Postpartum Care Clinical Expert Workgroup

In 2025, CQC is convening a clinical expert workgroup to guide the development of standards, workflows and strategies to support postpartum patients in primary care settings. This workgroup brings together leaders from primary care and maternal health to:

• Define the role of primary care in supporting birthing people throughout the postpartum period (12 weeks to 12 months)
• Co-design clinical guidance, care coordination workflows and equity-centered standards for postpartum care
• Identify actionable strategies for improving care transitions between maternity and primary care
• Provide feedback on draft handoffs, checklists and implementation tools to support primary care teams
• Support alignment with statewide maternal health efforts, including the Department of Health Care Services’ Transforming Maternal Health initiative

The workgroup will meet across five sessions in 2025. Final deliverables will include a white paper and implementation-ready tools that help clarify provider responsibilities and support integration of postpartum care into advanced primary care models.

Workgroup outputs will be shared publicly.

Maternal Health

Supporting maternal health means looking beyond pregnancy and birth to ensure that birthing people receive the care they need across the full continuum, including the critical postpartum period. More than half of pregnancy-related deaths occur within the first year after delivery, yet there are no national standards guiding how primary care should support patients after obstetric care ends. The result is a widespread gap in access, coordination and follow-up—particularly for those managing chronic conditions, behavioral health risks or social stressors.

CQC is working to close this gap by strengthening how postpartum populations are supported in primary care, aligned with the principles of advanced primary care. Through our maternal health efforts, we are engaging providers, health plans and clinical experts to define standards of care, clarify care transitions and explore sustainable payment models that ensure patients do not fall through the cracks once obstetric care concludes.

Current activities include a clinical expert workgroup focused on real-world workflows and quality improvement opportunities, and health plan roundtables aimed at identifying actionable strategies to better support postpartum patients and the teams who care for them. Together, these efforts will inform a roadmap to guide primary care’s role in improving maternal health outcomes and advancing equity.

By focusing on the postpartum period, CQC is helping California lead the way in reimagining maternal health—creating stronger care connections, building provider capacity and ensuring that birthing people receive the comprehensive, coordinated care they deserve.

CQC Programs & Initiatives

CQC’s current programs and initiatives focus on key areas including advanced primary care, behavioral health, aging and health equity, all enhanced by our robust data capabilities. Our work collectively drives health care innovation and improves outcomes across California and beyond. Discover how each program and initiative at CQC is actively shaping the future of health care.

Learning & Training

Design & Evaluation

Workforce Development

CQC is committed to advancing health care quality through targeted workforce development programs that enhance the skills of health care professionals. Our offerings range from virtual programs and in-person workshops to multi-year improvement collaboratives, all designed to provide the tools, guidance, and expertise necessary to empower providers, payers and other stakeholders to drive meaningful, system-wide change and achieve sustainable improvements in care delivery.

Data Capabilities

CQC’s advanced data architecture supports a broad spectrum of initiatives aimed at improving health care quality and efficiency across California. By harnessing clinician-level performance data, our system enables detailed performance analysis and real-time feedback. This infrastructure includes cloud-based services and sophisticated API connections, which are essential for facilitating a comprehensive exchange of health information.

As a key partner for statewide initiatives, such as the California Health and Human Services Agency’s Data Exchange Framework (DxF), CQC also provides crucial education and technical assistance for advanced data exchange within the health care delivery system, enhancing our collective ability to achieve equitable, patient-centered care. This partnership underscores our commitment to accelerating the exchange of health information among health care entities, government agencies and social service programs, ensuring that every Californian receives the care they deserve.

Through these collaborative efforts, CQC not only contributes to but also strengthens the data-driven strategies that align with both national and state quality standards, fostering a health care environment that prioritizes high standards and patient needs across all communities.

Aging

The needs of the aging population are central to CQC’s commitment to building a health care system that supports health, independence and quality of life for all. As the over-65 population grows rapidly, CQC collaborates with health care providers, payers and community organizations to address the unique challenges facing seniors. By focusing on chronic illness management, behavioral health, cognitive care and equitable access, CQC is working to ensure that California’s seniors can navigate and benefit from a health care system designed to meet their evolving needs.

CQC’s work on aging brings together stakeholders to drive alignment on essential aspects of senior care, from care coordination to consumer choice and health equity. By building consensus and supporting targeted strategies, CQC is advancing sustainable solutions that enhance care for seniors statewide. Together with our partners, CQC is dedicated to creating an environment where older adults receive the compassionate, effective care they deserve.

Telehealth

Health Equity

Health equity guides every aspect of CQC’s work as we partner with purchasers, payers, providers and other stakeholders to address systemic disparities in health care access and outcomes. By working to standardize demographic data collection, aligning financial incentives and integrating equity-focused metrics into quality improvement efforts, CQC is focused on creating a health care system that meets everyone’s needs, prioritizing populations most affected by social and structural health risks.

Through our health equity work, CQC advances culturally competent care, offers comprehensive technical assistance and supports targeted strategies to help providers address social drivers of health. We ensure that community needs and patient perspectives are integrated into our programs, aligning our efforts with those we serve. By fostering collaboration and taking a holistic approach, CQC is creating sustainable pathways to eliminate disparities and ensure equitable, high-quality care for all communities.