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Contact: Helen Machado
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Los Angeles Chapter of the American College of Nurse Midwives Honors Congresswoman During its Observance of National Midwifery Week for her Authorship of Legislation Aimed at Placing a National Focus on Evidence-based Maternity Care Practices
Hollywood, Los Angeles,
Oct 10, 2010 -
Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard (CA-34) was honored by the Los Angeles Chapter of the American College of Nurse Midwives during its observance of National Midwifery Week for her authorship of legislation aimed at placing a national focus on evidence-based maternity care practices to help achieve the best possible maternity outcomes for mothers and babies.
“The work of midwives depends upon local and national champions,” explains Debbie Frank, Certified Nurse Midwife and the event organizer.
During Congresswoman Roybal-Allard’s remarks at the event attended by more than 200 midwives, parents and children and emceed by actress Ricki Lake, she said: “It is an honor and a truly humbling experience to be recognized by all of you for my legislative efforts in support of evidence-based maternity care, because the reality is that it is each and every one of you who are the true champions and defenders of physiologic childbirth. Your advocacy serves as a much needed shield against the medicalization of maternity care, and your work supporting women in childbirth brings babies into the world in the gentlest and most caring way possible.”
The congresswoman continued, “It is a travesty that the vast body of knowledge of best evidence-based practices in maternity care remains unknown to women, resulting in their belief that elective Cesarean births, routine epidurals, and scheduled inductions are safe and present no risks to either them or their babies. As Midwives you have always spoken out against unnecessary overuse of these procedures, and I commend you for all the years you have championed multiple non-invasive maternity practices, such as centering of pregnancy group prenatal care and physiologic positions for childbirth, which have produced considerable improvement in outcomes with no detrimental side effects. It is most regrettable that the Midwifery model of evidence-based maternity care remains significantly under used in this country. It is for that reason that I introduced legislation to create a national focus on optimal maternity care.”
The Maximizing Optimal Maternity Services for the 21st Century Act (HR 5807) authored by the congresswoman creates a national focus on maternity care by establishing an Interagency Coordinating Committee charged with promoting medical practices proven to provide the healthiest results for mothers and babies. The legislation authorizes a public awareness media campaign to educate the public about the best proven maternity care practices. The legislation expands federal research on best maternity practices. The bill also authorizes data collection to pinpoint specific geographic areas of the country that lack maternity care providers.
Finally, the measure puts in place a concerted effort to create a more culturally diverse and interdisciplinary maternity care workforce. It establishes loan repayment programs for providers in maternity care shortage areas. It authorizes grant programs for maternity professional organizations to recruit and retain minority providers. It also calls for the development of core curricula across maternity professional disciplines to better ensure that providers are trained and able to inform patients about all of their maternity care options.
After the program, Congresswoman Roybal-Allard took part in a “blessing of the hands” ceremony, in which all the midwives’ hands were blessed for their work providing respectful hands-on care to the women and families they serve. The congresswoman’s hands were blessed for their role in crafting and voting for legislation that advances the health of women and babies.
For over 25 years, midwives have celebrated the first full week in October as National Nurse Midwifery week. Across the country midwives hold events and “birth day parties” to recognize their patients and the role that midwifery plays in this country to help keep mothers and babies safe.
As Event Organizer and Certified Nurse Midwife Debbie Frank explained, “The passion and devotion of all midwives to the women they serve has gone largely unsung, despite the fact that midwives are the first Advance Practice Nurses (APRNs) with 100 percent reimbursement rates under The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Midwives across Los Angeles work 24/7 to provide quality care. They work in the homes of clients, birthing centers, public health clinics, and hospitals across our city. Many midwives labor to care for the underserved women in our city who are most in need of respectful health care. In addition, today’s highly-educated, nationally-certified midwives are a growing group of primary care health providers. This week, we recognize the many contributions of nurse midwives and to show our support for Congresswoman Roybal-Allard's efforts to improve maternity care and outcomes for mothers and their babies throughout our country.”
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