HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0104.021 2022-2024 P/Gourtcii(
C_IJ N,;l.'Y C t,L r;K COMM. IOU
COUNTY OF H/VWA
Aloha Council Members, 7073 MAR -7 AM II: 02
In strong support of Resolution 57-23
My name is Rachel Curnel Struempf. I have lived on the west side of Hawai'i island for 30 years.
I had the honor of becoming the first licensed in the state of Hawai'i, I was also appointed as a
member of the Hawai'i Home Birth Taskforce, and I am one of only 2 licensed midwives who
received all of their midwifery training exclusively in Hawai'i.
Hawai'i island has a severe shortage of access to maternity care. There are only 3 hospitals
with labor and delivery units. In the Kohala, Hamakua, Ka'u and Puna districts women regularly
give birth in their cars trying to get to one of these hospitals. Midwives have historically helped
to fill the gaps in maternity care for many of these families. However with the new midwife
licensing laws, access to midwives is about to be scarce. We desperately need the traditional
birth attendants to be allowed to continue legally serving their communities through the current
regulation set forth in Act 32. These attendants serve our most rural Hawai'i island communities.
They are an integral part of maternity care in these rural districts.
Further, there is one Certified Professional Midwife (CPM) credential. It may be obtained
through 2 pathways. One can be certified through attending a school midwifery program
accredited by Midwifery Education Accreditation Council (MEAC). Currently there are no meac
accredited midwifery schools located in the state of Hawai'i. The second pathway is through the
Portfolio Evaluation Process. This requires the applicant to obtain education and training
predominantly through apprenticeship with a NARM registered CPM preceptor and self study.
An extensive application is required to be submitted to prove their training. This application is
reviewed and verified by the North American Registry of Midwives (NARM) prior to allowing
these applicants to take their credentialing exam. Here is the link for this application process.
https://narm.orq/certification-recertification/cpm-application/pep/application/
Once an individual has passed the NARM midwifery exam, they are issued their Certified
Professional Midwife certificate and they are nationally and internationally recognized as a
CPM. It is important to point out that all CPM credentials are equal, there is no distinction
between pathways once you are certified.
I am writing in strong support of this resolution. This is a woman's reproductive issue. The
families of Hawai'i island depend on traditional birth attendants and CPM midwives to provide
them with care. Please ensure that we preserve their right to choose where they give birth and
with whom.
Mahalo for your time,
Rachel Curnel Struempf, LM, CPM
(808)990-8025
P.O.Box 456
Holualoa, HI 96725
Comm. N .
Ref. To: til WWI
Ref. Date MAR - .8 2023