How Much Do Midwives Make?
Million Dollar Question How much does a midwife really make? Do you make more working for yourself or someone else? Those are really good questions. It really depends. I have seen midwives lose money year after year running their own practices and others VERY profitable midwifery practices. We all have the same hours in a day. We all have access to the same resources and knowledge. We all have same opportunities to success. Why do some midwives make LOTS of money doing what they love while others struggle year after year. The average Certified Nurse Midwife working for a hospital or private practice makes $102,390. The range can be from $60,000 (birth center / home birth practice) to $170,000 (director of a larger midwifery hospital practice). Each state varies greatly. More independent midwifery states and where more birth centers are established tend to have higher income options for midwives. Where there is less demand due to restrictive laws, lack of community support, or lack of educational schools, the salary of midwives tends to decrease. The Most Profitable Midwives have Classic Themes with their Careers: They run their own businesses (NOT WORK FOR SOMEONE ELSE). When someone works for a company, that person is trading time for a salary or hourly rate. There are only so many hours you can work without taking away from family time, sleeping, and sanity. Business owners build a team of amazing staff that trade their time for income. By creating a business model where the midwifery expertise is only one of the revenue streams, the midwife can now accelerate her wealth potential. That is where the financial freedom really starts to add up for midwives. Having a midwifery service that is in higher demand will increase your profit margin. If your waiting list is consistently full and your business brand has a strong presence in the community, profits will reflect that into your bank account. Nationwide, midwives that I have seen make the most money had large business (or ran many businesses) and rarely did direct patient care. Their main purpose was getting the business policies and staff working the most efficiently at the business’s mission statement. Creating a business that runs a birth center practice, midwifery billing company, and consultation service really helps midwives climb the financial ladder. Look at what kind of midwife do you want to be. Do you want to work for someone else, get a retirement package, and take days off for vacation when boss approves of your requested time? If wealth and time freedom while supporting women on a larger scale is part of your life mission, we are definitely here to help that dream become a reality! Take some business courses, make a business plan, and figure out what type of midwifery business you would like to get started on. We Created the course Tips for Running a Successful Midwifery Practice to teach you all you need to know about being a midwife.
HOW DO YOU BUILD YOUR DREAM MIDWIFERY PRACTICE
Running a Successful Business As midwives, we LOVE to care for women and support the birth process! But, we are never trained to run a successful business. A few are fortunate to have a great business mentor to learn from, while many learn by mistakes and grow their practices slowly with their own time, cash, and passion. I want to accelerate your success and help you create ANY dream practice you desire. It is totally possible to serve the community and your personal goals at the same time. I am so driven by the immense possibilities we as midwives have in today’s health care environment. Now has there never been a better time to start a midwifery practice with post-Covid-19 demands for normal birth support outside of the hospital setting. Whether you want to create a home birth practice, birth center, hospital practice, women’s health clinic, or niche midwifery services in your area, it is completely possible with the right planning, resources, and ambition to see those dreams become a reality. Anything is Possible The common myths I hear running a successful business midwives say can easily be overcome if you know how to get past those barriers (funding for practice, good work/life balance, profit margins to support your family, and truly fulfilling your mission without the insurance reimbursement rates determining your practice quotas). Spend the next week really thinking about where you want your life to be in 1 year, 5 years, or even 10 years. Do you want to be where you are now or do you have a different vision of the perfect life? If you aren’t comfortable with your current situation, change it by creating a vision board, business plan, and strategic outlook to reference while you are pursuing that life’s purpose practice. What does your ideal client look like? What practice environment do you want to be surrounded by? What services do you want to offer? How often do you want a day off or vacation? What hobbies have been pushed off in your life? How much money do you want coming in each month to feel comfortable? These are all great questions to ponder and really contemplate how can I create that dream practice and life I want. Here are Some Tips for Running a Successful Business: 1. Examine Your Life (Midwifery and Personal): Take a hard look at things you do regularly. Make a list of 10 things you do regularly whether they are “right” or “wrong.” Then ask yourself, why do I do these things (try to get to the root cause)? For example, if you wrote work on your list, ask yourself why you go there (is it to pay the bills or some other reason?). 2. Identify the Things on Your List You Like and want to Keep: What makes you happy and what makes you sad on this list? What is missing on this list that you wish was part of your daily life? 3. Embrace the Power of Exceptional Habits: change comes with changing habits around mindset, money, and lifestyle (if you don’t recognize your habits, they will continue to run your daily life and keep you on the same path you are currently on) 4. Reverse Engineer the Life (Personal and Midwifery) You Dream of Having: -Dream Big -Who has the Life You are Looking for? -How did that person get that Life? -Turn your Dreams into Personal and Professional Development Goals: in writing &reference them often -Break those goals down into mini-goals – TAKE ACTION! Midwives can serve so many families and truly on their own terms if the proper planning, resources, and mindset is implemented. I would love to help you create your dream lifestyle plan and make that stellar business plan that will get the funding and future you have always dreamed of! We created the course, Tips for Running a Successful Midwifery Practice, to teach you all you need to know about being a midwife. Consultation Services (midwiferybusinessconsultation.com)
HOW DO WE INSPIRE MIDWIFERY IN OTHERS?
