The CNMA annual election is coming soon, but first we need some candidates! If you’re interested in joining our highly productive team (and bulking up your CV in the process), now’s the time to jump in! Thinking about running, but not sure you’ve got what it takes? We’re committed to mentoring new board members in their role and setting you up for success. The following offices are up for election this Summer: President-Elect, Secretary, Central California Representative, and Northern California Representative. Please contact Paris Maloof-Bury at parisbury@gmail.com for more information.

President-Elect (10/2021-10/2025)

During the first year (10/2021-10/2022), the President-Elect is mentored and supported by the current President as they learn the role and prepare to take on leadership of the board of directors (BOD) and the affiliate. Duties include:

Non-voting member of the BOD.
Attend virtual BOD meetings and other committee meetings throughout the month to learn about the structure and inside operations within the association.
Attend 2 in-person meetings annually that alternate between Northern and Southern California.

During the second and third years (10/2022-10/2024) the President’s duties include the following:

Be the face of CNMA. Be prepared to give interviews, help draft legislation and correspondence when needed, advocate for midwifery and birthing people, stay up to date on health policy issues within the association and the state.
Lead all BOD meetings (prepare the agenda, establish a quorum, get approval for the agenda, approve the minutes along with the secretary, make corrections, sign the minutes).
Voting member of the BOD.
Lead the CNMA Annual Meeting (present the awards, introduce speakers, recognize off going BOD members, and welcome incoming BOD members).
Write the CNMA newsletter.
Attend the ACNM Annual Meeting and represent CNMA during the California Affiliate Meeting and Regional Meeting.
Communicate with the ACNM National Office when necessary.

During the fourth year (10/2024-10/2025), the Past President's duties include the following:

Non-voting member of the BOD.
Offer support and guidance to the sitting President.
Serve as a source of continuity with other groups and organizations in California who have associations with ACNM and CNMA.
Ensure historical context for important issues impacting CNMA and the BOD.

Secretary (10/2021-10/2023)

Voting member of the BOD.
Send out the agenda to all the BOD members 10 days before the BOD Meeting.
Attend and take minutes during the BOD meeting.
Send minutes to the President and other BOD members for corrections.
Get signatures on minutes once the corrections have been made.
Send out final minutes to BOD members.
Store minutes on Dropbox and keep Dropbox files organized.
Two year term, may serve up to two consecutive terms

Northern California Representative (10/2021-10/2023)

Voting member of the BOD.
Attend monthly virtual BOD meetings.
Develop relationships with the members of the region.
Establish two-way communication with regional chapter chairs and members to update them on affiliate issues; and bring chapters’ and members’ issues, comments, needs, and requests from regional members to the BOD.
Should attend their own chapter meetings.
Help lead and organize in-district visits and advocacy efforts.
Stay involved and participate in events in their region as a representative of CNMA.
Two year term, may serve up to two consecutive terms.

Central California Representative (10/2021-10/2023)

Voting member of the BOD.
Attend monthly virtual BOD meetings.
Develop relationships with the members of the region.
Establish two-way communication with regional chapter chairs and members to update them on affiliate issues; and bring chapters’ and members’ issues, comments, needs, and requests from regional members to the BOD.
Should attend their own chapter meetings.
Help lead and organize in-district visits and advocacy efforts.
Stay involved and participate in events in their region as a representative of CNMA.
Two year term, may serve up to two consecutive terms.

Save the Date for the CNMA Annual Meeting!

The CNMA Annual Meeting will take place on November 6-7, 2021 in San Francisco. We will be offering a hybrid conference, with options for both in-person and virtual attendance. Day 1 will be full of opportunities for CEUs as well as an after hours dance party. Day 2 will offer a preceptor workshop through a lens of antiracism. Stay tuned for more information, and be sure to save the date!

ACNM Joint Statement Regarding COVID-19 Vaccination if you are Pregnant or Breastfeeding

The American College of Nurse-Midwives recommends that pregnant and lactating people be vaccinated against COVID-19. Vaccination is the best way to reduce the risks of COVID-19 infection and COVID-related complications for both you and your baby. Read the full document, issued by The Society of Maternal-Fetal Medicine and endorsed by ACNM.

