Sonoma County Maternal Child and Adolescent Health

Good News!

Take a summer break and celebrate what's going well in Maternal Child and Adolescent Health-

with a potpourri of good news!

You all work incredibly hard providing support, education, and resources for our perinatal community. That work shows in the health and well-being of our birthing families.


We all know there is always more to be done- but let's take a pause this week and Celebrate the Good!

COVID Vaccinations are Approved From 6 Months!

This summer season, the best way to keep your children safe and healthy as they soak up the sun is by getting them #vaccinated against COVID-19. Children ages 5 and below are now eligible!

Link to Public Health Communications Collaborative Toolkit

Pregnancy-Related Mortality is Down!

The Maternal Child and Adolescent Health division of the California Department of Public Health released the latest data available from the California Pregnancy Mortality Surveillance System. California's pregnancy-related mortality fell in 2019 to 12.8 deaths per 100,000 from 16.1 in 2018.

The rate of pregnancy-related deaths from hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (preeclampsia/eclampsia) decreased significantly, for the first time hypertensive disorders are no longer among the top 5 leading causes of pregnancy-related death in California.

View the Data

California Plans to Pay Doulas $1,154!


The initial offer was an insulting $450.00 per birth, which would have been one of the lowest rates in the country. The average Medicaid reimbursement in other states is between $770 and $900, although Oregon and Rhode Island pay $1,500. 


Medi-Cal coverage for doula support will begin in January 2023.


Read the Kaiser Health News Article

Read the Medi-Cal NewsFlash

Medi-Cal Now Covers Community Health Workers!

CHW services may address issues that include, but are not limited to, the control and prevention of chronic conditions or infectious diseases; mental health conditions and substance use disorders; need for preventive services, perinatal health conditions; sexual and reproductive health; environmental and climate-sensitive health issues; child health and development; oral health; aging; injury; domestic violence; and violence prevention.


"Pregnant people and families with young children are often referred to public health nursing maternal and child home visiting (HV) programs when there are concerns about historical or evolving childhood trauma. The strict eligibility and participation requirements of existing evidence-based maternal and child HV programs can exclude families that have experienced or are experiencing childhood trauma and its effects and can limit innovation by public health nurses, a hallmark of the field.

Therefore, we advocate and describe the implementation of the Trauma Informed Approach in Public Health Nursing (TIA PHN) model, which incorporates a trauma-informed approach into a traditional maternal and child HV program in 3 California counties. TIA PHN, which began enrollment in March 2021, involves public health nurses and community health workers and integrates program evaluations in pursuit of evidence-based status."

The TIA PHN Home Visiting Program Published Another Article!

Julianne Ballard, Laura Turner and Brittany Lobo, in collaboration with UCSF School of Nursing's Yvette Cuca and Carol Dawson-Rose wrote the peer reviewed article:


Trauma-Informed Home Visiting Models in Public Health Nursing: An Evidence-Based Approach.

(click the title for the full article)


The article was published in the American Journal of Public Health, June 2022.

Click the TIA PHN logo above to go to their web page

Have you seen the MCAH website lately? We have a new look and a website chock full of resources and information for birthing persons and their families!


You can find web archives of the weekly e-Newsletters Here.


Have we missed something important on our website? email Liz.

Sonoma County Maternal Child and Adolescent Health  Website

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