Philadelphia Midwife Collective will open the city’s first freestanding, midwife-run birth center, integrated into the local healthcare system. Philadelphia faces some of the nation’s worst maternal and infant health outcomes, with especially poor results for communities of color and LGBTQIA+ communities. Half of pregnancy-associated deaths could be prevented with early, continuous care, yet many families distrust hospital settings or face barriers to access. Currently, there are no freestanding birth centers within city limits. This model will test whether equitable access to Certified Nurse Midwives (CNMs) in an out-of-hospital, homelike facility—accepting Medicaid and private insurance—improves birth outcomes, reduces costs, and creates a sustainable, community-based healthcare model. At a time when the Greater Philadelphia Area has experienced a significant decline in both the quality and accessibility of perinatal care, a new, culturally sensitive, patient-centered, and community-based approach is necessary.
