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CNMA Newsletter – December 2025
- Laura Sheperis
- 6 days ago
- 13 min read
Message From the President
Dear Colleagues and Advocates,
As we close out 2025, I want to bring your urgent attention to several critical issues impacting our profession and the families we serve across California. The strength of the California Nurse-Midwives Association (CNMA) lies in our unified voice and our ability to mobilize quickly when our scope of practice, our workforce pipeline, or our patients' access to care is threatened.
A crucial battle is currently underway at the federal level regarding the financial future of advanced practice nursing and midwifery students. The Department of Education, through the Reimagining and Improving Student Education (RISE) Committee, recently deliberated new financial aid policies that propose defining "graduate" and "professional" degree programs in a way that would severely impact us.
If adopted, this rulemaking would reclassify post-baccalaureate nursing and midwifery students, causing them to lose access to the higher federal loan limits and crucial loan forgiveness programs previously available to professional degree programs. These changes create significant, unnecessary financial obstacles and directly threaten our ability to recruit and retain the diverse workforce needed to meet California’s maternal health needs. We simply cannot allow arbitrary definitions to hinder the growth of our essential profession.
Urgent Call to Action: Contact Members of Congress. We need your help today. The CNMA, alongside our national partners at ACNM and our colleagues across the nursing community, is actively engaged in this rulemaking process, but we need volume. Please email your Members of Congress immediately encouraging them to contact leadership at the Department of Education. They must understand the dire impact these actions will have on the future nursing and midwifery workforce.
Support the ANA Petition: Recognize Us as a Profession. We also encourage all CNMA members to join us in signing the American Nurses Association’s (ANA) petition demanding that nursing and midwifery be formally and unequivocally recognized as a profession. This recognition is foundational to our advocacy efforts in every arena.
DHCS Omnibus APL Under Review. On the state level, the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) is accepting comments on a draft omnibus All Plan Letter (APL) intended to replace all previous maternity care-related APLs. The CNMA is collaborating closely with partner organizations to review these proposed changes thoroughly. Our priority is ensuring the final APL robustly supports the department’s goals of increasing access to quality midwifery care for people insured through Medi-Cal.
Northern California Kaiser Nurse-Midwives Unionization Efforts. Finally, we send our full support to the midwives of Kaiser Northern California, the largest employer of midwives in our state, who are continuing their crucial negotiations for their first union contract. Their efforts highlight the vital need for strong workplace advocacy.
You can read more about their progress in the Vallejo Sun's coverage of the negotiations. The union is also inviting personal stories and expressions of support from the community. Please consider sharing your experience or general support for these bargaining caregivers.
We appreciate your continued advocacy and dedication to the midwifery model of care. Your engagement makes our mission possible. We wish you the very best this holiday season and strength and solidarity in the new year to come!
Standing with you,
Amita
Amita Graham, CNM
(She/her)
President CNMA
Legislative Action & Advocacy
(formerly Health Policy)
Engage Today on Student Loan Access for Advanced Practice Nursing and Midwifery Students
(see more information in this Newsweek coverage)
Calling All Nursing and Midwifery Supporters! We need your help. The Department of Education is currently undergoing a rulemaking process that would significantly impact the loan amounts available to post-baccalaureate nursing and midwifery students, and we need to make sure that Members of Congress are aware of these changes and understand the dire impact such actions will have on the future nursing and midwifery workforce.
We are asking you to email your Members of Congress today encouraging them to contact leadership at the Department of Education to express the importance of maintaining access to financial aid for advanced nursing and midwifery students.
As we continue to actively engage in this rulemaking process alongside our friends and colleagues in the nursing and larger non-MD/DO community, we appreciate your advocacy on behalf of ACNM and the people and communities nurses and midwives serve.
We also encourage all ACNM members to join us in signing the American Nurses Association’s petition demanding that nursing and midwifery be recognized as a profession. Click here to sign the ANA petition!
Background:
The Department of Education recently completed negotiated rulemaking meetings with the Reimagining and Improving Student Education (RISE) Committee to inform how the Department of Education will implement changes to student financial aid provisions included in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
Negotiators for the RISE Committee deliberated new financial aid policies, including the definitions of “graduate” and “professional” degree programs, a distinction that will severely impact the federal loan amounts available to nursing students. The reclassification will directly impact how post-baccalaureate nursing and midwifery students access federal loans and loan forgiveness programs.
Post-baccalaureate nursing and midwifery students will lose access to higher federal loan limits previously available to professional degree programs if the rulemaking is adopted.
