top of page

ACCESS TO CARE

Examples: Certificates of Need for Birth Centers, Limitations on Scope of Practice

Midwives face many barriers to providing services in West Virginia. Care (and especially midwifery care) should be accessible to everyone- regardless of where you live in the state. While individuals may have access to maternity care where they live, this does not mean that they have access to midwives within their local healthy system. Scope of practice barriers, limitations on hospital admitting privileges, and difficulty in obtaining Certificates of Need to start birth centers are just some of the issues we face in WV.

​

CURRENT LEGISLATION

HOUSE BILL 4013

Eliminating the certificate of need program

2022 Session
Introduced: January 24, 2022
Lead Sponsor: Summers

ACNM POSITION STATEMENTS

LEGISLATION AND REGULATION THAT AFFECT MIDWIFERY PROFESSIONALS NOT CERTIFIED BY THE AMERICAN MIDWIFERY CERTIFICATION BOARD

When responding to legislation and regulation that addresses professional midwives who are not certified by AMCB, ACNM, in accordance with the Principles for Model U. S. Midwifery Legislation and Regulation affirms the following:

  • Support for legislation and regulation that adheres to the standards of the International Confederation of Midwives (ICM)2 for the education, regulation, and association of midwives.

  • Proposed legislative and regulatory language regarding midwifery professionals should fully comply with the consensus statements issued by US Midwifery Education, Regulation, & Association.

  • Legislation and regulation should define the scope of practice of the midwife based upon the definition and scope of practice established by the midwifery associations and the national certifying bodies, rather than outlining specific allowed or prohibited practices.

  • Proposed legislative and regulatory language should define the standards of practice and ethical conduct based upon those established by the professional midwifery association and the national certifying bodies.

bottom of page