S. 4186: Perinatal Workforce Act

The Perinatal Workforce Act aims to enhance maternal health care by growing and diversifying the perinatal workforce. Here are the main components of the bill:

1. Guidance to States

The Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) will provide guidance to states within two years of the bill's passage. This guidance will focus on:

• Educating health care providers about delivering respectful maternal care.
• Encouraging recruitment and retention of diverse maternity care providers, such as midwives, mental health professionals, and nutritionists from varied backgrounds.
• Promoting interdisciplinary maternity care teams that include a range of specialists trained in implicit bias and cultural competency.
• Facilitating job shadowing opportunities for students in midwifery programs to gain experience in childbirth settings.

2. Study on Maternity Care

The bill requires a study undertaken by HHS to explore best practices for respectful, culturally, and linguistically appropriate maternity care. This will involve:

• Identifying successful models of care and hospitals that have made strides in reducing racial and ethnic disparities in maternal health outcomes.
• Publishing a report within two years that includes these findings and best practices for providers.

3. Grants to Diversify the Perinatal Workforce

The bill establishes a grant program to help grow and diversify the perinatal workforce. Grant funds will be directed towards:

• Establishing or expanding accredited educational programs for physician assistants, perinatal health workers, and midwives.
• Offering scholarships to students from diverse backgrounds to increase enrollment in these programs.

Grants will prioritize programs that focus on inclusivity and have strategies to attract underrepresented groups in health professions.

4. Support for Nursing Workforce

In addition to the aforementioned workforce expansion, the bill sets aside funds specifically for nursing schools, aiming to:

• Provide scholarships for students training in maternal and perinatal health.
• Support schools that successfully recruit and retain a diverse pool of nursing students.

5. GAO Report on Barriers to Education

The bill mandates that the Government Accountability Office (GAO) study and report on barriers to maternal health education and access to care every five years. This includes:

• Identifying obstacles faced by low-income women and minority groups in accessing midwifery and maternal health care education.
• Assessing disparities in maternity care access based on various demographic factors and recommending improvements.

6. Definitions

The bill provides specific definitions, clarifying the terms used for designating a culturally competent care, maternity care providers, and perinatal health workers, among others. These definitions lay groundwork for effective implementation of the initiatives proposed in the bill.

7. Funding

The bill authorizes $15 million annually from fiscal years 2027 through 2031 to support the grant initiatives outlined above.

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