Support for Student Midwives

Midwifery Mentoring and Belonging Program

The Midwifery Mentoring & Belonging Program is looking for BIPOC midwives to mentor BIPOC midwifery students at UC San Francisco and Cal State Fullerton! Mentors must commit to mentoring students from October 2021 to September 2022. As an added bonus to mentoring, mentors will participate in professional development workshops and receive remuneration! Click here to apply. The deadline to apply is August 18th, 2021.

Join a CNMA Committee!

Communications Committee Chair

Our Communications Committee is seeking a new chair. The communications chair works very closely with the Social Media and Communications Consultant, supporting and directing them in their paid role to grow the social media platforms for both CNMA and CNMF (content development, interactions with followers, moderating comments) and update the CNMA website. The communications chair also works with the CNMA President to publish CNMA’s bi-monthly newsletter and curate and distribute emails to CNMA membership, and collaborates with other CNMA committees to promote events and share information. If you’re a tech savvy midwife who enjoys social media and would like more information on this role, please contact sm@CNMA.org.

Seeking Assistant Membership Chair!

The CNMA Membership Chair is seeking someone to fill an assistant membership chair role. The membership chair is responsible for communications with new and existing members as well as developing new and creative ways to increase membership and improve engagement. I am looking for someone to take part in brainstorming and carrying out ideas, as well as assisting with tasks such as emailing and updating membership records. This role can be tailored to fit your interests and skills. If you have a desire to help shape the future of our organization please contact Emily Carter at ercarterRN@gmail.com.

Continuing Education Committee

The CNMA Continuing Education Committee is responsible for planning and hosting the CNMA Annual Meeting each year, and is now taking on the added responsibility of creating continuing education content that will be available through www.CNMA.org (coming soon!). Please consider joining this small and focused team. The work is targeted and specific, but there’s still plenty of room for creativity. Interested members, please contact jillcauley4@gmail.com.

Midwifery Workforce Development and Education Support Committee

This new committee will focus on building and diversifying the CNM workforce in California, including strategizing to increase the number of clinical placement sites and preceptors in California, establishing and maintaining two-way communication between midwifery programs that have student nurse-midwives in California and the CNMA Board of Directors, and fostering and supporting student mentoring programs. They will work alongside the Student Representatives to the CNMA Board of Directors. Ideal candidates include any of the following:

Lead and Chief Midwives from practices throughout the state
At least one representative from each midwifery program that has student midwives in California
Midwives who are passionate about supporting students and educators
Midwives who are passionate about mentoring
Midwives who are passionate about scaling up midwifery in California

Please contact dmvandewiele@gmail.com for more information.

Volunteer with ACNM

ACNM is setting up a task force to revise and review the ACNM Standards of Practice document. This work will involve a monthly meeting and document review using the ACNM Equity Lens Tool. All points of view, backgrounds, and midwifery experiences are welcome to apply. The application deadline is August 31; the first meeting is September 22 at 1 PM PST.

California Health Policy

SB 65 Momnibus (Skinner)

SB 65 passed the Assembly Health Committee and Assembly Human Services Committee! The final committee is Assembly Appropriations at the end of August. In addition to other perinatal policy changes, SB 65 creates the Midwifery Workforce Training Act to support midwifery programs that have a component of training designed for medically underserved multicultural communities, lower socioeconomic neighborhoods, or rural communities, and that are organized to prepare program graduates for service in those neighborhoods and communities, or that seek to recruit and retain racially and ethnically diverse students, underrepresented groups, or people from underserved or historically marginalized communities. For more on what you can do to support SB 65, please go to cnma.org/advocacy

National Policy

Medicare’s MIPS Quality Reporting Program

Last month, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services released the CY 2022 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule and Quality Payment Program proposed rule. The proposal includes annual updates to payment rates and other policies for healthcare professionals reimbursed under the Medicare program. Of specific interest is the proposed inclusion of CNMs in Medicare’s Quality Payment Program. Please send your feedback regarding the inclusion of CNMs in Medicare’s MIPS program to Amy Kohl at akohl@acnm.org by September 1, 2021. Read more here.

