About the Program
In recognition of California’s progress, investment, and innovative proposal to improve maternal health outcomes, the Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA) granted California a five-year, $10 million State Maternal Health Innovation (MHI) award. The award will go to the state’s Perinatal Quality Collaborative, California Maternal Quality Care Collaborative (CMQCC), housed at Stanford Medicine. The MHI Program is a collaboration between the California Department of Public Health–Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health Division, the California Department of Health Care Services, the Office of the California Surgeon General, and CMQCC.
The HRSA State MHI Program aims to reduce severe maternal morbidity and mortality through broad-based, multidisciplinary collaboration, in order to improve maternal health and reduce maternal health disparities. SMM is the unintended outcomes of labor and delivery that result in significant short- or long-term health consequences. The program will be centered on innovative programming that builds patient trust, increases access to and coordination of maternal health resources and services, and improves the quality of maternity care.
California Maternal Health Task Force Launch Event
Join us for the official launch of the CA Maternal Health Task Force (CA MHTF), the action arm of the CA Maternal Health Innovation (MHI) Program. This webinar will provide an overview of the CA MHTF’s Strategic Plan and Subcommittee areas of focus, along with opportunities for engagement and feedback.
Maternal Health Task Force Subcommittees
Guided by the Steering Committee, the MHI Program has identified key strategic priority areas, including:
- Providing high-quality, respectful, and trauma-informed perinatal care
- Identifying medical, behavioral, and social drivers through health risk assessments
- Increasing access and links to risk-appropriate care and follow-up
- Establishing a standard of data transparency
- Integrating and coordinating healthcare systems and programs
Additionally, the MHI Program launched a statewide assessment to analyze the impact of labor and delivery unit reductions and closures—contributing to the rise of “maternity care deserts”—on maternal and infant health outcomes. According to CalMatters, with support from California Health Care Foundation, over the past decade California has seen 50 maternity ward closures, including seven Critical Access Hospitals, with seven closures occurring in 2024 alone.(1) These closures have disproportionately affected rural communities, limiting access to risk-appropriate care and placing additional strain on remaining healthcare facilities.
What to Expect
Program partners plan to:
- Translate data into action, using findings from California Maternal Mortality Review Committee reports, State maternal health needs assessments, surveys, and other sources.
- Develop and implement an evidence-based strategic plan, based on a comprehensive analysis of maternal health needs, to ensure that pregnant and postpartum women assessed for poor outcomes benefit from medical and public health programs.
- Learn from community members about successful existing programs and systems, then integrate and promote those best practices as part of implementing new, innovative maternal health strategies.
California Maternal Health Task Force Steering Committee and Task Force
In 2024, California’s MHI Program successfully convened a Maternal Health Task Force (MHTF) Steering Committee and Subcommittees, representing geographies and communities across the state, to guide maternal health innovation. The Steering Committee plays a critical role in strategizing approaches to ensure that all pregnant and postpartum women who are assessed for poor outcomes can access and benefit from medical and public health services. With a focus on reducing severe maternal morbidity and mortality, the Steering Committee is also responsible for recruiting, establishing, and directing a multidisciplinary MHTF—the foundational element of this initiative. Their collective expertise shapes the program’s strategic priorities, ensuring efforts are data-driven and actionable.
References
- CalMatters. “California’s Maternity Care Crisis is Worsening as Newsom Decides on Bills to Slow Closures.” CalMatters. Published September 16, 2024. Accessed March 3, 2025. https://calmatters.org/health/2024/09/new-maternity-care-closures/