Frequently Asked Questions About Midwifery Workforce Development, Education, and Consulting

Our mission as a consultant organization is to strengthen midwifery education, workforce sustainability, and organizational effectiveness so that communities have greater access to skilled midwives and quality maternal healthcare services.

One Million Midwives was founded by Zul Ruiz Gines, a midwife, educator, anthropologist, researcher, and workforce development specialist with extensive experience supporting midwifery education programs, professional association, and maternal health initiatives.

A strong midwifery workforce contributes to maternal healthcare access, continuity of care, workforce sustainability, and the long-term capacity of healthcare systems to serve communities. Building and retaining qualified midwives requires strong education programs, effective leadership, and strategic workforce planning. Globally we are short one million midwives. To meet the growing demand for maternity care, the U.S. needs over 8,000 more midwives by 2030, and up to 22,000 by 2050.

No. One Million Midwives does not provide clinical care, medical services, healthcare referrals, or patient care.

We work with midwifery education programs, professional associations, maternal health organizations, workforce development initiatives, nonprofit organizations, educational institutions, and healthcare leaders seeking strategic support.

Midwifery workforce development refers to the system, strategies, and initiatives used to recruit, educate, support, and retain qualified midwives. Effective workforce development helps ensure communities have access to a sustainable and competent midwifery workforce.

Education programs are the foundation of workforce development. Strong programs prepare future midwives, support competency development, align with professional standards, and contribute to long-term workforce growth.

Programs can align curriculum with accreditation standards through systematic curriculum mapping, competency analysis, documentation review, assessment alignment, and continuous quality improvement processes.

Accreditation readiness refers to a program's level of preparation for accreditation review processes. This includes documentation, curriculum alignment, governance structures, assessment systems, policies, and evidence demonstrating compliance with applicable standards.

Yes. New programs often seek support with curriculum design, accreditation planning, governance development, workforce strategy, and organizational infrastructure.

Organizations can contact us through our website to discuss curriculum assessment, accreditation readiness, workforce development, governance consulting, research supports, or strategic planning needs.

Yes. Organizations interested in learning more about our services may contact us to discuss their goals, challenges, and potential areas of collaboration.

Yes. Zul Ruiz Ginés is available for conferences, professional meetings, workshops, educational events, and leadership discussions related to midwifery education, workforce development, governance, accreditation readiness, and maternal health systems.

Topics may include midwifery workforce development, curriculum assessments, accreditation readiness, organizational leadership, governance effectiveness, workforce sustainability, maternal health systems, and strategic planning.

Yes. Workshops can be tailored to the goals, challenges, and porfessional development needs of individual organizations and audiences.