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News
Millie, a midwifery-led startup, is teaming up with nonprofit El Camino Health to open a co-branded maternity clinic in Palo Alto this December. The partnership blends Millie's holistic midwifery model with El Camino's labor, delivery, and specialist services. With OB shortages growing, the collaboration aims to expand access to integrated, patient-centered pregnancy care — from preconception through postpartum.
Millie, a midwifery-led women's health startup founded in 2022, is joining forces with El Camino Health — a nonprofit Bay Area health system — to launch a co-branded maternity clinic in Palo Alto this December. The clinic will bring together Millie's wraparound midwifery model (covering lactation support, mental health, nutrition, and home visits after birth) with El Camino's labor and delivery services and specialist network. The Palo Alto location is just the first of several planned clinics under the partnership.
The collaboration comes as U.S. health systems grapple with a growing OB shortage, pushing providers to explore new care models. Midwives, who are well-suited to manage the majority of pregnancies, have historically been underutilized — but that's starting to change. Millie also accepts the same insurance as El Camino, ensuring continuity of care for patients.
Key Takeaways:
Why it matters: As maternal health outcomes in the U.S. continue to draw concern, innovative care models that integrate midwifery into mainstream health systems could meaningfully expand access and improve outcomes for expectant families.
