MAWS is represented in the leadership of these Washington state initiatives and programs: 

  • WA State Perinatal Collaborative
    MAWS has been a partner on the Washington State Perinatal Collaborative (WSPC) since its creation in 2008. WSPC is a community of public and private organizations, agencies and individuals committed to maternal and child health. The mission of this collaborative is to improve the care and outcomes for pregnant people, newborns and infants with the help of families and front line health care providers. The initiatives and projects will be based in quality improvement science.
  • Washington State Maternal Mortality Review Panel
    MAWS is represented on this panel by our President, Neva Gerke. This multidisciplinary committee conducts “comprehensive, multidisciplinary reviews of maternal deaths in Washington to identify factors associated with those deaths and make recommendations for system changes to improve health care services for women in this state.”
  • Foundation for Health Care Quality
    MAWS was invited by the Foundation for Health Care Quality to participate in a statewide obstetrical data collection project with hospitals called OB COAP (Obstetrical Outcomes Assessment Program). The FHCQ is a nationally recognized 501(c)3 not-for-profit based in Seattle. It is home to several programs dedicated to reducing variations in outcomes and improving the quality of care for patients. 
  • OB COAP
    MAWS is the only non-hospital member of OB COAP. Our participation shows outcomes for community based birth in direct comparison to hospitals. Using a unique model of clinician-led, data-driven collaboration, these clinical quality improvement programs have for almost 20 years, proven incredibly effective at promoting the changes which result both in better care for patients and in lower costs.
  • Smooth Transitions
    Smooth Transitions is a statewide quality improvement effort focusing on improving care, enhancing the patient experience, and strengthening professional relationships among practitioners during the course of transfers to a higher level of care. Its first area of focus has been on transfers of care to hospitals from licensed community-based birth providers attending planned births at home or in freestanding birth centers. ​Previously housed by MAWS, Smooth Transitions is now operating as an initiative within the structure of OB COAP which will allow participating hospitals to engage in protected case review with community-based licensed midwives in their catchment area.


Banner photo used with permission.
Land Acknowledgement 
MAWS acknowledges that we live and work on the unceded ancestral lands of the Coast Salish tribes and pay our respects to all of the ancestral homelands and traditional territories of Indigenous peoples who have been here since time immemorial. We recognize that this land touches on the shared waters of tribes and bands within the Duwamish, Puyallup, Suquamish, Tulalip and Muckleshoot nations. We recognize we are grateful to be guests in these lands and commit to show solidarity for the continued fight for Indigenous sovereignty. ​