The Midwifery Modernization Act

Hello again, long-lost readers! It has been too long. Today is an important day, so important that it brought me out of my writers-strike and back into the blogosphere (ugh, I hate that word, but its the only one that fit. Sorry.)

Why is today important? The Midwifery Modernization Act, a bill that if passed will drastically remove barriers for homebirth midwifery care, is moving through both the NY Senate and Assembly.

The Midwifery Modernization Act proposes to do away with the requirement for midwives to have a signed Written Practice Agreement (WPA) with a physician or hospital in order to be licensed legally. With the closing of St. Vincent's last month, homebirth midwives lost their licenses, as St. Vincent's was the only hospital in New York City that would sign WPAs. Currently, no hospital in New York City will sign a WPA for homebirth midwives, so all homebirth midwives are actually practicing illegally right now.

Originally, the thinking behind the WPA was that it would make homebirth safer by requiring midwives to establish a relationship with a hospital and physician that they could rely on for transfer during complicated births. However, if no one is willing to sign a WPA with midwives, it's doing nothing but pushing homebirth underground and making hospital transfer a much more complicated and tense situation.

If we can get rid of the WPA, midwives can practice at home legally. My assemblyperson happens to be the chair of the committee that the legislation is going through, so I've already sent her an e-mail and fax and called her today. You can find your senator and assembly person here and do the same. And here is a sample letter you can send:

I am writing to express my full support for bill S5007 /A8117, the Midwifery Modernization Act (MMA). This legislation would amend the Education Law to remove the requirement for a midwife to have a written practice agreement (WPA) with a physician in order to practice midwifery. The education and training that licensed midwives receive is what ensures quality care, and not the WPA. Instead, it is a barrier to practice and limits access to care and choice of provider for New York women and families.

Midwives are licensed independent providers who routinely consult and collaborate with other providers as needed in order to provide safe care to their clients. Research has shown that midwifery care has good outcomes, including lower cesarean rates, shorter hospital stays, and higher rates of breastfeeding among the women they serve. By requiring a WPA, midwifery care is limited by a physician’s willingness to sign rather than the skill and scope of practice of the midwife.

Importantly, the MMA will not expand or change midwives' scope of practice. As a consumer of women’s health care, it is important to me to have the option of choosing a midwife.

If midwives are unable to practice in my community because there are a limited number of physicians or because those who are there refuse to sign an agreement, this limits my birthing options and access to care. Midwifery care is evidence-based, cost-effective, and essential to the well-being of New York women and families across the state, especially for underserved populations, including rural and/or low-income women.

By supporting this bill you ensure that women across New York State have access to midwifery care, birthing choices, and a healthy New York.

Sincerely,