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Home My WebLink AboutCOM 0104.012 2022-2024 P /G0FAc GOM14. IOU From: Daniela Martinez Guzman Sent: Thursday, February 16, 2023 11:08 PM To: Council Testimony n' - - G `? Subject: SUPPORT for Resolution 57 r--r Attachments: support for HB 955 and Senate bill 1047.pdf -C r; • Aloha Hawai'i County Council, CP 7:5 I'm a midwife on Oahu and I stand in full support of resolution 57. I'd like to remind you of what the current midwifery licensure law states: "This act also exempts a separate category of birth attendants for a three-year period, to allow this community to define themselves and develop common standards, accountability measures, and disclosure requirements. By the end of the three-year period, the legislature intends to enact statutes that will incorporate all birth practitioners and allow them to practice to the fullest extent under the law." Passing resolutions 57- and thus allowing birth attendants to continue practicing, is the pre-agreed path by legislatures. We are at the end of this three-year period. Without the passing of HB955 our birth attendants will become illegal. The intent of exempting birth attendants for 3,years is crystal clear- it was to allow them to create statues to allow them to continue practicing and serving the community. The three-year exemption was not to give birth attendants time to become licensed. Act 32 also required that a Hawai'i Home Birth Task Force (HHBTF) be created to work on establishing such recommendations for a statute. The HHBTF collected statistics from midwives on all islands. Those statistics were corroborated with the Department of Health. Their investigations found that home birth outcomes in Hawai'i during a time of no licensure were very favorable.You can see those statistics and the full task force report here: https://humanservices.hawaii.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/FINAL-12.10.19-HHBTF-Report-12.11.19.pdf We are not asking for optional licensing. We are asking for the continued regulation of birth attendants. There are currently 28 licensed midwives in Hawai'i. At least 4 don't live here- possibly more. And only -14 are actively attending home births. On Oahu there are only 2 licensed midwives actively attending home births- I'm one of them. We have at least 3 birth attendants on Oahu that won't be able to continue practicing if this bill doesn't pass. There's already a shortage of midwives throughout the islands. Without the passing of HB955 the few options currently available will further diminish. And further drive disparities. By now you've likely heard of the increasing neonatal and maternal mortality rate in Hawai'i (and the USA). That fact is not because 1% of babies are born at home. It's due to many compounding factors affecting the 99% of births that occur in hospitals. I'm also attaching a letter of support from the North American Registry of Midwives-NARM.This is significant as NARM is the national certifying body whose credential is used as the requirement for licensure.They're in support of the PEP pathway and permanently exempting birth attendants. Comm. Na. ID a 1 Ref.To: p (IDEM.1 Ref. Date FEB 2 1 2023 And lastly, there are other states supporting such an exemption. Those include Oregon, Minnesota, Utah and Oklahoma. Mahalo for your consideration and time in supporting and passing resolution 57 , Daniela Martinez Guzman LM-26 2 North American • Registry of Midwives Providing Certification Standards For Certified Professional Midwives Ida barragh, CPM,LM Executive Director Feb 2, 2023 Credentialing Specialist Ida@anarm.org To Whom it may Concern: Board of Directors The North American Registry of Midwives (NARM) strongly urges support of HB 955 and Senate Bill 1047 to amend Act 32 of 2019 which licensed Certified Kim Pekin,CPM,LM Professional Midwives in Hawaii. NARM issues the credential, Certified Chairperson Professional Midwife, which is the basis for licensure in 37 other states. Professional Development Carol Nelson,CPM,LM Act 32 of 2019 set standards for acquiring and maintaining a license to practice Treasurer as a midwife. While this was a good start, there were several flaws in the bill. Applications The primary flaw was that it identified only one route to certification without acknowledging the other routes, all of which require the same content in Debbie Pulley,CPM,LM education, the same supervision of clinical skills, and passing the same Public Education &Advocacy national exam. All certification pathways assure the same knowledge and Secretary skills, and therefore should be acceptable as a qualification for licensure. 1-888-84BIRTH Rachel Fox-Tierney,CPM, Another flaw in the 2019 law is that it only protected Traditional Birth LM Communications Attendants until July 1, 2023, without a clear plan for what would be needed after that date. The new proposed bill removes the expiration date but clearly Mary Anne Richardson, states what is required for those who meet those parameters. CPM,LM Accountability I encourage your support for House Bill 955 and Senate bill 1047. Adrian Feldhusen, CPM, LM Special Projects Miriam Khalsa,CPM,LM Sincerely, Policies and Procedures Jacqueline Kay Hammack Public Member Ida Darragh Executive Director,North American Registry of Midwives Executive Director Phone:888-842-4784 501-296-9769 testinggnnarm.org www.narm.org 4322 Country Club Blvd Little Rock,AR 72207•testing@narm.org•www.narm.org