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.