Midwifery is such an amazing calling. Few people in the public really understand the impact and range of the services we offer. Midwives are counselors, life coaches, nutritionists, mentors, friends, social workers, educators, and allies who empower families to find the right health care options for themselves and their unique circumstances. I talk to people in the public weekly, demystifying our scope of practice and bridging past stereotypes with reality. Midwifery is more than just catching babies and protecting normal birth! It is about transforming our society, encouraging everyone to support each other, and not just while having children. Midwifery gets communities to support each other as a whole. We want strong family units in all capacities, whatever their structure. We want healthy parents, healthy babies, and healthy future generations. Our birth wisdom inspires our sisters, mothers, and family members who may ask us the most intimate questions about pregnancy and birth. Our life experiences and connection to the birthing communities allows random strangers who are considering becoming midwives to reach out and ask questions about this career choice. We are constantly inspiring everyone around us, whether we realize it or not. When you comment on a social media forum, people know your expertise, and your words stand out as something to listen to closely. Our midwifery practices are a beacon of salvation for families looking for personalized, high quality birth options in their communities. Legislators looks to us for advice on how to promote better birth outcomes when considering implementation of new regulations or laws. I frequently speak with legislative representatives about midwifery care and the impact we have on the foundation of a healthy community. Our presence is an inspiration to people, often without our even knowing. Our open-door business policies that allow a potential client to stop by or call and get a warm, friendly voice of support is absolutely priceless. We are inspiring others daily just by staying on the midwifery path. Sometimes we forgot, especially when our practices and lives get busy. Just remember that we, as midwives, are changing lives and causing a ripple effect that improves and empowers parents, families and society. I invite you to sit back and really take the time to think about all we do. I appreciate each and every one of you who is providing midwifery care to better our communities!
HOW DO WE EXPAND ACCESS TO MIDWIFERY?
Expanding Access to Midwifery Expanding access to midwifery care is an important step in improving maternal and newborn healthcare. Midwives are trained healthcare professionals who specialize in providing care during pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period. They often take a holistic and patient-centered approach to care, and their services can be critical in reducing maternal and infant mortality rates and improving overall health outcomes Maternity Care Through Midwives When I look at the landscape of maternity care in the US, it’s clear to me that more midwives are needed. Report after report confirms that increased access to midwives—and to community-based midwifery in particular—results in better outcomes for mothers and babies. On the other hand, national marketing campaigns for midwifery can cause demand shortages when there are not enough practices to fill those needs. I work every day with midwives who can’t keep up with their current practice volumes, who constantly stretch beyond their limits, who risk making safety errors after working too many hours, and ultimately risk burning out. How do we stop this vicious cycle of too much demand for too few midwives? How do we train more midwives when hospital practices are competing with residents for clinical experiences? So many people want to increase access to midwifery training by opening more schools, but current schools are already having trouble finding clinical sites. Lots of students want to be placed in private practices to learn about homebirth and birth center birth, but the midwives in these practices are often too busy or too exhausted to take on the responsibilities of being a preceptor. The few that do can be poor role models, showing the next generation of midwives that they need to give everything to midwifery at the expense of themselves and their families. The Heart of the Problem We need to get to the heart of this problem. I am a person who likes to find challenges and then look for solutions on a large, visionary scale. I love midwifery to the core of my being. I want the midwifery profession to thrive, not just survive, for future generations. We have come so far, but I worry that the massive influx of demand as a result of the pandemic is changing the profession. From where I sit, this could take midwifery in one of two very different directions. In one scenario, independent midwives burn out from pure exhaustion, take hospital jobs, and risk becoming cogs in the bigger healthcare assembly line, thereby losing the core of what makes midwives, well, midwives. The other path is that this moment forces the profession to find answers that help it grow, addressing the root causes underlying its Achilles heel. One innovative solution is to incorporate business and professional development for midwives into every educational program. Teaching student midwives those skills at the heart of successful midwifery