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

California Nurse-Midwives Association
CNMA.ORG

January 2021 | Mid-Month Update

Table of Content

COVID-19 Vaccine Updates

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