Christie is talking with Amy Romano, founder and CEO of Primary Maternity Care. Amy, a nurse midwife with an MBA, shares her experience blending clinical expertise with system-level healthcare leadership to revolutionize maternity care in rural communities. They discuss the critical role of freestanding birth centers, their capacity to offer low-risk, community-based care, and how these centers could be a key part of the solution to the growing issue of maternity deserts. Amy also dives into the challenges of regulatory barriers, the importance of risk-appropriate care, and the unique quality improvement strategies needed for safe community births. From pandemic-driven innovations to rethinking the future of rural maternity care, this episode is packed with actionable insights for improving maternal health outcomes in underserved areas.

This show is brought to you by the Alliance for Innovation on Maternal Health (AIM). Join us in the journey toward safer, more equitable maternal care and learn more about AIM at saferbirth.org.

This podcast is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration, HRSA, of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, HHS, as part of an initiative to improve maternal health outcomes.