Meeting Public Comments

Names and comments are public records. Remaining information is considered a confidential record.

Comments Submitted:

01-31-2023

Rachel Bruns

Please vote yes to HSB 80 to license Certified Professional Midwives. This bill will improve access to quality maternal health care options in Iowa.Homebirth is on the rise in Iowa and across the country and research demonstrates it is safe with similar or better outcomes for both moms and babies for healthy pregnancies.Based on other states, when the state provides licensure, more midwives follow. With Iowa ranking 11th as a maternal health care desert and a shortage of OBGYNs, we need more options for evidencebased health care, especially in more rural settings. Iowa ranks 42nd (in the top 10 worst states) for midwifery integration. The integration of midwives, which includes licensure for Certified Professional Midwives, is associated with improved outcomes.Currently, we have Certified Professional Midwives practicing in our state and they are unable to access the lifesaving medications within their scope of practice that they otherwise could access if they practiced in one of the 37 other state (plus DC) that offer a license. As a volunteer chapter leader for the International Cesarean Awareness Network (ICAN) of Central Iowa, we are one of 100 chapters around the world that support midwifery integration and licensure for Certified Professional Midwives. You can read ICAN's statement on licensure here: https://www.icanonline.org/wpcontent/uploads/2020/08/ICANMidwiferyPositionStatement.pdfIn my role as an ICAN chapter leader, I provide support to pregnant people across the state and know this bill will improve access to care for many Iowa families.

02-01-2023

Courtney Collier

Please pass HSB 80. This will provide Iowan women with more options for maternal health. This is important for many reasons including the great need in Iowa for more providers for these maternal services at this time. Empowering islands to have access to all types of healthcare is something we should support as this legislature has made it clear that we trust Iowans to make their own decisions. Allowing this licensure will bring providers to our state and grow the economy as well as provide quality healthcare for maternal patients.

02-01-2023

Monica Basile

Please support HSB 80. This is a vitally important issue for our state, as we are experiencing a crisis in maternity care. Across Iowa, hospitals are closing their OB/GYN practices, and many rural areas have no access to maternity care at all. We have extreme racial disparities in maternal health outcomes. Certified Professional Midwives are poised to be a part of the solution to these issues. CPMs are an essential part of the maternity care workforce, now more than ever. Demand for outofhospital birth care has risen 22% since 2020. Iowa is one of only 14 states that does not license CPMs. CPMs keep home birth safe for families who choose it, working with lowrisk pregnancies, and transferring care to a hospital setting in the rare cases when this is necessary. CPMs undergo 45 years of training and education similar to that of Certified Nurse Midwives, must pass a rigorous 8 hour board exam, and must recertify every 3 years. CPMs are the only maternity care providers specifically trained to provide care in the community birth setting. There are those who claim that care provided by midwives is not safe, despite ample evidence that care from CPMs leads to excellent outcomes for lowrisk mothers and babies, and that integration of midwives into existing health care structures is the key to assuring safe community birth experiences. This bill would greatly advance Iowans' ability to access safe, supportive maternity care from qualified providers, bolster the health care workforce, and expand access to quality health care in our state.Monica Basile, PhD, CPM