Nursing and midwifery students are poised to be excluded from certain loan forgiveness programs reserved for professional degrees if the rulemaking is adopted.
These changes create significant financial obstacles for students pursuing advanced nursing and midwifery education.
DHCS Omnibus APL
DHCS is accepting comments on a draft omnibus All Plan Letter (APL) to replace all previous maternity care related APLs. CNMA is engaging with partner organizations to review the proposed changes and ensure changes support the department’s goals of increasing access to midwifery care for people insured through medi-cal.
Northern California Kaiser Nurse-Midwives Unionization Efforts
The midwives of Kaiser Northern California are continuing their negotiating efforts with Kaiser, the largest employer of midwives in California. See the Vaello Sun’s coverage of the negotiations here: https://www.vallejosun.com/solano-county-kaiser-midwives-are-bargaining-for-their-first-union-contract/
The union is inviting personal stories and experience: You share your support for the midwives and other health professionals currently bargaining here: https://unacuhcp.org/caregivers/#Action.
More information from the union about the bargaining efforts can found here: https://unacuhcp.org/caregivers/
Midwifery in the News
The below article may be of interest to midwives, but is not about midwives.
Education, Trainings, Webinars, and More
Postpartum Support International (PSI) Trainings
Perinatal Mood Disorders: Components of Care
March 4-5, 2026 8:00 AM-5:00PM PT | Sacramento, CA
Registration Deadline: February 18
This two-day course, taught by expert and engaging faculty, uses a thorough, evidence-based curriculum designed for psychiatrists, nurses, physicians, social workers, mental health providers, childbirth professionals, social support providers, and anyone interested in building skills for assessment and treatment of perinatal mood disorders. Your registration includes a training manual, handouts, and certification of continuing education credits.
Advanced Perinatal Mental Health Psychotherapy
March 6, 2026 9:00 AM-4:30 PM PT | Sacramento, CA
Registration Deadline: February 18
This training features an evidence-based curriculum designed for mental health and psychotherapy providers who have previously completed at least fourteen hours of perinatal mental health training. This advanced training covers differential diagnosis, evidence-based psychotherapeutic approaches, and advanced therapeutic issues. It combines expert presentation with case studies, group discussion, and practical examples of treatment approaches. This course or an equivalent six-hour advanced training course is a pre-requisite for the Perinatal Mental Health Certification, in the mental health/psychotherapy specialty. Registration includes training manual and certification of continuing education.
On-Demand Webinars and Other Resources
Announcing the Reproductive Health Services Corps Accelerator Program
In addition to the amazing virtual and in-person abortion trainings offered regularly by CNMA. We wanted you know about another exciting new program TEACH is launching! We're thrilled to announce the launch of the RHSC Accelerator Program @ TEACH, a groundbreaking initiative funded by the Reproductive Health Services Corps grant. This program is designed for existing healthcare providers (MD, DO, NP, CNM, PA) within California seeking to expand their skills and offer comprehensive reproductive health services, including abortion care.
Key Program Benefits:
Customized Training: Tailored to your specific needs and goals.
Financial Support: Funding available to help you complete your training
Comprehensive Curriculum: Access to didactic components for providing medical and procedural abortions, and options counseling
Clinical Rotation Opportunities: Gain hands-on experience in a supportive environment.
On-Site Training: We can host training sessions at your practice for your team.
Ready to take the next step?
Learn more: visit the TEACH Website to learn more about the initiative.
Or apply directly here.
Rural providers and those who represent and care for underserved communities will be given top priority.
Bethany Golden & Megan Kumar
Co-Directors Reproductive Health Services Corps @ TEACH.
Introducing ReproHH: Free, On-Demand, Clinician-to-Clinician Support for Reproductive Health
We are thrilled to announce the launch of ReproHH: a FREE, confidential hotline for healthcare providers nationwide! Whether you’re a clinician or a community health worker, you can now connect with specialists based out of the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) to discuss your sexual and reproductive health questions - all by phone. ReproHH’s team of physicians is here as a trusted partner to minimize the need for referrals to specialists, avoid unnecessary treatments, and enhance healthcare outcomes.
Call ReproHH today at 1-844-ReproHH (1-844-737-7644).
ReproHH is available Monday – Friday, 8 am - 4 pm PT (11 am – 7 pm ET), excluding holidays.
Learn more and review our terms of service at reprohh.ucsf.edu.
