Best Practices—Midwifery Model - MCHC Health Centers
Source: https://mchcinc.org/about-mchc-inc/quality-improvement/midwifery-model
Archived: 2026-04-23 17:32
Best Practices—Midwifery Model - MCHC Health Centers
Notice: One of our vendors was impacted by a security incident, which affected some of our patients' or their primary insured's protected health information.
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Best Practices—Midwifery Model
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About Us
Quality
Best Practices—Midwifery Model
Care for Her Delivers!
MCHC has championed innovative birth options that are rare in small, rural hospitals like ours; we offer families laboring tubs and nitrous oxide for pain relief.
Recently, the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) recognized our midwifery-based model as a national best practice. In collaboration with a supervising physician, our midwives monitor a mother through every stage of her pregnancy, tracking fetal development, providing education and supporting a woman during delivery and after her baby arrives.
Because research has shown that births by cesarean section result in higher postpartum infection rates and longer recovery periods for mothers, our Care for Her team is strongly committed to vaginal births. Nationally, the primary C-section rate is 22%; at Care for Her, it is 12%.
We achieved these results because of our unique approach to delivery support: laboring tubs, innovative pain control that includes nitrous oxide, and the one-on-one attention of our providers who support women in giving birth naturally. We’re grateful to our local hospital, Adventist Health Ukiah Valley (AHUV), because without their support, we could not achieve this success. In 2015, AHUV was acknowledged for having the lowest rate of C-section births in the North Bay Area. In 2016, Care for Her delivered approximately 85% of the babies born at AHUV.
Care for Her has also made a strong commitment to performing vaginal births after a cesarean section (VBAC) in appropriately counseled patients. Although supported by the American College of Ob/Gyn, many hospitals in the U.S. do not allow this. We think it is worth the effort, and our practice has an 85% success rate of which we are proud.
Recognition by experts is satisfying, but we know that it is strong relationships with our patients that make this success possible.
About Us
Awards & Affiliations
Leadership
30 Years of History
Quality
Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT)
Midwifery Model
Mission, Vision & Values
QUICK LINKS | CONTACT
MyChart
New Patients
Job Opportunities
Patient Rights and Responsibility
Protecting Your Privacy
Surprise Billing
(707) 468-1010
HOURS & LOCATIONS
: UKIAH, WILLITS AND LAKEPORT
Follow Us
MCHC Hillside and Dora Facebook
MCHC Lakeview Facebook
MCHC Little Lake Facebook
MCHC Care for Her Facebook
Linkedin
YouTube
Instagram
Notice: One of our vendors was impacted by a security incident, which affected some of our patients' or their primary insured's protected health information.
Learn More
Best Practices—Midwifery Model
Home
About Us
Quality
Best Practices—Midwifery Model
Care for Her Delivers!
MCHC has championed innovative birth options that are rare in small, rural hospitals like ours; we offer families laboring tubs and nitrous oxide for pain relief.
Recently, the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) recognized our midwifery-based model as a national best practice. In collaboration with a supervising physician, our midwives monitor a mother through every stage of her pregnancy, tracking fetal development, providing education and supporting a woman during delivery and after her baby arrives.
Because research has shown that births by cesarean section result in higher postpartum infection rates and longer recovery periods for mothers, our Care for Her team is strongly committed to vaginal births. Nationally, the primary C-section rate is 22%; at Care for Her, it is 12%.
We achieved these results because of our unique approach to delivery support: laboring tubs, innovative pain control that includes nitrous oxide, and the one-on-one attention of our providers who support women in giving birth naturally. We’re grateful to our local hospital, Adventist Health Ukiah Valley (AHUV), because without their support, we could not achieve this success. In 2015, AHUV was acknowledged for having the lowest rate of C-section births in the North Bay Area. In 2016, Care for Her delivered approximately 85% of the babies born at AHUV.
Care for Her has also made a strong commitment to performing vaginal births after a cesarean section (VBAC) in appropriately counseled patients. Although supported by the American College of Ob/Gyn, many hospitals in the U.S. do not allow this. We think it is worth the effort, and our practice has an 85% success rate of which we are proud.
Recognition by experts is satisfying, but we know that it is strong relationships with our patients that make this success possible.
About Us
Awards & Affiliations
Leadership
30 Years of History
Quality
Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT)
Midwifery Model
Mission, Vision & Values
QUICK LINKS | CONTACT
MyChart
New Patients
Job Opportunities
Patient Rights and Responsibility
Protecting Your Privacy
Surprise Billing
(707) 468-1010
HOURS & LOCATIONS
: UKIAH, WILLITS AND LAKEPORT
Follow Us
MCHC Hillside and Dora Facebook
MCHC Lakeview Facebook
MCHC Little Lake Facebook
MCHC Care for Her Facebook
YouTube