practice, as well as showing them the financial value midwifery brings to the health care system as a whole, is imperative. We need to give them the tools they need if they choose to work independently, plus knowledge that helps them be a voice for midwifery if they choose to work within facilities. Professional Development and Business Skills As a whole, our society doesn’t teach professional development and business skills to healthcare providers. Most learn through perseverance, usually devoting extra time they may not have and taking their hard knocks. It is well beyond time to add these courses to midwifery program curricula. Even if this happens, where does that leave midwives who are already in practice? Education isn’t limited to universities. I truly believe midwifery could head in a very different direction if we can get more midwives to start listening to business and personal development audiobooks and podcasts while driving to work or winding down from a busy day. As we listen, our mindset changes, our knowledge expands, and our creativity is sparked, opening doors we didn’t even know were available. Instead of midwives saving their own hard cash to build small and slow midwifery practices that can’t keep up with the influx of clients calling, my goal is to assist midwives in having the business tools they need. I want all midwives to understand how to create a strong foundation for their businesses using risk reduction strategies, to have the negotiation skills to increase insurance contract payments, and to create strong business plans they can present to investors and then make their dreams a reality. Midwives Worth As for those midwives employed by a hospital, understanding business and personal development skills will make them more valued members of the team. If you can see an area where the financial backdrop system is losing revenue because of EHR errors or see commonly missed procedure codes after taking a billing course, you will not only increase the knowledge of your co-workers, but you can also get them recognition for the services they are providing and increase the financial and quality value of the bigger system. Businesses big and small are looking at financial reports all the time to determine which services make them money and which ones don’t. You can help them see all that midwives contribute. The more we can improve income streams for both our own businesses and the ones we work for, the easier it becomes to ask for raises, more vacation time, and additional perks that allow for improved lifestyle opportunities. In turn, when more midwives have a team to support their growth and have self-care in place, they will want to take students and give additional inspiration to the next generation of midwives. Instead of teaching that being a clinical midwife is always exhausting and overstretched, let’s pass on our love for midwifery and show them how to run a successful midwifery career as well. Expanding access to midwifery care is not only cost-effective but also has the potential to improve outcomes for mothers and babies. It’s an essential component of comprehensive maternity care and can contribute to reducing maternal mortality, enhancing the
How Do I Find Midwife Clients for My Practice?
There is no doubt that client acquisition is critical to the growth and success of your midwifery practice. Despite this, with so much competition, ranging from large hospitals to other home birth practices and birth centers, many midwifery practices struggle to gain new clients. However, by implementing a strong patient acquisition strategy, you can gain an advantage over your competitors and attract more patients to your midwifery practice. Client acquisition is simply the 6 process of attracting new clients to your midwifery practice. It refers to traditional and digital midwifery practice marketing strategies used to acquire new patients. Although traditional word-of-mouth marketing is still very effective, most midwifery practices also use digital healthcare marketing, which is not surprising given that healthcare is the topic of every fifth Google search. Here are other ways you can use to find more of your ideal clients. Engage With Your Patients Effective communication with your current client is critical to increasing client experience and, as a result, client acquisition. The truth is that many of your clients may be unaware that you are seeking referrals and online reviews. As a result, you may simply ask them about their experience after the appointment and encourage them to recommend your services to family and friends or leave online reviews. Make Use of Digital Marketing Today, any type of business must have a web presence. A strong web presence can help you stand out from the crowd, attract more patients to your clinic, and increase overall revenue. To support the importance of web presence, the Pew Research Center found that at least 72% of adults in the United States look for health information online. Given this and the fact that the use of technology is only likely to increase over time, clinics would be wise to concentrate their efforts on attracting clients through digital marketing. Make a Professionally Designed Website Without a well-designed website to represent your midwifery practice in the virtual world, it’s difficult to establish a strong web presence. When done correctly, a website can help you increase patient flow