Meeting Public Comments

Rachel Bruns []

Please vote yes to HF265 to license Certified Professional Midwives (CPMs). This bill will improve access to quality maternal health care options in Iowa. Currently, we have Certified Professional Midwives practicing in our state and they are unable to access the lifesaving medications within their scope of practice. Thirtyseven other state (plus DC) already regulate CPMs. Iowa is ranked 42nd among states for midwifery integration. Integration of midwives is associated with improved maternal health outcomes. Read more: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5821332/I've attached a new issue brief on "Medicaid Maternity Strategies" that just came out last week from the Maternal Health Hub that references Certified Professional Midwives. Per the issue brief "Acknowledge the Need to Move Away from Reliance on a High Intervention Model of Care: It is imperative to recognize that the high intervention medical model particularly when its use is not evidence driven or person centered is not superior to the traditional model that views pregnancy and childbirth as a natural process that does not require intensive intervention. Less than one percent of all pregnancies are considered to be high risk, in which an OB/GYN and hospital birth is warranted. Yet, because the medical model dominates in the U.S., the majority of pregnancies are managed by physicians, not by midwives, potentially leading to more harm for birthing people."