CNMF has been around for just over one year, and in that time has raised approximately $65,000.00! In 2020, we have supported many projects, including assistance with emergency funds for students, supporting the Aspiring Midwives of Color program, grant funding for mentorship programs for student midwives of color, public education campaigns on midwives and reproductive justice, and many more. We’re excited to do even MORE in 2021!

CNMF is Online!

The California Nurse-Midwives Foundation is excited to announce that we now have our very own Social Media handle and an updated and improved website! @CalNMFoundation

Please follow us on FB, IG, and Twitter, and share widely!

As we continue to fundraise to support important projects and push for the integration of midwives into the maternal healthcare system, we will send occasional updates. If you would like to be removed from the Foundation's mailing list, email us at info@californianursemidwivesfoundation.org.

CNMF Fundraiser to support Student Midwives

Our Fundraising Drive to sponsor midwifery students from underrepresented communities to attend the ACNM Virtual Conference continues. We have received $365.00; our hope is to raise $2650.00. Click here to donate an amount that is right for you! Students, please use this 1-page application form to apply by April 1st.

California Health Policy

Save the Date! Advocacy Day 2021 is May 20th.

Take a peek at the upcoming April newsletter for more information about the bill we are co-sponsoring and further details on our upcoming Advocacy Day.

Reproductive Freedom Week

The California Coalition for Reproductive Freedom is organizing Reproductive Freedom Week 2021! March 29 - April 2 participants of #RFW2021 will be join virtual meetings with legislators across CA presenting:

SB 245: the Abortion Accessibility Act,
SB 65: the Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act,
SB 306: the STD Coverage + Care Act.

Collectively these bills address a range of reproductive health, rights and justice issues and provide an opportunity for us to tell our legislators how important reproductive freedom is in California! Registering for RFW will also register you for an advocacy training webinar on March 25 at 5pm. There, we'll familiarize you with the 3 bills and let you know what to expect at the virtual meetings. For more information and to register, visit: reproductivefreedomca.org.

Action Alert: CNMA opposes the CalAIM waiver in the Governor’s budget proposals. Subcommittee Hearing Tuesday May 16th.

Along with MCH Access, ACOG, CALM, CFAM, and First 5 California, we signed on last year to formally oppose the CalAIM waiver in Governor's budget proposal that would mandate that citizen and lawfully present pregnant women in certain Medi-Cal eligibility groups to receive services from a managed care plan instead of in fee-for-service (FFS). We oppose because it segments the population based upon immigration status, may make it more difficult for women remaining in FFS to receive medically necessary care, mandatory plan enrollment may prevent some patients from receiving specialist care, and there are serious gaps in the plans’ provision of CPSP’s required psychosocial or other SDOH benefits. You can read more here. If you'd like to call in to oppose this proposal in the Assembly Budget Subcommittee #1 on March 16th, you can find information here.

Chelsea Becker Case

CNMA, in conjunction with the work spearheaded by the Drug Policy Alliance and the ACLU, signed on to separate Amicus Briefs for Chelsea Becker and Adora Perez of Kings County. Both women are incarcerated in Kings County and charged with murder for separate fetal deaths after ingesting substances. You can find more information here and here. In December, the California Supreme Court granted review of Chelsea Becker’s petition for habeas corpus. We are pleased to announce that on March 9th, the Kings County Superior Court Judge granted Chelsea Becker’s request to be released on her own recognizance to a residential treatment facility! Find out more here.

National Health Policy

President Biden signed American Rescue Plan Act which extends states' option of Medicaid coverage for one year postpartum!

The American Rescue Plan offers states a new “state plan” option to provide pregnancy-related medicaid and CHIP coverage for one year after the end of pregnancy. Previously, states could only receive federal matching funds to extend postpartum coverage beyond 60 days through a section 1115 waiver. Find more info here and here.

COVID-19 Vaccine and Pregnancy

Pregnant People included in CDPH Tier 1c

The provider bulletin from the CDPH was updated on March 11 to include pregnant people in Tier 1c. Effective March 15, pregnant people in California will be eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. More information is available at the CDPH website.

COVID-19 Vaccine Monitoring Systems for Pregnant People

Currently, there is no evidence that COVID-19 vaccination causes any problems with pregnancy, including the development of the placenta. However, data are limited about the safety of COVID-19 vaccines for people who are pregnant. Because of this, CDC and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have safety monitoring systems in place to capture information about vaccination during pregnancy and will closely monitor that information. More information is available here.

Caring for Newborns when the Mother has COVID-19

While much is still unknown about the risks of COVID-19 to newborns born to mothers with COVID-19, we do know that: COVID-19 is uncommon in newborns born to mothers who had COVID-19 during pregnancy; some newborns have tested positive for COVID-19 shortly after birth (though it is unknown if these newborns got the virus before, during, or after birth); and

most newborns who tested positive for COVID-19 had mild or no symptoms and recovered (however, there are a few reports of newborns with severe COVID-19 illness). The CDC’s recommendations on how best to care for newborns born to mothers with COVID-19 are available here.

COVID Vaccine in Pregnancy and Breastfeeding Handout

ACNM has collaborated with other maternal health organizations on a patient handout, "COVID Vaccine Advice if You Are Pregnant or Breastfeeding". Recently updated to include the one-dose Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine, this handout provides facts about all three COVID vaccines and guidance for discussion with a healthcare provider if you are a pregnant or lactating individual.

Workforce Development

Commonsense Childbirth Institute and the University of California San Francisco School of Nursing are conducting a survey on motivators and barriers to pursuing a midwifery career for Black and other people of color. Given the unique moment in time where the Black Maternal Health Crisis has collided with the COVID-19 global pandemic, the importance of supporting, expanding, and diversifying the birth workforce cannot be understated. There is an urgent need to determine the needs of midwifery students, particularly midwifery students of color, in pursuing a midwifery career. This survey is aimed toward anyone who is Black, Indigenous or a Person of Color interested in becoming a midwife.

