EDC to Expand Access to Midwives in Massachusetts
Meeting mothers where they are to ensure all moms and babies thrive
EDC has received a three-year, $900,000 grant from the Skyline Foundation to increase access to high-quality care from certified professional midwives (CPM) in Massachusetts.
Through the new Massachusetts Policy Implementation Initiative, EDC will work closely with the Massachusetts Chapter of the National Association of Certified Professional Midwives (NACPM-MA) to accelerate the integration of CPM across clinical systems, public health infrastructure, and community-based care.
The support from the Skyline Foundation comes at a critical time. The U.S. is facing a maternal health crisis. Maternal morbidity is two to four times higher compared to other developed nations. In Massachusetts, a maternal morbidity and mortality review of the past 7 years found that a lack of continuity of care contributed to over 22% of pregnancy-related deaths. Black non-Hispanic individuals had the highest pregnancy-related morality ratio (41.8), more than twice that of White non-Hispanic individuals (17.9).
While the perinatal care system needs to be strengthened in many ways, increasing access to skilled midwifery care is a key strategy. In the U.S. and worldwide, studies have found that midwife-attended births support positive outcomes for mothers and babies including fewer interventions, preterm births, inductions of labor, and caesarean delivery. Yet there is a severe shortage of midwives nationwide, and the need is particularly acute in the 36% of U.S. counties classified as maternity care deserts with no access to maternal care.
“We are so grateful to the Skyline Foundation for investing in this life-saving work in Massachusetts,” said Rebecca Herman, EDC Project Director. “The data is clear. Families across the country and in the Bay State need midwifery-led care more than ever.”
“This vital work in Massachusetts is an exciting and important piece of our maternal and child work nationwide,” added Zhandra Levesque, EDC Director of Maternal and Child Health. “We are currently working to partner with maternal and child health leaders across the U.S., including the many rural states with maternity care deserts, to ensure best practices are spread and scaled across the US.”
Working closely with NACPM-MA, key activities will include:
- Creating a support infrastructure for providers, with NACPM-MA at the center
- Raising public awareness of CPMs as a perinatal care option
- Conducting outreach to new CPMs
- Supporting CPMs with billing, reimbursement, and practice management
- Advancing data use and continuous quality improvement
We invite you to learn more about EDC’s Maternal Health & Home Visiting work to improve the health and well-being of children, mothers, and families nationwide.
