storage and Handling Toolkit

    BRN Guidance on COVID-19 Vaccine Allocation and Administration

    Black Women for Wellness Action Project Present: The Tea on COVID-19 Vaccines

    Compliance with AB 149

    Updates on Medi-Cal Rx

    The Regulation of Professional Midwifery in the United States

    Women and Girls Outreach to inform the Biden-Harris Transition team

    ACNM Foundation Grant and Scholarship Opportunities

    ACNM 66th Annual Meeting

    Birth Tracks Updates

    Job Opportunities

    Job openings to share?

    Questions? News? Want to get involved?

    COVID-19 Vaccine Updates

    COVID-19 Vaccine for Midwives Working in Community-Based Birth

    CNMA is actively working with the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) to streamline the process for midwives working in the out-of-hospital setting to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. At this time, CDPH recommends that community-based midwives reach out to their local health department for specific timelines on vaccine distribution as well as healthcare prioritization of vaccines. We have been informed that community-based midwives do indeed fall under Tier 2 of Phase 1a, however, this may still require education and advocacy with each local health department. Please email me directly at parisbury@gmail.com to let me know about your successes/challenges with this process, so that CNMA can continue to advocate for your access to the vaccine.


    COVID Vaccine Advice for Pregnant and Breastfeeding People

    ACNM has joined the Association of Women's Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses; Nurse Practitioners in Women's Health; and Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine to provide a patient education handout on the COVID-19 vaccine. It provides risks and benefits of both contracting COVID-19 and getting the vaccine while pregnant, and questions for pregnant and lactating individuals to ask their health care professional.


    CDC COVID-19 Vaccination Training & Storage and Handling Toolkit

    The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) offers on-demand, self-paced training modules for healthcare providers who will be administering the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine. This comprehensive guide reflects best practices for vaccine storage and handling, product information from vaccine manufacturers, and scientific studies.


    BRN Guidance on COVID-19 Vaccine Allocation and Administration

    As the COVID-19 vaccines are distributed, the Board of Registered Nursing is supporting the State’s effort to ensure that all providers follow the standards for allocating and administering COVID-19 vaccines. Board of Registered Nursing licensees must adhere to the current federal and state prioritization standards for allocating and administering COVID-19 vaccines in phases. The standards are available on the California Department of Public Health’s website at the following here.

    Black Women for Wellness Action Project Present: The Tea on COVID-19 Vaccines


    Our allies at Black Women for Wellness Action Project are excited to bring you a special conversation on January 21 with Dr. Keith Norris and Dr. Rosny Daniel to have a science-based conversation. They will be answering questions about what's going on in Los Angeles, the tea on the vaccines and other questions about the vaccine. Register here.



    Compliance with AB 149

    The Board of Registered Nursing is sharing the following guidance regarding instances where a prescriber may not have utilized a compliant security prescription form for a controlled substance on and after January 1, 2021, as required by Assembly Bill 149 (Statutes of 2019). To reduce potential negative impact to patients, the Board of Registered Nursing would like to remind prescribers and pharmacists of the provisions related to oral or electronically transmitted prescriptions for any controlled substance classified in Schedule III, IV and V, Health and Safety Code section 11164(b). Additionally, the Board of Registered Nursing encourages prescribers and pharmacists to work together as appropriate to address the needs of patients in possession of noncompliant forms. For additional information on new compliant security prescription forms, please see the Joint Statement and FAQs from the California Department of Justice, the California State Board of Pharmacy, and the Medical Board of California.

    Updates on Medi-Cal Rx

    Medi-Cal Rx is the transition of all administrative services related to Medi-Cal pharmacy benefits billed on pharmacy claims from the existing intermediaries to the new Medi-Cal Rx vendor, Magellan Medicaid Administration, Inc. This transition goes into effect April 1, 2021.This article serves as a guide that outlines what options pharmacies and prescribers will have to submit Prior Authorizations to Medi-Cal Rx. As a prescribing Medi-Cal provider, registration for the Medi-Cal Rx Web Portal will be required to register, take training, and have access to the tools and resources available in the Medi-Cal Rx secure portal on April1, 2021. Ordering, Referring, and Prescribing (ORP) providers who are not yet enrolled as a Medi-Cal provider in the Department of Health Care Services Provider Application and Validation for Enrollment (PAVE) system are encouraged to enroll. More information is available here.