Midwives for MOMS Act

ACNM encourages midwives and midwifery supporters to reach out to their House Representative and Senate members and urge support for the Midwives for Maximizing Optimal Maternity Services Act. This bipartisan/bicameral legislation seeks to increase access to high quality, evidence-based midwifery providers by creating federal grant funding opportunities for accredited midwifery education programs with the goal of diversifying our nation's midwifery workforce. Please tweet at your House Representative and Senators now, and take action by visiting our grassroots site today!

Education, Trainings, and Webinars

Saving the Lives of Moms and Babies

The National Partnership for Women & Families has joined the National Birth Equity Collaborative to produce the Saving the Lives of Moms & Babies series. The 10-part series connects the dots between how different socioeconomic factors affect maternal and infant health, the outsize impact these factors have on Black, Indigenous, and other People of Color (BIPOC) communities, and recommendations to effect the change we need to ensure all moms and babies thrive. Saving the Lives of Moms & Babies: Addressing Racism and Socioeconomic Influencers of Health presents a ground-breaking summary of how racism directly affects the bodies of moms and babies.

ACNM Town Hall: Meeting the Challenge

The ACNM Board of Directors is hosting a town hall titled "Meeting the Challenge" on August 18, 2021 from 4-5:30 PM PST. Register here.

ACNM’s 2021 Midwives LEAD

Cultivating your potential as a leader is crucial for helping advance your career and the profession of midwifery. ACNM's Midwives LEAD, is an exclusive leadership development program that frames leadership as the ability to enhance performance, build relationships, cultivate excellence, and sustain energy for a productive influence, agency, and motivation to enact positive change. Attendees will engage with their peers and gain critical leadership knowledge and skills for today’s healthcare environment. To apply, submit your resume or CV and a summary describing your leadership experience and aspirations (no more than 500 words) by August 19, 2021. Space is limited to 25 attendees. You will be notified of your acceptance by August 23, 2021.

Preventive Healthcare for Transgender and Nonbinary Patients

This FREE, expert webinar will review the preventive healthcare needs of transgender and gender nonbinary patients based on their reproductive organs. Participants will also learn practical strategies for providing affirming and trauma-informed sexual and reproductive health exams. Thursday, August 19,2021 12-1 PM PST. Learn more and register.

PSI 2-Day Components of Care and Advanced Training

Postpartum support international is offering the 2-Day Components of Care and Advanced Trainings VIRTUALLY! All training dates offer the 2-day Components of Care, Advanced Psychotherapy, and Advanced Psychopharmacology (unless marked otherwise).

August 20-21, 2021 (No Advanced Trainings)
September 18 - Advanced Psychotherapy or Advanced Pharmacology
November 12-14, 2021

Maternal Mental Health Certificate Training

PSI and 2020 Mom present a Maternal Mental Health Certificate Training for Mental Health and Clinical Professionals. This online webinar series includes eight live sessions, small group discussions, supplemental reading materials, 16 continuing education credits (where applicable), and a certificate of completion. Credits count towards PMH-C certification. Classes are on Mondays, according to the schedule, from 10 AM -12 PM PST; However, classes are recorded and can be watched at any time. Next class begins September 13, 2021. Register by September 8, 2021 PST.

Complimentary Maternal Mental Health 101 Webinar

Hosted by 2020 Mom, Postpartum Support International presents the complimentary webinar where attendees can learn about the various Maternal Mental Health Disorders, the differences between them, risk factors, and treatment options. This webinar is designed for providers, administrators, and public health employees, though all are welcome. September 9th, 2021 10:30am - 12:00pm PST Register here. Registrants will receive the recording and resource list.

