The 68th Annual ACNM Annual Meeting and Exhibition took place in sunny Orlando, FL on May 7-9th. Six WV midwives attended the meeting to learn, celebrate, and engage.
Each Region meets during the course of the event to share news and celebrate victories. This year, during the Region II Meeting, the WV Affiliate was recognized as the Region II Affiliate of the Year!
The reason for the award: the tremendous victory achieved in getting Senate Bill 613 signed into law this year!
Senate Bill 613 removed Certificate of Need requirements for many health facilities- including Birth Centers. Historically, the Certificate of Need has been the biggest barrier in birth centers being able to open in the Mountain State. Fierce advocacy work and support from members within the House and Senate were instrumental in getting this barrier lifted. Midwives in WV are now one step closer to being able to provide much needed out-of-hospital birthing options for birthing people!
(Pictured above: Mary Chaney, Moira Tannenbaum, and Beth Redden pose with Region II Board Representative Nichole Wardlaw)
“The Midwifery Model of Care, as practiced in birth centers, has repeatedly been shown to improve outcomes in low-risk women. Midwife care protects a person’s bodily autonomy, encourages shared decision-making, and values fully informed consent.”
- Beth Redden, President of the WV Affiliate of the ACNM (The Center Square, March 2023)
Comments