Health care: workforce training programs.

Existing law, the Midwifery Workforce Training Act, requires the Department of Health Care Access and Information to contract with programs that train certified nurse-midwives and programs that train licensed midwives to increase the number of students receiving quality education and training as a certified nurse-midwife or a licensed midwife, as specified. Existing law, the Song-Brown Health Care Workforce Training Act, establishes a state medical contract program with accredited medical schools, hospitals, and other programs and institutions to increase the number of students and residents receiving quality education and training in specified primary care specialties and maximize the delivery of primary care and family physician services to underserved areas of the state. This bill would, beginning upon the first appropriation by the Legislature for the purposes of the Midwifery Workforce Training Act, or on January 1, 2024, whichever occurs first, add programs that train certified nurse-midwives and programs that train licensed midwives to the list of programs eligible to contract with the state under the Song-Brown Health Care Workforce Training Act, and would add midwifery to the list of specified primary care specialties under that act. The bill would also, upon the implementation date described above, authorize programs that train certified nurse-midwives and programs that train licensed midwives to contract with the state pursuant to the Song-Brown Health Care Workforce Training Act if the program meets specified eligibility criteria for the Midwifery Workforce Training Act. The bill would, for programs contracting with state based on meeting the Midwifery Workforce Training Act eligibility criteria, require the department to determine the amount to pay a contracted program, and authorize the program to use funds received under the contract, pursuant to specified provisions of the Midwifery Workforce Training Act. The bill would authorize programs that train certified nurse-midwives and programs that train licensed midwives to contract with the state pursuant to either the Song-Brown Health Care Workforce Training Act or the Midwifery Workforce Training Act. The bill would make other related, conforming changes.