California Maternal Health Task Force
Every HRSA state maternal health innovation program has a maternal health task force. The California Maternal Health Task Force (MHTF) is made up of the MHTF Steering Committee, ex officio members, and five Subcommittees. These groups collaborate with leaders, stakeholders, advocates, and patients representing health care, public health, and communities across California.
California Maternal Health Task Force
Launch Event (Virtual)
The California MHTF's June 27, 2025, launch event (virtual) introduced the "action arm" of California Maternal Health Innovation, shared an overview of the Year 2 Strategic Plan and collective impact efforts to improve maternal health outcomes through systems change, and detailed the five Subcommittees' areas of focus. Public engagement and feedback were encouraged during and after the event.
Watch the recording or download the slides.
Task Force Steering Committee
In 2024, California’s MHI Program successfully convened a Maternal Health Task Force (MHTF) Steering Committee and Subcommittees, representing geographies and communities across the state, to guide maternal health innovation. The Steering Committee plays a critical role in strategizing approaches to ensure that all pregnant and postpartum women who are assessed for poor outcomes can access and benefit from medical and public health services. With a focus on reducing severe maternal morbidity and mortality, the Steering Committee is also responsible for recruiting, establishing, and directing a multidisciplinary MHTF—the foundational element of this initiative. Their collective expertise shapes the program’s strategic priorities, ensuring efforts are data-driven and actionable.
Palav Babaria, MD
Chief Quality Officer & Deputy Director of Quality and Population Health Management,
California Department of Health Care Services
Curtis Chan, MD, MPH
California Conference of Local Health Officers (CCLHO) Co-Chair,
Maternal, Child & Adolescent Health Committee
Deputy Health Officer, San Mateo County Health
Ajira Darch
Creative Liberation Strategist, Full Spectrum Birth Worker
Executive Director, Roots of Labor Birth Collective
Podcast Co-Host, Doula Stories
Founder, Bay Area Bodymilk Cooperative
Cristina Gamboa, MD
OB/GYN and Director, Ambulatory Women's Health Services,
Salud Para La Gente
Jeffrey Gould, MD, MPH
Senior Advisor, California Maternal Health Innovation
Brenda Jones, DHSc, LSSGB, CCHC, WHNP, CPPS, RN
Senior Director, Maternal Child Health,
Kaiser Permanente Northern California
Leslie Kowalewski
Executive Director of Maternal, Child, and Family Health, CPQCC/CMQCC
Mashariki Kudumu, MPH
Founder,
Kudumu Partnerships for Equity and Justice
Antoinette Medina, MPA
Program Coordinator,
California Tribal Epidemiology Center
Diana Ramos, MD, MPH, MBA, FACOG
California Surgeon General (2022-Present)
Karen Ramstrom, DO, MSPH
Branch Chief, Maternal & Infant Health
Maternal, Child & Adolescent Health Division, California Department of Public Health