to your clinic by allowing anyone who searches for you to learn more about your services and expertise, contact you, or learn more about health-related issues directly from professionals. However, ensure that your website meets modern standards. Your website from ten years ago is no longer functional. Customers may choose a competitor clinic over yours due to factors such as clunky or outdated design or slow load speed. Provide Online Booking Most people nowadays prefer to do everything on their phones, including shopping, work, and even dating. It should come as no surprise that they have similar preferences when it comes to scheduling healthcare appointments. Other advantages of online booking include reduced cancellations and no-shows by allowing patients to schedule appointments when it is most convenient for them. Using email and SMS, you can keep your patients engaged. It’s great to provide a great patient experience, but you also need to make sure they’re engaged with your brand even when they’re not actively treated in your clinic. The best way to accomplish this is to use a medical CRM and communicate with former (or current) patients regularly. You can accomplish this in a variety of ways, including: Use SMS or email to send automated appointment reminders (in an attempt to lower no-show rates). Use a newsletter to keep your patients up to date on clinic news. Keep your patients healthy by sending them general health newsletters with tips about their health or a specific condition. Make special offers to patients based on their demographics. For example, a 50% off checkup, a free consultation, and so on. Client acquisition is critical to the expansion of your midwifery practice. The newer clients you bring in, the more appointments you can schedule, the more likely you are to expand your service offerings, and the less vulnerable you are when a patient churns. All of these advantages add up to more revenue in the long run. Here are great midwife marketing courses available and a course specific to attracting your ideal client. – https://midwiferybusinessconsultation.teachable.com/p/marketing-your-midwifery-practice https://midwiferybusinessconsultation.teachable.com/p/attracting-your-ideal-clients-marketing-midwife
How Can Midwives Make Change by Getting Involved in Politics?
Politics has always been a potentially controversial topic to talk to especially with everyone’s different views in political matters and how it affects our daily lives. It is a dividing agent that divides those people with different opinions but potentially be an agent of unity that unifies those who shares the same ideals. When we reach a point where we recognize that politics is an indispensable part of our lives focusing on managing those differences and achieving everyone’s little desire to have a better life, then we should learn that in order for politics to be successful, one must do its part. When one person decided to enter the world of politics he/she must carry the flame that burns to serve. The flame that not everyone will be able to keep. The flame that easily burns out, that’s why it is important that your willingness to serve is consistent. With this statement, it is with no doubt that midwives has greater potential to enter politics. Midwives are advocate, supporter, believer and our profession is valuable. Through political engagement we can create value to what we uphold by being heard, not only seen as professionals who delivers a child into the world, but an advocate to give value to life. It is valuable for any health practitioner, including midwives, to appreciate the negative aspects and politically disregarded impact of market style reforms on health care services. These include issues worthy of consideration such as: loss of integrationfragmentation of services and facilities due to increased competition, the diminishing accountability that is inevitable with private governance of health care systems and the higher costs associated with the regulation of fragmented services (Hunter, 2008). Understanding such issues requires midwives to become enrolled in political debate and establish a forum to scrutinize health policy that could ultimately solidify into an effective presence within the politics of governance. Getting directly a seat at the decision making table versus paying lots of money for lobbyist to get health care reform and better access to midwifery care. Midwives have now greater chance to be heard in the person of our two great midwives Michelle Munroe, CNM and Cathy Gordon, CNM who potentially have the burning passion to serve midwives and the community to have access in the better health care system. Meet Proven Leader Michelle Munroe Winn Army Hospital, First Female Commander serving Fort Stewart Ga. and Hunter Army Airfield Michelle is an Army Nurse executive who recently retired after 28 years of active-duty service. Dr. Munroe held a variety of executive leadership positions in both clinical and academic settings. As the hospital commander/CEO of Winn Army Community Hospital, she led the organization on the journey as a high-reliability organization and the implementation of a just culture. Her experience as a nurse and midwife make her the perfect advocate for women and reproductive justice. Since retirement, she has worked as a healthcare consultant providing expertise in evidence-based practice, project management, and women’s healthcare. She is a trusted leader for change. Cathy Gordon Pledges to Support Congressional Term Limits Washington, D.C. – U.S. Term Limits (USTL), the leader in the national, non-partisan movement to limit terms for elected officials, is gathering support from state lawmakers across the nation. Its mission is to get 34 states to apply for an amendment proposal convention specific to term limits on Congress. 