National Midwifery Week: Looking at the need in Central California

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Yande Nakazwe has been a registered labour and transportation caregiver for 15 years.

She precocious earned her master's grade successful midwifery from the University of Cincinnati.

Now, she's moving connected preparing for her exams.

"I'm looking guardant to transitioning into that role, and I'm precise excited to adhd myself into the strategy and to beryllium capable to afloat supply attraction connected a wider spectrum," she said.

Based retired of Dallas, Nakazwe got her aesculapian grooming acquisition successful Central California portion moving arsenic a nurse.

She sees the request for midwives successful the region.

"There are respective opportunities that I spot present successful the Central Valley, and I would similar to beryllium portion of the women spearheading this effort," she said.

The California Health Care Foundation reports that successful 2023, determination were 30 practicing midwives per 10,000 births statewide.

In Central California, it's astir 11 practicing midwives per 10,000 births.

Brittany Mbong is simply a Certified Nurse-Midwife with Black Wellness and Prosperity Center successful Downtown Fresno.

She believes midwives are indispensable to a woman's wellness care.

"When midwives are integrated into systems of care, midwives alteration c-section rates for hospitals, we summation satisfaction," she said.

According to the California Nurse-Midwives Association, determination is lone 1 programme that offers a master's successful midwifery.

Under State Bill 520, it would make a California Nurse-Midwifery Education Fund, which would assistance universities turn a master's level program.

"This measure could beryllium a truly large portion of a solution to our request successful the Valley," Mbong said.

The measure is presently connected the governor's desk.

Mbong says it's important to turn the midwifery workforce to assistance conscionable the healthcare needs for women, not conscionable successful Central California, but astir the state.

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