Program related to reducing cesarean births and increasing rates of vaginal birth after cesarean

Section 317K(a) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 247b–12(a)) is amended— (1) in paragraph (1)— (A) by striking and to develop or support and inserting to develop or support; and (B) by inserting, and to establish a grant program, or extend the Alliance for Innovation on Maternal Health, for the establishment of perinatal quality collaboratives to reduce cesarean section rates and increase vaginal birth after cesarean rates before the period at the end; and (2) in paragraph (2), by adding at the end the following: (E) The Secretary may establish a competitive grant program, or extend existing programs, including the Alliance for Innovation on Maternal Health, for the establishment or support of perinatal quality collaboratives, with a focus on maternity care health professional target areas and other areas with limited birthing resources, to reduce cesarean birth rates and increase vaginal birth after cesarean rates, including through— (i) coordination with hospitals, clinical teams, obstetricians and gynecologists, birthing centers and community-based maternal health organizations, public health agencies, midwives, doulas, patients and families, and other relevant entities; (ii) providing support and training to hospital and clinical teams for quality improvement, as appropriate; (iii) employing strategies that provide opportunities for health care professionals and clinical teams to collaborate across health care settings and disciplines, including midwifery care, doula support, the integration of primary care and mental health, and blended case payment rates; (iv) using data, disaggregated by race and ethnicity, to provide timely feedback across hospital and clinical teams, document baseline cesarean and vaginal birth rates, and measure progress; and (v) promotion of existing evidence on the best practices for the safe reduction of primary cesarean births..