2020 Kansas state house candidate, Cathy Gordon (district 18), has committed support for term limits on Congress by signing the Term Limits Convention pledge. The primary election is scheduled for August 4, 2020. The future of midwifery is in our hands. Your support matters. Let us help these wonderful midwives achieve every midwife’s desire to have a better health care system and have a voice within the government. The voice that is heard and not neglected. Please feel free to visit their website provided below and get to know more about their backgrounds and platforms. Asking for small donation support for their campaigns and help get a couple great midwives internal with our government legislature to make great changes for us all! Q&A: Michelle Munroe, candidate for U.S. House, District 1 – The Current (thecurrentga.org) Munroe For Congress Cathy Gordon Pledges to Support Congressional Term Limits – U.S. Term Limits Donate – U.S. Term Limits
How Business Consulting Services Can Help Your Midwifery Practice
Running a midwifery practice—whether a home birth service, birth center, or women’s health clinic—requires more than exceptional clinical skills. Success depends on sound business management, financial planning, marketing, and operational strategy. This is where business consulting services come in. At Midwifery Business Consultation, we empower midwives across the U.S. to grow sustainable, thriving practices by providing expert guidance on the business side of midwifery. Here’s how consulting services can make a real difference. 1. Strategic Practice Planning Consultants help you create a roadmap for growth, including practice vision, mission, and long-term goals. Identify opportunities for expansion, additional services, or community partnerships. Develop actionable steps to achieve financial and operational objectives. 💡 Tip: A strategic plan ensures your practice grows intentionally rather than reactively. 2. Financial Management and Profitability Consultants provide guidance on budgeting, cash flow, and expense tracking. Assistance with billing workflows, insurance credentialing, and maximizing reimbursement ensures consistent revenue. Identify cost-saving opportunities without compromising client care. 💡 Tip: Professional oversight of finances reduces stress and allows you to focus on your clients. 3. Marketing and Client Acquisition Develop targeted marketing strategies to attract your ideal clients. Optimize your online presence through website, SEO, and social media strategies. Guidance on creating engaging content, email campaigns, and referral networks. 💡 Tip: Effective marketing increases visibility, builds trust, and brings consistent new client inquiries. 4. Operations and Workflow Optimization Streamline daily operations, from client scheduling and documentation to inventory and staff management. Identify inefficiencies and implement systems to save time and reduce burnout. Guidance on staffing models, delegation, and workflow standardization. 💡 Tip: Efficient operations create a smoother experience for both staff and clients. 5. Compliance and Risk Management Ensure your practice meets state regulations, licensure requirements, and accreditation standards. Implement policies for client safety, HIPAA compliance, and legal protections. Reduce risk and liability through documentation standards and protocols. 💡 Tip: A compliant practice protects both clients and your professional reputation. 6. Personalized Coaching and Support Consultants provide one-on-one coaching tailored to your practice size, location, and service model. Support through problem-solving, decision-making, and strategic adjustments as your practice grows. Build confidence in managing the business side of midwifery. 💡 Tip: Having an experienced consultant as a guide can accelerate your practice’s success. How Midwifery Business Consultation Can Help At Midwifery Business Consultation, we specialize in helping midwives: Start new home birth or birth center practices with comprehensive business planning Optimize billing, coding, and insurance workflows for maximum reimbursement Implement marketing and client acquisition strategies Streamline operations and staff management for efficiency Ensure compliance with regulations, licensure, and accreditation Provide ongoing coaching and support tailored to your unique practice We’ve helped midwives across the U.S. turn their vision into thriving, financially sustainable practices while reducing stress and operational overwhelm. Final Thoughts A successful midwifery practice requires more than clinical expertise—it demands strategic planning, financial management, marketing, and operational efficiency. Business consulting services provide the guidance, tools, and support to ensure your practice is sustainable, profitable, and client-focused. Ready to Grow Your Midwifery Practice? Schedule a consultation with Midwifery Business Consultation to receive expert guidance, actionable strategies, and ongoing support to build a thriving midwifery practice.
