A new $300,000 grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation is expected to strengthen maternal care across New Mexico by supporting training and professional development for birth workers while expanding access for women and families, particularly in rural communities.
The two-year award to the University of New Mexico College of Nursing runs from July 2026 through June 2028. It will fund career-development stipends, statewide trainings and workshops for midwives, doulas, lactation consultants, nursing students, and others preparing for roles in maternal health.
Felina Ortiz, a certified nurse-midwife and faculty member in the College’s Nurse-Midwifery program, said the support should help more communities receive care closer to home. “My hope is that this will help bring access to care in rural communities,” Ortiz said.
The grant builds on an earlier Kellogg award that funded 31 shared learning sessions, paired 49 maternal and child health mentees with mentors and provided 129 stipends. Some of the new funding will help students prepare for certification exams and the NCLEX as they pursue nurse-midwifery careers.
Women and families will benefit from a larger, better-prepared network of birth workers. Ortiz is coordinating trainings from Taos to Las Cruces and works with more than 700 maternal health professionals statewide.
After a workshop in Roswell last fall, local providers requested hands-on obstetric emergency training. In response, UNM sent 10 instructors to deliver the course so clinics could better respond when births do not go as planned. The College also plans to collaborate with partner organizations to create educational posters on maternal health pathways for exam rooms across the state.
UNM’s Nurse-Midwifery program ranks No. 7 nationally, according to U.S. News & World Report’s 2026 Best Graduate Schools rankings.
National Midwifery Week, observed Oct. 4–10, highlights growing demand for midwife-led care. Supporters say the grant will expand the network of birth workers already serving New Mexico families and improve access to culturally informed maternal health care close to home.
