The program emphasizes a family-centered approach to childbirth. Sutter Medical Center has on average 130 deliveries each month and the residents perform about half of these. In addition to deliveries done while on the obstetrics service, residents follow obstetrical patients in their own family practices, handling all of the prenatal care and managing the labor and deliveries. Residents also spend time in various outpatient settings providing prenatal care with community physicians and midwives. Community family physicians are often the first-line faculty for the service and are on site during half the weekdays for teaching and supervision.
Obstetricians provide weekday, night and weekend coverage backup.
Certified nurse midwives also teach the residents. Kaiser Hospital in Santa Rosa, with 150 deliveries a month, is the site for a third year rotation in obstetrics. The third year resident spends four nights a week on the Kaiser labor and delivery service managing labor, delivering babies and assisting at C-sections. On mornings they can stay for Gyn surgeries and scheduled C-sections. Residents with appropriate interest and experience can function as the primary surgeon for C-sections.