Home Vs Birth Center Practice
Birth Center or Home Birth Practice When starting a midwifery practice, one of the big decisions to make is what setting to deliver in. Do I want to offer home births, birth center deliveries, or hospital births? Do I want to offer a couple setting options? Today I will focus on home versus birth center practice. I have personally done a practice for years where both services were offered at the same time. I can tell you many advantages and challenges with each setting. Home Birth Practice Goods about this option are cost effective (low start up costs for midwife). Midwife only needs training and supplies to practice. She doesn’t have to rent an office (home visits from car work just fine to start out) or have an upkeep costs of birth rooms while volume is lower. Your electric bills need to be paid in an office or birth center whether women is due that month or not. Lower overhead costs means less women need to be on the monthly delivery list. I see that birth centers tend to have a higher volume of clients to serve compared to home birth practices. Not sure if it is additional overhead costs or convenience of ability to increase volume with multiple birth rooms under one roof. This could be a good or bad thing depending on how you look at it. Home is the mother’s responsibility. You don’t have to clean her home, have her specific birth supplies ready (just midwife supplies), have food ready for family members, or pay bills for that home to keep the lights on. Sometimes it is nice to just come for a birth and leave. Location Matters Other times, it is hard not knowing where things are located, neighborhood safety at 2am, or how narrow her stairway is for EMS to get up in an emergency situation. Is this person’s dog friendly? Are you allergic to cats? Mother-in-law just stopped by when midwife car showed up at the house. Midwives that do a home birth need to be more adaptive to multiple environments and stressors than a birth center midwife. “We are in their turf and that has a different level of respect when entering the door.” I can easily be not let into a person’s home if not wanted there versus birth center is my territory and families are guest there. Down side with home births, need to have good back up options for collaborating midwives in area. More midwives needs to be on call and available with a home birth practice versus birth center .If you are at one lady’s home for labor, can’t leave to go check on another mother postpartum or rush for another delivery. With a birth center, office visits can be squeezed in while mother is laboring in tub down the hallway. Two women can be laboring in multiple rooms at your own facility. Once the volume starts to increase, adding another midwife to team means complete birth supply bags she has with her at all times versus birth center has those supplies for whichever midwife is on call. Seen more supplies get expired and used with home births versus birth center practice this way. Birth Center is a Concrete Location There are written transport policies to the hospital. Home births vary drastically where the nearest hospital is and time EMS would take to come for emergency situations. Birth centers tend to be more structured and employees have more control of what equipment, building layout, and standards offered. We know if tub can keep up with demands of hot water needs versus a home birth. In an Amish birth, having not electricity at home has its own additional challenges during birth. My water heater in the birth center never ran out of hot water or back up generators always made option of electricity present. Some states don’t allow home births. Some states don’t have birth center regulations. Learn where you want to practice and what the direct regulations and birth settings are available. Even if there aren’t birth center regulations, it can be created knowing that facility fee will mostly be a cash basis. Creating a professional standard is harder when medical community doesn’t have a state facility regulation reference to know what is being offered at your facility. Home Births are Cheaper for Families Some families are living in an apartment where home isn’t an option. Having a birth center opens up the door for a different community to serve. Women that choose a home birth tend to have different values and needs during pregnancy and birth than birth center clients. Women that choose birth center are looking for a balance between home and hospital care. What kind of midwife are you and where do you want to serve? As your practice starts to grow, your time becomes a very valuable resource. With home births and no office location, driving to home visit and home births eats into that time. Birth center deliveries have women coming to your clinic and driving to you in labor. Postpartum recovery time tends to be longer with birth center versus home (four to six hours birth center versus two hours home). More Cleaning Required of Midwife with Birth Center Deliveries We have multiple women deliver in this same room. With a home birth, birth assistant or supporting partner can clean up trash and pick things up. “We don’t have to sanitize her home for the next birth there.” Having a women drive to you and potentially delivery in the car in route has different challenges than a midwife driving to her home and not making it in time. Especially in the winter, I would rather be on the slippery roads than my pregnant or anxious Dad’s driving to the birth center. Home birth practices tend to have a smaller radius to serve than a birth center practice. Midwives can only drive so far and so fast. When multiple women can be calling for labor, there