    The Regulation of Professional Midwifery in the United States


    Featured in the Journal of Nursing Regulation, this article by Karen Jefferson, DM, CM, FACNM, Mary Ellen Bouchard, MS, CNM, FACNM, and Lisa Summers, DrPH, FACNM reviews the history of professional midwifery in the United States, including the development of the certified midwife credential, outlines current challenges in regulation of the profession, and summarizes widely accepted recommendations to improve access to high quality maternal and child health through support of the midwifery workforce. It is a powerful piece, intended to assist state boards of nursing in understanding how they might expand their authority to include the licensing and regulation of certified midwives.

    Women and Girls Outreach to inform the Biden-Harris Transition team

    The Biden-Harris Transition Team is committed to a government that engages stakeholders in a meaningful way on policy, appointments and the confirmation of nominees. Stakeholders will provide key insights and recommendations on critical policy considerations, and access to networks of qualified, dedicated, diverse talent that will help make this new Administration look like America. If you identify as a stakeholder and would like to provide information and feedback, please click here. Please email cjsmith@jbrpt.org if you have any questions.

    ACNM Foundation Grant and Scholarship Opportunities

    The ACNM Foundation’s grant and scholarship season is in full swing, with deadlines fast approaching!

    • Thacher Community Grants – $1,000 – Apply by January 22, 2021

    • Basic Midwifery Student Scholarships – $3,000 – Apply by February 15, 2021

    • Fellowship for Graduate Education – $2,500 – Apply by March 1, 2021

    • Dianne S. Moore Midwifery Research Scholarship – $2,500 – Apply by March 1, 2021

    Learn more and apply here at the ACNM Foundation’s website.

    Birth Tracks Updates


    The Birth Tracks program has added a patient status board to BirthTracks, which will allow you to view and print a list of all of your patients and relevant critical information. You can filter your patient list by inpatient status, outpatient status, prenatal site, birth site, or provider. You can easily customize the information displayed and update the list with comments and changes in status. You can use your list for patient tracking, rounding, discharge management, and provider handoff.

    Job Opportunities


    Help Educate the Next Generation of Nurses!

    Mount St. Mary's University is seeking clinical instructors for Accelerated BSN students.

    Commitment includes a seven week rotation on Saturdays in March and April, with five days of clinical in the acute care setting and two days on campus skills lab and virtual. If you are interested, please send your resume/CV to Sarah Shealy at sshealy@msmu.edu

    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

    • NEWSLETTER
    • ana.rapoport
      • Jan 1
      • 5 min read

    January 2021 | Newsletter


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

    https://docs.google.com/document/d/1qLeRQvCl-Qp1C_8QGl7g9JTQ58QgyuSaKwCHWFvk324/edit?usp=sharing


    TABLE OF CONTENTS


    Happy New Year and Welcome to 2021!


    SB-1237, The Justice and Equity in Maternity Care Act took effect on January 1!


    COVID-19 Vaccine for Midwives Working in Community-Based Birth


    Vaccinating Pregnant and Lactating Patients against COVID-19


    Spotlight on Anti-Racism


    Job openings to share?


    Questions? News? Want to get involved?





    Happy New Year and Welcome to 2021!


    While 2020 was challenging to say the least, it also provided myriad opportunities for transformation. COVID-19 stopped Americans in their tracks, bringing their attention to the systemic racism and inequities built into our nation’s 401 year-old structure of Caste. While transformation can be painful, it is important to remember that the work of tearing down those structures that do not serve us is essential if we are to make room to birth a better and more equitable reality.


