California Pregnancy-Associated Review Committee (CA-PARC)
California has launched a California Pregnancy-Associated Review Committee (CA-PARC) in the Central Valley counties of Butte, Colusa, Glenn, Fresno, Kern, Kings, Madera, Merced, Placer, San Joaquin, Sacramento, Shasta, Stanislaus, Sutter, Tehama, Tulare, Yolo and Yuba.
Chair
- Kimberly D. Gregory, MD, MPH, Professor, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center Obstetrics & Gynecology (Maternal-fetal medicine specialty)
Reports from CA-PARC are available on the CMQCC website.
Committee Members
Alma Bustamante Dayanghirang, MD OB/GYN specialty |
Obstetrician-Gynecologist Clinica Sierra Vista – FQHC in Fresno & Kern Counties OB/GYN Hospitalist St. Agnes Medical Center, Fresno |
Annette Fineberg, MD, MPH, FACOG OB/GYN specialty |
Department of Healthcare Services (Medi-Cal) OB/GYN Hospitalist, Sutter Medical Center, Sacramento |
Andrew Combs, MD, PhD Maternal-fetal medicine specialty |
Senior Advisor, Maternal-Fetal Medicine Clinical Quality Pediatrix Center for Research, Education, Quality and Safety Locum Tenens MFM Valley Perinatal & Genetics, Stockton |
Carolina Reyes, MD, ABOG Maternal-fetal medicine specialty |
Health Science Associate Clinical Professor, Maternal Fetal Medicine UC Davis Health, Sacramento |
Christi Stone, MPH, RN, CNM, WHNP Midwifery, public health specialties |
Northeastern Region Director Regional Perinatal Programs of CA (RPPC) Certified Nurse-Midwife and Quality Manager CommuniCare Health Centers (FQHC) Sutter Davis Hospital |
Christina Hiebert, MD OB/GYN specialty |
Birthing Center Chief OB/GYN Hospitalist, Kaiser Permanente Fresno Medical Center |
Daniel Hernandez, MD, MBA, FACOG OB/GYN specialty |
Medical Director, Obstetrics & Gynecology Medical Director, High-Risk Delivery Service Valley Children’s Healthcare, Fresno Community Regional Medical Center, Fresno St. Agnes Medical Center, Fresno |
Elenoa Tawake, MSN, BSN, RN Perinatal nursing specialty |
Sutter Tracy Community Hospital |
Elizabeth Potter, CNM, MS, WHNP, RN Midwifery specialty |
Certified Nurse-Midwife Enloe Health, Chico |
Gilbert Ramirez, MD, MAS Emergency medicine specialty |
Associate Clinical Professor of Emergency Medicine UC, San Francisco – Fresno Community Medical Centers – Fresno Inspire Health |
Helenia Quince, LCSW Social work specialty |
Mental Health Clinician Embodied Heart Mental Health |
Isabel Silva, MPH, CHES Perinatal education, public health specialties |
Senior Director of Wellness & Prevention Kern Health Systems Kern County Black Infant Maternal Health Initiative |
James Bedell, DO Maternal-fetal medicine specialty |
Senior Physician, Maternal-Fetal Medicine The Permanente Medical Group – Modesto/Stockton |
Jana Mariana, RNC-OB, MSN Perinatal nursing education specialty |
Clinical Educator/Contract Consultant St. Agnes Medical Center - Fresno |
Jennifer Sizemore, D-ABMDI, BA Deputy coroner |
Tehama County Sheriff/Coroner's Office |
Joyce Njoroge, MD Cardiology specialty |
Clinical Assistant Professor Division of Cardiovascular Medicine Stanford School of Medicine/Stanford Health Care |
Karol Watson, MD, PhD Cardiology specialty |
Professor of Medicine, Cardiology
Co-Director of UCLA Program in Preventive Cardiology |
Kimberly Robinson Patient/family advocacy specialty |
Senior Health Equity Project Coordinator Reinvent South Stockton Coalition Community Liaison Black Women for Wellness, Los Angeles/Stockton |
Kimberly Turbin, BS Patient/family advocacy specialty |
Consumer Watchdog |
Larry Shields, MD Maternal-fetal medicine specialty |
Director of Maternal-Fetal Medicine Marian Regional Medical Center System Physician VP Women and Infant Clinical Institute CommonSpirit Health |
Marla Seacrist, PhD, MSN, BSN, RN Perinatal nursing/education specialty |
Director of the School of Nursing California State University, Stanislaus - Turlock |
Melaney Stricklin, MSN, RNC-OB, C-EFM Perinatal nursing/education specialty |
Perinatal Outreach Nurse Educator UC Davis Health |
Nazanin Ahmadieh, DO, MPH Addiction medicine specialty |
Addiction Medicine Physician Kaiser Permanente |
Robyn Garrett, MSN, RNC-OB, C-EFM, CENP Perinatal education specialty |
Nurse Shift Manager Dignity Mercy Southwest Birth Center - Bakersfield |