Many thanks!

Jennie Joseph

Linda Franck

Monica McLemore

Awards, Grants, and Scholarships

ACNM Health Equity Award

The Health Equity Award honors an exceptional midwife who is an ACNM member and has provided outstanding contributions in advancing health equity and eliminating health disparities

through clinical practice, education, administration, scholarship, research, community building, or advocacy. The nomination deadline is March 26.

Nurse Corps Loan Repayment Program

The Nurse Corps Loan Repayment Program, run by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), has allocated up to $5 million for registered nurses, advanced practice registered nurses, and nurse faculty. Applicants can earn up to 85% of unpaid nursing education debt by committing to working at least two years at a Critical Shortage Facility (CSF) or in an eligible nursing school. The deadline to apply has been extended to March 18th.

PSI Community Engagement Grant

In response to the growing perinatal mental health needs in underserved communities particularly affected by COVID-19, PSI has designed a one-time grant through our Perinatal Action Fund to award innovative programs focused on perinatal mental health that address disparities, bridge gaps in care, and address financial and socioeconomic needs of pregnant and postpartum families. Applicants must have at least one individual with an active PSI Membership. (Group memberships are also available). Learn more about PSI membership here. Awards range from $500-$10,000, and the size of the grant is dependent upon the scope of the project and the number of people served. This pilot program is limited to US entities. Applications will be reviewed and evaluated by PSI state chapters and the PSI Community Engagement Committee. Submit your application by May 1, 2021.

California Nurse-Midwives Foundation Scholarship

The California Nurse-Midwives Foundation is sponsoring midwifery students from underrepresented communities to attend the ACNM Virtual conference. Student midwives, please apply by April 1.

Education, Trainings, and Webinars

Free Maternal Mental Health 101 Webinar

2020 Mom and Postpartum Support International will provide an opportunity to learn about the various Maternal Mental Health Disorders, the differences between them, risk factors, and treatment options. You can register for this complimentary live webinar here. Recordings will be sent to all those who register regardless of whether they attend live.

2020 Mom: Annual Maternal Mental Health Forum

The 2021 Reset: Redesigning Policy and Systems So All Mothers Can Thrive. This annual forum will be held Wednesday through Friday, March 24-26 from 10:45am-12pm PST. Join us at the FORUM for just $55 for one or for all days. Scholarships are available for BIPOC healthcare workers those who care for birthing people of color.

Virtual Briefing: Findings from the California Health Care Foundation’s Sacramento Regional Market Study

In a virtual briefing on Wednesday, March 17, CHCF will share results from its report on the Sacramento area market, spanning El Dorado, Placer, Sacramento, and Yolo Counties. Prior regional reports were released in 2009, 2012, and 2016. Together with the Sacramento area report, the six other markets included in the 2020 project — Humboldt/Del Norte, Los Angeles, Riverside/San Bernardino, San Diego, San Francisco Bay Area, and the San Joaquin Valley — reflect a range of economic, demographic, care delivery, and financing conditions in California. Register here.

Women’s Policy Institute

Are you ready to build community power and shift the status quo at the local level? Our Women’s Policy Institute Local just opened applications for our class of 2022 and we want to hear from you! Women’s Policy Institute Local (WPI-Local) is an experiential policy advocacy training program that delivers tools, builds networks, and develops leadership across California. Our WPI programs have trained over 500 fellows responsible for 47 bills passed into law shaping racial, economic, and gender justice policy. WPI Local is run in both English and Spanish and fellows work in collaborative teams. To apply, you will need a team of 3-4 collaborators and an idea for a local-level policy project that will advance racial, economic, and

gender justice. Anyone affected by gender-based oppression and discrimination is welcome to apply to WPI. Our past classes include cisgender and transgender women, genderqueer, gender-variant and non-binary individuals, and trans men.

The application deadline is April 8, 2021. More information is available here.

Updates on Medi-Cal Rx

The Changes to Contract Drug List, posted March 1, 2021 is now available. Medi-Cal Rx training begins this month and will continue until the MediCal Rx implementation to assist pharmacy providers, prescribers, and their staff as they transition to Medi-Cal Rx. Pharmacy Service Representatives (PSRs) will begin reaching out by phone to introduce the new Medi-Cal Rx web portal and available resources and functionality, and more information is available here.

CURES

Effective April 1, 2021, the Controlled Substance Utilization Review and Evaluation System (CURES) fee will increase from $6 to $11 annually for a period of two years. The increase will be applied to licenses expiring after July 1, 2021, and is assessed at the time of license renewal on specified licensees of the Board of Registered Nursing that prescribe, order, administer, furnish, or dispense Schedule II, Schedule III, Schedule IV, or Schedule V controlled substances. For more information about CURES, visit: https://oag.ca.gov/cures .

Help us build the CNMA Social Media Presence!

As our social media presence grows, we want to be sure our content is educational and relevant to you. So as CNMA works to build an ever evolving content bank of articles, stories, events, graphics, and social media posts, we would love to uplift those materials that our membership feels are most worth sharing through our CNMA and CNMF channels. We’re always looking for content that focuses on scope of practice, midwifery education, equity, policy, reproductive justice, and antiracism. If you come across a social media post that you believe we should repost/reshare, please send the post to us directly through DM at @cnmamidwives or @calnmfoundation. Alternatively, you can email us directly at sm@cnma.org. And thanks!

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

March 2021 | Mid-Month Update

California Nurse-Midwives FOUNDATION!

Meet the California Nurse-Midwives Foundation