Job Opportunities
Birth Center Opportunities for New Grads
Practicing in a supportive birth center alongside experienced midwives can be transformative, building skills and confidence. All of the birth centers listed below (some located in rural areas) offer Fellowships or hiring opportunities for new graduates wishing to practice full-scope midwifery in a birth center setting. Please reach out for more information. Full disclosure: The listing below is a preliminary draft and does not contain the full information on the possibilities of each site. When you make contact, ask each site lots of questions, such as, 'Is there a stipend?' Do you offer loan repayment? Is the ability to speak Spanish an absolute requirement, or do you also have translators? How flexible is the timing and length of the Fellowship?
For any questions regarding this list, please contact Melanie Cabezas Phipps at mphippsm@gmail.com.
Birth centers offering Fellowships or hiring new graduates:
Acorn Community Birth and Wellness Center in Fallbrook, CA. We are a CPM/CNM practice in the process of obtaining CABC accreditation and are always open to new midwives who would like to work at a higher-volume birth center serving a diverse ethnic and socio-economic population. We are Medicaid providers and, as such, see a greater diversity of immigrant, BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and lower socio-economic communities. Located between San Diego and Riverside Counties. Contact Cristi Lewis LM, CPM, Executive Director, at midwives@acornbirthcenter.com.
Astoria Birth Center & Family Medicine, a rural practice on the Oregon coast. Contact: Rebeckah Orton
The Birth Center in Newark, Delaware. Contact Julia Paulus
El Rio Health in Tucson, Arizona. Federally Qualified Health Center (FHQC) with a Fellowship program. We attend births in a hospital that has a CABC-accredited Alongside Midwifery Unit adjacent to an L&D unit, a good experience for physiologic birth, water births, newborn care, and early discharge. Contact: Greta Gill at GretaG@elrio.org
Full Circle Birth Center in Kasson, Minnesota. Contact: AnneMarie Schwanke
Holy Family Services Birth Center, located in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas. Fellowships are available to new graduates or seasoned nurse-midwives who wish to gain experience in out-of-hospital births and solidify their midwifery training. We are an HRSA-designated site, which allows eligible staff to qualify for the Nurse Corps Loan Repayment Program. Fellows serve for a minimum of 6 months - 2 years and are provided with stipends and housing. Contact: Brandi Kennedy at 956-969-2538.
The Midwife Center, Pittsburgh, PA. Contact: Emily McGahey, CNM
Nativiti Family Birth Center in The Woodlands, Texas (Houston suburb). We are open to hiring new grads and would love to offer fellowship opportunities (do not have that program at this time but would be open). Contact admin@nativiti.com Jami Hain, CNM
New Birth Wellness Center/New Birth Midwifery in Chaska, Minnesota. Contact: Jennifer Hall
Tender Gifts Birth & Wellness Center in Fort Collins and Grand Junction, Colorado. Contact: Althea Hrdlichka, hello@tendergiftsbirth.com, 866.218.5769
Twin Cities Birth Center + Women's Health Clinic, St. Paul, MN. 9-month fellowship program for CNMs and CPMs. Paid fellowship with health benefits, an education stipend, and paid time off. Contact: stephanie@twincitiesbc.com
To Our California Midwives:
Are you a birth center midwife OR a midwife who works in a rural setting? Do you offer Fellowships or hire new grads? Midwives at the American Association of Birth Centers and the American College of Nurse-Midwives are compiling a Grand List, which will be distributed nationwide to our students and new midwifery grads who have expressed an interest in pursuing a midwifery Fellowship or working in a birth center, especially those in rural areas. Birth center Fellowships in urban settings are a great resource, too! This is a super opportunity to promote your beautiful birth center to those wishing to gain experience and confidence in practicing full-scope midwifery in a community setting. Please tell us where you are, what you can offer to new graduates, and a little something about your setting to Melanie Cabezas Phipps: mphippsm@gmail.com
Additional Information
Legal Aid at Work: Training on Paid Leave and Accommodations for Pregnant People
Hi everyone,
Thank you so much for joining Legal Aid at Work for our training on Paid Leave and Accommodations for Pregnant People, New Parents, and Family Caregivers in 2025. A recording of our training is available in English here, and in Spanish here, and the slides are available here.
Please feel free to refer low-paid patients and clients working in California to our Work and Family Helpline at 800-880-8047, confidential advice on workplace protections related to pregnancy, caregiving, or health conditions. Additionally, providers and community partners may call our helpline for technical assistance, or to request a training.
Email Katie (kwutchiett@legalaidatwork.org) or Natalia (ngottschalk@legalaidatwork.org) with questions or requests..
