The American College of Nurse-Midwives' Benchmarking Project: A Demonstration of Professional Preservation and Improvement.

Maternal and newborn outcomes in the United States are suboptimal. Care provided by certified nurse-midwives and certified midwives is associated with improved health outcomes for mothers and newborns. Benchmarking is a process of continuous quality assurance providing opportunities for internal and external improvement.

A midwifery-led in-hospital birth center within an academic medical center: successes and challenges.

The University of California San Diego Community Women's Health Program (CWHP) has emerged as a successful and sustainable coexistence model of women's healthcare. The cornerstone of this midwifery practice is California's only in-hospital birth center. Located within the medical center, this unique and physically separate birth center has been the site for more than 4000 births.