    As Valerie Kaur asked in A Sikh Prayer for America on November 9, 2016:


    "What if this darkness is not the darkness of the tomb, but the darkness of the womb? What if our America is not dead but a country still waiting to be born? What if the story of America is one long labor? What if all the mothers who came before us, who survived genocide and occupation, slavery and Jim Crow, racism and xenophobia and Islamophobia, political oppression and sexual assault, are standing behind us now, whispering in our ear: You are brave? What if this is our Great Contraction before we birth a new future? Remember the wisdom of the midwife: “Breathe,” she says. Then: “Push.”"


    In solidarity and in love we will continue to do this work. Happy New Year!

    SB-1237, The Justice and Equity in Maternity Care Act took effect on January 1!


    It’s official! SB-1237 took effect on January 1, 2021, and Certified Nurse-Midwives no longer require physician supervision to practice in California! For more information, please visit www.cnma.org/sb1237.

    COVID-19 Vaccine for Midwives Working in Community-Based Birth

    CNMA is actively working with the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) to streamline the process for midwives working in the out-of-hospital setting to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. At this time, CDPH recommends that community-based midwives reach out to their local health department for specific timelines on vaccine distribution as well as healthcare prioritization of vaccines. This will likely require education and advocacy to help those with decision-making power to understand that community based CNMs are frontline workers and should be prioritized. Please email me directly at parisbury@gmail.com to let me know about your successes/challenges with this process, so that CNMA can continue to advocate for your access to the vaccine.

    Vaccinating Pregnant and Lactating Patients against COVID-19


    ACOG has released a Practice Advisory on offering the COVID-19 vaccine to pregnant and lactating persons. The recommendation at this time is that the vaccine should not be withheld from individuals based on their current reproductive status, and that the principles of shared decision making should be used when counseling patients about the vaccine. Read more.

    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 step back and pause during the holiday season to honor black joy as an act of resistance and to acknowledge it as a necessity to sustainable antiracism work and as a feature of dismantling white supremacy.


    So often in the work of antiracism, we can feel overwhelmed with grief, sorrow and helplessness as we highlight inequalities, speak out against violence, and dismantle white supremacy. So many lives lost, so much injustice and inequality can at times move us to action and at other times incapacitate us. If you identify as a white person doing this work you will always be protected from the majority of the pain, as you can pick and choose when to come into and out of this work. But if you are a person of color there is little respite. Scholars and activists grapple with the concept of sustainability in antiracism work and many find that joy and love is a requirement for dismantling white supremacy. Some call this hope, some call this resistance, but the premise is the same. For example, while anti-blackness is a core foundation in the United States, so too is the complete rejection of it, found in the honoring of black joy.


    Imani Perry, a Professor of African American Studies at Princeton University says it more eloquently: “Joy is not found in the absence of pain and suffering. It exists through it. The scourges of racism, poverty, incarceration, medical discrimination, and so much more shape

    black life. We live with the vestiges of slavery and Jim Crow, and with the new creative tides of anti-blackness directed toward us and our children. We know the wail of a dying man calling for his mama, and it echoes into the distant past and cuts into our deepest wounds. The injustice is inescapable. So yes, I want the world to recognize our suffering. But I do not want pity from a single soul.” She goes on to say, “I must turn the pitying gaze back upon any who offer it to me, because they cannot understand the spiritual majesty of joy in suffering. But my rejection of their account also comes with an invitation. If you join us, you might feel not only our pain but also the beauty of being human.” One of her articles is here.

    The creative, writer and educator, Kleaver Cruz is the creator of The Black Joy Project, a digital and real-world affirmation that Black joy is resistance. They state, “Black joy to me means, being able to say I love and see my people every time we are in one another’s presence.” Kleaver’s work speaks of the effort to “bombard the internet with the joy; the joy is a form of resistance.” You can see Kleaver’s work here.


    And watch a short film about black joy here.


    We wish you and your family peace and joy this season.

    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

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