Here are some of the materials we highlighted:
Basic rights for parents: Pregnancy/Parenting +My Job in California (and San Francisco)
Step by step guide for parents: Pregnancy + My Job Roadmap and Guide
Videos: 10-15 minute video for pregnant folks and parents (in English, Spanish, Korean, Vietnamese, Tagalog, Mandarin, Cantonese, Arabic, Farsi, Panjabi, and Armenian)
You can also visit our website for additional factsheets on workplace rights for NICU families, foster parents, LGBTQ+ families, federal employees, family caregivers, dads, those experiencing reproductive loss, survivors of domestic violence, and more. Printed copies of our materials can be requested here.
Our goal is to make sure that families, especially those who are paid low wages, can access the leave and accommodations they need for their health and their family’s health without having to sacrifice their jobs or income. Don’t hesitate to reach out if there’s anything we can do to partner in this work!
All our best,
LAAW’s Work and Family Team
(Franchesca, Julia, Katie, Natalia, Sela, Sharon, Shazzy, and Victoria)
Volunteer Opportunities
Did You Have a Hard Time Finding a Preceptor?
To our new California midwifery grads: CONGRATULATIONS on finishing your midwifery program! We are so proud and happy for you. Please remind yourself often of the great significance of your accomplishment and give yourself a big hug.
CNMA’s Workforce Development and Educational Support (Co-chairs Melanie Cabezas Phipps and Kim Dau) are aware that many midwifery students, particularly those in distance-learning programs, have expressed (and continue to express) frustration, delays, and stress in finding preceptors. This is not a new issue, and we are actively working to improve the situation. California is the state with the most midwives of any state in our nation, so our work here impacts the entire profession. Let’s organize to change things so that our current and future students don't have to go through what so many of us did. With your help, we can make a difference.
Tell us your narratives. If you had difficulty finding preceptors, please share your experience with us by emailing Melanie at mphippsm@gmail.com. What issues did you have? What happened, what could have happened and didn't (or did), what should have happened, what worked/didn't work, how would you like to see things change? Your thoughts, suggestions, and insights are greatly appreciated. All responses are kept in confidence.
Membership Opportunities
All Things Membership
CNMA’s Membership team is here to support you and help you get whatever you need to be the best midwife you can be.
Do you have any questions about your California Nurse-Midwives Association and/or your American College of Nurse-Midwives benefits? For example,
Do you want to know how to become a member and if you are eligible for any discounts? (you probably are)
Are you looking for a specific resource to support your practice?
Are you a student trying to figure out the best way to find a preceptor?
Are you interested in publishing your research or getting involved in further research?
Are you interested in volunteering at the local, state, national, or global level within the midwifery community?
Are you having trouble renewing your membership or updating your member profile information, such as your email address, home address, credentials, or affiliate, or even learning how to add another affiliate?
Would you like to contact the CNMA or ACNM Board? Or, our Region VII Representative Michelle Palmer? Or, even the ACNM CEO Michelle Munroe or ACNM President Jessica Brumley?
Would you like to learn what it takes to become an ACNM Fellow?
Are you looking for a job? Or, would you like to promote your midwifery practice to others?
... and more! Both the CNMA and the ACNM can sometimes feel like complex organizations, but we also have lots of member benefits. We’re here to help you find them and navigate from A to B. If we can't fix it or don't know the answer, we'll find out for you ASAP and hook you up with those who can. Contact us at membership@cnma.org or call/text (858) 525-5733, 7 am - 8 pm Pacific
Rural Maternal Health now on CONNECT
We've just started a new community on ACNM’s CONNECT networking platform for anyone interested in rural maternal health issues. This is a collaborative space for all those interested in advancing equitable, high-quality maternity care in rural communities. This all-members forum is set up to share resources, identify workforce and access challenges, highlight innovative models of care, and foster professional support among midwives serving rural populations. Please join, introduce yourself, and post your thoughts and questions about any rural maternal health issue you would like to explore. If you currently work in a rural setting, please share with us your day-to-day challenges, struggles, and triumphs, as well as your joyful moments and strategies for providing maternal/newborn care. We’re here to offer support and help you find ways to make your personal and professional life easier. Any questions on how to join, contact Melanie Cabezas Phipps at connect@acnm.org.
Medi-Cal Rx
Sign up for the Medi-Cal Rx Subscription Service to be notified when new information is posted!
See additional bulletins and news updates below:
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!
You're receiving this communication because you are a current or former member of the ACNM/CNMA or because you signed up from the CNMA website.
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