The United States is facing a well-documented maternal health crisis, one that is being compounded by a shrinking OB/GYN workforce and a growing number of rural hospital closures. In a recent episode of MedCity News’ FemFwd podcast, Amanda Shafton, CNM and National Director of Midwifery at Ob Hospitalist Group, joined host Marissa Plescia to discuss how midwives are positioned to help close these gaps.
A growing midwifery workforce
Shafton shared that OBHG employs more than 350 full-time certified nurse-midwives across the country, a number that climbs closer to 500 when including PRN and part-time providers. She described midwifery as a consistent answer to many of the challenges facing maternal care today, noting that a larger midwifery workforce improves outcomes for patients, strengthens culture among nursing staff, and supports better work-life balance for physician collaborators.
“I think midwifery is always the answer.” — Amanda Shafton, CNM, National Director of Midwifery, Ob Hospitalist Group
Filling gaps in rural care
Much of the conversation centered on the role midwives can play in rural and underserved communities, where access to maternity care is often limited by distance and provider shortages. Shafton pointed out that many hospitalist midwives come to the profession after working as nurses in their own communities, giving them a firsthand understanding of local needs before pursuing a master’s or doctoral degree in midwifery. Because the educational pathway to becoming a certified nurse-midwife is shorter than the path to becoming a physician, Shafton noted that investing in midwifery education is a practical way to grow the maternal health workforce, particularly in areas already experiencing care shortages.
Advocacy and outreach as the path forward
When asked what more the industry can do, Shafton pointed to advocacy and outreach, including helping hospitals that have never worked with midwives understand what it takes to bring midwifery services online, from credentialing to scope of practice. She framed this kind of hands-on support as essential to expanding access to midwifery care across more health systems.
Listen to the full conversation
Hear more from Amanda Shafton on midwifery’s role in addressing the maternal health crisis. Listen to the full episode on MedCity FemFwd →