RES 630 Draft 02 2022-2024 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Page 4 .B. NO. 1 outcomes and with trust,which in itself is a significant factor in access to care. Act 32 states 2 "that practicing midwifery according to this Act does not impede one's ability to incorporate or 3 provide cultural practices."However, the judiciary found that constitutionally protected cultural 4 practices were impeded, due to ambiguous language, administrative complexities and other 5 factors. The court ruling (July 23, 2024) highlighted the importance of protecting traditions that 6 might be lost, as well as the emergence of a new generation of local birth-related practitioners 7 from a variety of cultures and a wide range of practices. Cultural competency is best served by 8 protecting access to practitioners of all cultures, while long-term solutions are developed that 9 address the complex needs of our multicultural community. 10 4. Integration. Healthy relationships between birthing people, their attendants, and 11 medical personnel are imperative for maternal health, and especially for emergency situations. 12 Trust, mutual respect and collaborative care are of vital importance. Integration is best served 13 by ensuring legality of all types of practice that may be engaged in by any family, thereby 14 eliminating fears and legal dangers that could inhibit effective communication, access, and 15 information sharing. Mutually respectful integration strategies should be included in long-range 16 legislative planning. 17 5. License Equality. There are only eight Midwifery Education Accreditation Council 18 (MEAC) schools accredited in the United States and none are located in Hawaii. Requiring 19 certification that is prohibitively difficult for residents of Hawaii to obtain,while allowing 20 transfer of out-of-state licenses that may not have these requirements, disadvantages and 21 potentially displaces Hawai'i practitioners and limits patients' access to culturally informed 22 community-based care. No Kanaka Maoli (Native Hawaiians) have yet been licensed and only 23 one of 41 total licensed midwives was born and raised in Hawai'i. Over a fourth of the state's 4