Bridging the Postpartum Gap in California: A Consensus Framework for Transitioning from Maternity Care to Primary Care During the Postpartum Year
More than half of maternal deaths in California occur between 1 week and 12 months postpartum, driven largely by preventable cardiometabolic and behavioral health conditions. Yet despite expanded postpartum coverage and growing recognition of long-term risk, there remains no standardized approach for transitioning patients from maternity care to primary care during this critical period.
To help address this gap, CQC convened the California Primary Care Postpartum Clinical Workgroup in 2025 to develop a consensus framework for postpartum-to-primary care transitions. The resulting issue brief, “Bridging the Postpartum Gap in California: A Consensus Framework for Transitioning from Maternity Care to Primary Care During the Postpartum Year,” outlines minimum recommendations for transitioning patients from maternity care to primary care during the extended postpartum period, including clearer clinical ownership, standardized transition timing, minimum viable handoffs and condition-specific pathways for patients at elevated risk.
Developed through a multidisciplinary process involving clinicians, payers and statewide partners, the framework is designed to support more connected, equitable postpartum care across California while allowing flexibility across practice settings and local workflows.