Opioid and Diversion Awareness: The current state of the opioid epidemic

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) will be hosting four FREE one-day virtual sessions designed for those who are certified to prescribe controlled substances. Space is limited to the first 3,000 attendees per session. The Federation of State Medical Boards designates this live activity for a maximum of 3.50 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™.

You may only attend one session:

Tuesday, September 7, 2021 | 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. (PST)
Wednesday, September 8, 2021 | 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. (PST)
Thursday, September 16, 2021 | 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. (PST)
Friday, September 17, 2021 | 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. (PST)

Learn more and register. Please direct any questions to ODLL@dea.gov.

The Midwife as Surgical First Assistant

Midwives are encouraged to consider training to become a surgical first assistant as an expansion to their clinical practice. The Midwife Surgical First Assistant book is the initial step to gaining a foundation in assisting. The subsequent optional examination assesses the knowledge you have gained from studying the book and provides you with a certificate of completion. Earning the First Assistant Certificate of Completion is the next step to applying this new expanded skill to your midwifery practice.

September 23, 2021 | 7:00 AM - 1:00 PM PST | Register Here

November 3, 2021 | 7:00 AM - 1:00 PM PST | Register Here

December 6, 2021 | 7:00 AM - 1:00 PM PST | Register Here

Midwifery Works 2021

Registration is now open for the Midwifery Works, happening October 1-3, 2021 at The Guesthouse at Graceland in Memphis, Tennessee! Midwifery Works is a professional development conference produced by ACNM and designed by the Midwifery Business Network. We invite you to dive deeper into the skills you need for a successful and impactful midwifery career! Midwifery Works offers educational sessions and optional workshops that count as CEs.

Spinning Babies 2-Day Workshop

Santa Paula Midwives is hosting a 2-Day Spinning Babies Workshop November 5-6, 2021 from 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM at the Ventura County Medical Center. Spinning Babies presents a new perspective on the anatomy of fetal positioning and birth. Where dilation stalls, rotation solves! Spinning Babies reduces unnecessary cesareans with a paradigm-shifting approach to physiological birth. Instructor: Kelly Dungan, BSN, RNC-OB. Registration: $375, or $425 after October 23. 13 CEs available through ANCC and ACNM. For more information contact Denise Ellison, CNM at DMECNM@gmail.com.

25th Anniversary Nurse Leadership Forum

Synova welcomes all perinatal and neonatal nurse leaders in person to the 25th Anniversary Nurse Leadership Forum November 14-18, 2021 in Tucson, Arizona. Join us as we gain the confidence to step up to new opportunities, develop skill in navigating uncomfortable yet important conversations, deconstruct our understanding of other cultures and demographics and how they impact our work, and advance our emotional intelligence to foster the development of our teams. Learn more and register here. Submit an abstract for a poster presentation or for a 20 or 60 minute speaking spot by September 1, 2021.

Scholarships and Grants

Carrington-Hsia-Nieves Doctoral Scholarship for Midwives of Color

The Carrington-Hsia-Nieves Doctoral Scholarship for Midwives of Color is a $5,000 scholarship awarded to a certified nurse-midwife or certified midwife of color who is actively enrolled in doctoral or postdoctoral education and a current ACNM member. This award is named in honor of three of our most distinguished midwives of color: Betty Watts Carrington, CNM, Ph.D., FACNM; Lily Hsia, CNM, PNP, MSN, FACNM; and Nivia Nieves Fisch, CNM, FACNM. Funding comes from the A.C.N.M. Foundation's Midwives of Color Scholarship Fund. Eligible midwives of color are encouraged to apply by September 12, 2021, for consideration.

FDA Focus Group

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is interested in learning about your experiences with prescription product labeling for pregnant and lactating women. Members of ACNM are invited to participate in a 90-minute online focus group. Your input will be used to make recommendations and inform changes to prescription product labeling. Participants in these focus groups will receive a $225 token of appreciation for taking part in this project. If you are interested, please complete a brief survey to determine if you are a good fit for the focus group. These questions will take no more than 5 minutes to answer.

