Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Why is CBDR housed within the Foundation for Health Care Quality (FHCQ)?
A: FHCQ’s independent, neutral nonprofit status strengthens the credibility of CBDR data.
When community birth data is housed within organizations that are explicitly pro-midwifery or pro-community birth, publishers and policymakers may perceive the data as less objective. This can create barriers to publication and limit the ability to use the data to inform policy change.
CBDR’s affiliation with FHCQ helps safeguard against this challenge—making it more likely that community birth data will be published, cited, and used to advance evidence-based policy.
Q: How do I know that CBDR is midwifery-centered and understands my work and my needs?
A: CBDR is led by midwives, for midwives.
The registry is co-led by Melissa Cheyney and Marit Bovbjerg—leaders in midwifery-led data collection whose work many in the community already
know and trust.
CBDR was built by midwives who understand the realities of practice. Recognizing that data entry is unpaid labor, the team designed the registry to
collect data that is meaningful for research and quality improvement without creating unnecessary burden.
Member support is also midwifery-centered. CBDR’s full-time Program Manager and Data Doula, Akane Sugimoto Storey, is a trained midwife and
former birth center director who understands both clinical workflows and operational realities.
Q: Will CBDR participation be affordable for me?
A: Yes. CBDR was intentionally designed to be affordable for practices of all sizes.
Membership fees are set on a sliding scale aligned with the volume of your practice. Through grant funding that supports database development and
staffing, member fees cover only data storage—$4.50 to store a complete course of care in perpetuity for research.
The CBDR team continues to pursue grant funding with the goal of making participation fully subsidized in the future.