Hiring Your First Midwife or Birth Assistant: What You Need to Know
Growing a midwifery practice is exciting, but hiring your first team member—whether a midwife, birth assistant, or support staff—can feel daunting. The right hire can expand your services, improve client care, and reduce burnout, while the wrong hire can create challenges that affect your practice’s success. At Midwifery Business Consultation, we help midwives across the U.S. navigate hiring, onboarding, and team management so that growing your practice is strategic, smooth, and sustainable. Here’s what you need to know when hiring your first midwife or birth assistant. 1. Define Your Needs Determine the role you need: Licensed Midwife (LM, CPM, CNM), birth assistant, postpartum doula, or administrative support. Outline responsibilities clearly: on-call schedule, client care, documentation, and administrative tasks. Decide if you need full-time, part-time, or on-call coverage. 💡 Tip: A detailed job description clarifies expectations and attracts qualified candidates. 2. Understand Legal and Regulatory Requirements Ensure candidates meet state licensure requirements for midwives or relevant credentials for assistants. Confirm any background checks, CPR/NRP certifications, and continuing education requirements. Understand labor laws for employment classification: W-2 employee vs. 1099 contractor. 💡 Tip: Hiring legally and ethically protects both your practice and your team. 3. Budget for Compensation and Benefits Determine fair hourly rates or salary based on experience, certifications, and local market. Consider benefits like malpractice insurance, health coverage, continuing education reimbursement, and paid time off. Factor hiring costs, training, and onboarding expenses into your practice budget. 💡 Tip: Transparent compensation packages attract high-quality candidates and improve retention. 4. Recruitment Strategies Post openings on midwifery associations, online job boards, and local healthcare networks. Use referrals from colleagues, professional networks, and community connections. Highlight your practice culture, mission, and growth opportunities to attract aligned candidates. 💡 Tip: Personal outreach often results in the best matches for small, values-driven practices. 5. Screening and Interviewing Review resumes and credentials carefully. Conduct interviews focusing on: Clinical skills and experience Teamwork and communication style Philosophy of care alignment with your practice Include scenario-based questions to assess problem-solving and client care decision-making. 💡 Tip: Involve other staff or trusted colleagues in interviews to get multiple perspectives. 6. Onboarding and Training Provide a structured orientation, including: Practice policies and procedures Documentation and electronic health record protocols On-call responsibilities and client communication standards Pair new hires with a mentor or preceptor for hands-on support during the first weeks. 💡 Tip: A strong onboarding process increases retention and ensures consistent client care. 7. Set Expectations and Performance Metrics Clearly define goals, responsibilities, and performance metrics from day one. Schedule regular check-ins to provide feedback, answer questions, and support professional growth. Document performance reviews and progress to maintain accountability. 💡 Tip: Clear communication prevents misunderstandings and supports long-term success. 8. Foster a Positive Practice Culture Encourage collaboration, mutual respect, and open communication. Celebrate successes and provide opportunities for professional development. A healthy, supportive environment reduces burnout and attracts quality staff. 💡 Tip: Culture is as important as compensation in retaining your first hire. How Midwifery Business Consultation Can Help At Midwifery Business Consultation, we help midwives: Plan staffing needs and budgets for sustainable growth Create job descriptions and recruitment strategies Navigate hiring laws, contracts, and compliance requirements Develop onboarding, training, and performance evaluation systems Build a positive, efficient team culture that enhances client care We provide guidance so midwives can hire the right first team member with confidence and grow their practice strategically. Final Thoughts Hiring your first midwife or birth assistant is a pivotal step in growing your practice. With careful planning, clear expectations, and structured onboarding, you can bring on a team member who elevates care, reduces stress, and supports sustainable growth. Ready to Build Your Midwifery Team? Schedule a consultation with Midwifery Business Consultation to receive expert guidance on hiring, onboarding, and managing your first midwife or birth assistant.