Job Opportunities

Sutter Women’s Health in Davis - Certified Nurse-Midwife

Sutter Women's Health in Davis is seeking a certified nurse-midwife to join us in an award winning and nationally recognized collaborative practice working in the office and community hospital setting. Sutter Davis Hospital has a Level 1 nursery and offers a full spectrum of labor and delivery options, including low intervention birth, TOLAC/VBAC, hydrotherapy, nitrous oxide, anesthesia, and a volunteer doula service. The hospital is expanding and we are excited to grow our practice to meet our community's needs. This full scope position includes obstetrics, family planning, simple gynecology, and group prenatal care. Additional highly desirable skills: maternal mental health, first and third trimester ultrasound, cesarean first assist, leadership, support of physiologic labor and birth, and experience with LARC methods. New graduates with L&D experience will be considered. For more information, please contact Krysta Burris, Physician Recruiter, at

Develops@sutterhealth.org.

Sutter Women’s Health in Davis - Physician Position

Sutter Women's Health in Davis is seeking a full time OB-Gyn to join us in an award winning and nationally recognized collaborative practice working with certified nurse-midwives as part of a large multidisciplinary group, both in the office and community hospital setting. Sutter Davis Hospital offers a full spectrum of labor and delivery options, including low intervention birth, TOLAC/VBAC, hydrotherapy, anesthesia, and a volunteer doula service. The hospital is expanding and we are excited to grow our practice to meet our community's needs. Sutter Medical Group is recognized as a Top Performing Physician Group by the Integrated Healthcare Association, and Sutter Davis Hospital consistently ranks among the best places for families to give birth in California. Join us and enjoy an income guarantee with shareholder track, generous compensation and benefits including 401(k), advanced practice technology, and a positive work-life balance and Northern California’s natural beauty and lifestyle. For more information, please contact Krysta Burris, Physician Recruiter, at Develops@sutterhealth.org.

CommuniCare Health Centers

We are recruiting a full-time, full scope CNM to join us at Communicare Health Center. We have several clinics throughout Yolo County and attend births at Sutter Davis Hospital. We have a wonderful team of supportive midwives and interdisciplinary staff serving a multicultural population. Spanish speaking ability and 2 years of clinical experience is a plus. We’re a longstanding midwifery group in Yolo County and are part of a nationally recognized, award winning CNM/OB collaborative practice model. Learn more and apply here.

Kaiser Permanente

Kaiser Permanente is currently hiring six (6) certified nurse-midwives in the Sacramento area and in Walnut Creek/Antioch.

Journal of Midwifery and Women’s Health

The editors of the Journal of Midwifery and Women’s Health (JMWH) are seeking candidates for a Deputy Editor. The JMWH Editor-in-Chief and Deputy Editors comprise the Journal’s senior editors who direct the content, focus, and strategic development of the Journal. To apply, please email a curriculum vitae and letter of interest to Melissa Avery, JMWH Editor-in-Chief Elect at jmwh@acnm.org with questions. For more information, click here.

Medi-Cal Rx Updates

The August Medi-Cal Rx Monthly Bulletin is available now, and has information on the Medi-Cal Rx implementation update, changes to the contract drugs list (effective August 1), and the PED online inquiry form.

Midwife Crush Mondays!

Do you know an amazing Midwife who is doing revolutionary work? We want to feature them on our social media platforms!

CNMA is looking for submissions for our new social media series “Midwife Crush Monday” where we highlight the stories of trailblazing midwives across the industry who are making a difference in the midwifery profession. You can even submit yourself!

Here’s what we’re looking for:

Midwife’s name (include pronouns)
Affiliated organization(s)
Why you became a midwife (and anything awesome you’d like to brag about)
Headshot/Photo if available
Bonus: Please include social media handles for tagging!

Please send submissions to sm@cnma.org for consideration!

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

August 2021|Mid-Month Update

Table of Contents

Join the CNMA Board of Directors--Deadline August 28!