Sujata Gami, MSc, LCCE, FACCE Perinatal education specialty |
Health Educator Kaiser Permanente North Valley Lamaze Program Trainer Lamaze International |
Teri Nava-Anderson, PhD, BDT/ AdvCD/ BPDT/PCD(DONA), ICCE, CLE Doula specialty |
Doula Trainer/Owner, Harmony Doula Group Board President, Mt Diablo Doula Community Director of Certification, DONA International |
Tracy Weeber, MN, CNS, PHN, RNC-OB, C-EFM, C-ONQS Perinatal and ambulatory nursing specialties |
Enloe Medical Center Chico State Adjunct Faculty, School of Nursing |
Vik Farajian, MD Obstetric anesthesia specialty |
Kaiser Permanente, Roseville Medical Center |
Updated 10/13/25
Background
The California Pregnancy-Associated Review Committee (CA-PARC), formerly called the California Pregnancy-Associated Mortality Review, is a multi-disciplinary group of professionals and community representatives that reviews case-level (de-identified) information about deaths of California residents that occur during pregnancy or within one year of the end of pregnancy. The purpose of the CA-PARC is to make data-driven, actionable recommendations on changes in practices, programs, and policies to eliminate preventable maternal deaths and health inequities.
The CA-PARC Project Team is committed to broad membership inclusion, embracing the idea that diverse member representation—professionally, geographically, economically, racially, ethnically and by gender—allows the team to more fully identify how to 1) improve the quality of care for pregnant and postpartum people and 2) ensure widespread dissemination of opportunities to implement recommendations.
In 2024, the CA-PARC Project Team formed a new CA-PARC Central Valley committee and specifically recruited new volunteer members primarily from the following counties: Butte, Colusa, Glenn, Fresno, Kern, Kings, Madera, Merced, Placer, San Joaquin, Sacramento, Shasta, Stanislaus, Sutter, Tehama, Tulare, Yolo and Yuba.
Individuals representing the following areas were invited to apply:
Organizations
|
Core Areas
|
Specialty Areas
|
Academic institutions Behavioral health agencies Blood banks Doula programs Federally qualified health centers FIMR/CFR programs Healthy Start agencies Homeless services Hospitals/hospital associations Legal system/criminal justice WIC programs Private/public insurer State chapters of professional associations Rural health associations State Medicaid Agency State Medical Society Tribal organizations |
Anesthesia Community advocacy Community birth work Family medicine Forensic pathology/medical examiner Maternal fetal medicine/perinatology Community midwifery /Certified professional midwifery Nurse midwifery Obstetrics and gynecology Patient safety Patient/familly advocacy Perinatal nursing Psychiatry Public Health Social Work |
Addiction Medicine Cardiology Clergy Community leadership Critical care medicine Emergency medicine, response Epidemiology Genetics Home nursing, home visiting Law enforcement Mental health Nutrition Pharmacy Public health nursing Public member with personal experience Quality/Risk management Violence prevention agencies |
Commitment
All CA-PARC members are expected to:
- Commit to a three-year term with the opportunity to recommit annually.
- Attend at least 75% of meetings throughout the year.
- Respond to CA-PARC-related emails/texts in a timely manner.
- Individually complete a Committee Review Form for each case they are assigned to review by the requested date.
- Participate in the discussion, including consensus decisions through online polling.
- Offer additional input to all cases when relevant.
- Assist with dissemination and implementation outreach, as applicable.
Additional Information
At present, CA-PARC members serve in a volunteer capacity and do not receive compensation. Meetings are virtual, though there may be an in-person meeting at some point during the three-year term.
- Meetings currently scheduled: November 15, 2024; January 24, March 21, May 16, 2025.
- Each meeting is scheduled on Fridays from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and is held on Zoom.
- Meeting preparation includes reviewing 6-8 cases in advance; this amounts to roughly 6-8 hours of prep work before each four-hour meeting.
- Read more about the past and current work of the CA-PARC.