HIPAA Compliance Tips for Midwives
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) is a federal law that required the creation of national standards to protect sensitive patient health information from being disclosed without the patient’s consent or knowledge. Privacy is critical to all healthcare providers, much especially for midwives. Our patient entrusts their lives to us that is why trust becomes a huge part of patient- midwife relationship that should not be neglected. Ensuring that all patient data are properly collected and well protected is our huge responsibility. It comes with patient confidentiality that is important for both patients and midwives, and it preserves the integrity of the midwifery community. The U.S. healthcare system has never had a shortage of problems – it has always dealt with several issues simultaneously. The exorbitant prices, the lack of price transparency, medical identity theft cases, lack of patient identification in hospitals, preventable medical errors, and archaic laws are just some issues that plague healthcare. Healthcare data breaches have unfortunately been growing at an exponential rate. With no signs of them stopping anytime soon, it becomes crucial that healthcare providers, `professionals, and everyone involved with patient information be vigilant regarding protecting the data. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) is a federal law that required the creation of national standards to protect sensitive patient health information from being disclosed without the patient’s consent or knowledge. This is as important to the healthcare industry now more than ever — if not more. Hospitals, insurance companies and healthcare providers all need to ensure HIPAA compliance to safeguard private and sensitive patient data. HIPAA introduced a number of important benefits for the healthcare industry to help with the transition from paper records to electronic copies of health information. HIPAA has helped to streamline administrative healthcare functions, improve efficiency in the healthcare industry, and ensure protected health information is shared securely. The HIPAA legislation had four primary objectives: Assure health insurance portability by eliminating job-lock due to pre-existing medical conditions. Reduce healthcare fraud and abuse. Enforce standards for health information. Guarantee security and privacy of health information. The Privacy Rule standards address the use and disclosure of individuals’ health information (known as “protected health information”) by entities subject to the Privacy Rule. These individuals and organizations are called “covered entities.” The Privacy Rule also contains standards for individuals’ rights to understand and control how their health information is used. A major goal of the Privacy Rule is to ensure that individuals’ health information is properly protected while allowing the flow of health information needed to provide and promote high quality health care and to protect the public’s health and well-being. The Privacy Rule strikes a balance that permits important uses of information while protecting the privacy of people who seek care and healing. Your practice, not your electronic health record (EHR) vendor, is responsible for taking the steps needed to comply with HIPAA privacy, security standards, and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS’) Meaningful Use requirements. Read up on laws governing the privacy and security of health information. You must comply with all applicable federal, state, and local laws. Learn more about HIPAA https://www.healthit.gov/sites/default/files/pdf/privacy/onc_privacy_and_security_chapter4_v1_022112.pdf Below are the steps how you and your practice become HIPAA compliant Create Privacy and Security Policies for the Practice Becoming HIPAA compliant requires more than simply following HIPAA Security and Privacy Rules. Covered entities and business associates must also prove that they’ve been proactive about preventing HIPAA violations by creating privacy and security policies. These policies must be documented, communicated to staff, and regularly updated. Staff must be trained on HIPAA policies during orientation and at least once a year, and they must attest (in writing) that they understand all HIPAA policies and procedures. Healthcare organizations are also required to create and distribute a Notice of Privacy Practices (NPP) form for patients to review and sign. The NPP should outline the covered entity’s privacy policies, including how PHI is handled, and notify patients of their right to access copies of their medical records. Name a HIPAA Privacy Officer and Security Officer HIPAA legislation is complicated and ever-changing, so every healthcare organization needs its own internal HIPAA experts. The HIPAA Security Rule requires covered entities to designate a Privacy Compliance Officer to oversee the development of privacy policies, ensure those policies are implemented and update them annually. HHS suggests that larger organizations also form a Privacy Oversight Committee to help guide policy creation and manage oversight. The Privacy Officer and Oversight Committee members must undergo regular training to stay abreast of changes to HIPAA regulation. The HIPAA Privacy Officer is also responsible for maintaining NPPs, managing and updating BAAs, scheduling training sessions and self-audits, and otherwise ensuring that the organization is compliant with the HIPAA Privacy Rule. Covered entities are also required to have a HIPAA Security Officer to ensure there are policies and procedures in place to prevent, detect, and respond to ePHI data breaches. The Security Officer establishes safeguards required by the Security Rule and conducts risk assessments to gauge their effectiveness. Implement Security Safeguards The Security Rule requires three types of safeguards that covered entities and business associates must have in place to secure ePHI — including: Administrative Safeguards: Organizations must document security management processes, designate security personnel, adopt an information access management system, provide workforce security training, and periodically assess all security protocols Physical Safeguards: Organizations must be able to control who has access to physical facilities where ePHI is stored. They must also secure all workstations and devices that store or transmit ePHI. Technical Safeguards: Organizations must have access controls to secure ePHI in the EHR and other databases to ensure employees only see data they’re authorized to see. Data must be encrypted when it is at rest and during transit, which creates the need for secure email, HIPAA Compliant Texting, and HIPAA Compliant Messaging solutions. Organizations must also have audit controls for all hardware and software that manage or transmit ePHI to ensure they meet HIPAA network requirements. And there must be integrity controls to