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CNMA Newsletter – January 2026
- Laura Sheperis
- Jan 6
- 13 min read
Message From the President
Happy New Year, colleagues and friends,
I’ve been reflecting on what it means to be a midwife in California, living with intention. Looking back at 2025, our collective power was on full display. We didn't just advocate for change; we lived it. Living with intention this year isn't a luxury; it’s our survival and our strength. As we cross the threshold into 2026, I plan to continue to focus on health equity, informed choice, holistic wellness, and community support, while also focusing on grounding practices for my own self-care.
As California midwives, we hold a unique blend of a desire for innovation within a progressive wellness culture that includes a push for social and health equity. Intentional midwifery is not only about viewing pregnancy and birth as a normal, physiologic experience; it’s also about being present and aligning your health values. As I set my intentions this year, I plan to continue to pave the road for future midwives by helping to expand access to midwifery education, mentoring new students, and reducing the economic barriers that prevent underrepresented groups from entering our workforce. In this era where uncertainty is the norm, I will continue to advocate for policy changes that improve health outcomes. Remembering that as we care for others, we must sustain ourselves. My personal intention this year includes more time in my garden and daily meditation, allowing me to return to the bedside with a full heart.
Intentional living during this transformative time isn't a nonessential indulgence; it is a vital component of a healthy, fulfilling experience for midwives and the people we serve. What are your intentions for 2026?
Thank you all for your hard work and dedication, wishing you all a Happy New Year!
In gratitude and health,
Amita
Amita Graham, CNM
(She/her)
President CNMA
Legislative Action & Advocacy
(formerly Health Policy)
The CNMA Legislative Action and Advocacy Committee is gearing up for our 2026 legislative year. We are looking forward to working with our partners across the state to develop a strong slate of bills to continue our efforts to improve reproductive health care in California principally by increasing access to care by midwives.
Margaret Bean Fellows:
We are thrilled to announce our 2026 three Margaret Bean Fellows. We look forward to their contributions to the CNMA policy communications efforts.
Adrian M. Medina: A nurse-midwife with 9 years experience working in rural and underserved communities, in Guam, Colorado and California. He led CNM integration efforts at hospital in Guam. Currently living and working in the Central Valley.
Davon Crawford - Doula and aspiring midwife with experience leading maternal child health programs in partnership First 5 agencies, local hospitals, and public health departments in the her community in Solano, Sonoma, and Napa counties
Nadia Abu-Douleh: New-grad CNM with experience working in Birth Center and hospital settings in San Diego.
DHCS Omnibus APL
CNMA, CALM and MACa collaborated to contribute comments to the DHCS draft omnibus All Plan Letter (APL) to replace all previous maternity care related APLs.
Northern California Kaiser Nurse-Midwives Unionization Efforts
United Nurses Associations of California/Union of Health Care Professionals (UNAC/UHCP) filed an unfair labor practice (ULP) charge against Kaiser Permanente alleging the employer is attempting to bypass the agreed-upon national bargaining process and interfere with good-faith negotiations that have been underway since May 2025. More here!
The union is inviting personal stories and experience: You share your support for the midwives and other health professionals currently bargaining by clicking here!
Midwifery in the News
Click the links below to read these relevant, recent articles.
Education, Trainings, Webinars, and More
Abortion Care Workshop
Please see attached flyer below for an upcoming January 24th workshop in SF on abortion care, including ultrasound and manual vacuum aspiration. This training is most appropriate for clinicians and students with some abortion training and/or experience. It will build on content such as medication abortion and values clarification that learners are already familiar with. CEs are offered through AANP.
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.
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
ZSFG Nurse-Midwifery Practice Seeking CNM
Are you passionate about empowering families and supporting physiologic birth? We’ve got the opportunity you’ve been waiting for! The ZSFG Nurse-Midwifery Practice—the longest-standing hospital-based midwifery program in San Francisco—is looking for an incredible Certified Nurse-Midwife (CNM) to join our team!
Position: Per diem Certified Nurse-Midwife
Location: San Francisco, CA
Why join us?
Deliver care in a state-of-the-art Family Birth Center with expanded patient options
Be part of a collaborative, interdisciplinary team committed to culturally respectful care
Collaborate with community doula programs and support physiologic birth
Grow your career while mentoring nurse-midwifery students, medical students, and residents
Key Responsibilities:
Provide antepartum, intrapartum, postpartum, and family planning care
Collaborate with Comprehensive Perinatal Services Program teams and social service agencies
Furnish medications and document care via electronic medical records
Support ongoing clinical education
Application Details:
Opening: Friday, December 5, 2025
Deadline: Friday, December 12, 2025, or soon after.
(Applications are still open at this time.) Don't wait, apply today!
Don’t miss this chance to be part of a practice that’s redefining care for families in the Bay Area! Apply today: tinyurl.com/SFdphCNM
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:
Upcoming Pharmacy Professional Dispensing Fee Provider Self-Attestation
Important Update: Implementation of the HRSA 340B Rebate Model Pilot
State of Emergency Override Activation: Submission Clarification Code 13
Mass Adjustment for Enteral Nutrition Products for Impacted Claims Reprocessed on May 29, 2024
Update: Medi-Cal Rx Physician Administered Drug Temporary Policy Reinstatement
Claim Submission Requirements for HRSA 340B Rebate Model Pilot Drugs
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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