Midwifery in Idaho 2009
Midwifery-
Monday Feb 20th-Tuesday March 3rd, House Bill 185 passed thru the House State Affairs committee with a “do Pass” recommendation and passes the House with a vote of 67:0. In the Senate, it was then approved for Title the next day and placed on the First Reading Calendar. Its title is read to the Senate. Having been assigned to the Health and Welfare Committee in the Senate it awaits a hearing.
Statutory code and rules for the practice of midwifery will serve to provide assurance to the citizens of Idaho that those who represent themselves as midwives have a certain measurable level of training and experience. Midwifery groups worked together with doctors and health organizations for two years in order to get a set of code that would accomplish the goals of safety while putting the care for Idaho’s women and babies at the forefront. Other states have followed this same path with some states even reporting a decrease in health costs when midwives are permitted to practice.
Traditional providers satisfied: This legislation cites what a midwife can do, as well as not do. In addition, it includes for when they have to advise their clients and when they have to transport, that they need to provide good medical charts when they do it, that they call the hospital and let them know when they are leaving. This bill provides immunity to doctor, hospital, ER and ambulance personnel from vicarious liability. Medicines cannot be approved for use without ok from the Boards of Medicine and Pharmacy first. These make it acceptable to the Boards and associations for nursing, pharmacy, hospitals and medicine (doctors).
Midwifery advocates cite a victory: This is a long time coming to have , at the very least, printed in statute the statement that the Idaho Legislature “finds and declares the practice of midwifery has been a part of the culture and tradition of Idaho since before the pioneer days and some citizens choose to preserve the rights of families to deliver children in a setting of their choice…” while protecting the public and “provide a mechanism to assure quality…” Furthermore, it allows “access to medications necessary to safely provide these services” What would be best is if the Senate is able to provide scrutiny and approve that it does meet the needs of Idaho and does it safely.
Crafting Good Legislation: Good legislation takes time and the voices of all that are affected, not just the 105 legislators of the Citizen Legislature and the Governor who represents the Executive Branch. Last year, much work took place on Midwifery legislation during hearings in the House Health and Welfare Committee. The committee room was filled with people, there to give emotional testimony. In the hallways of the legislature, boardrooms of the associations, offices of the midwives, and in the homes of advocates, people were talking, strategizing, negotiating, all to achieve their respective goals. The battle extended into the House Chamber and into the Senate where it ultimately failed. Many felt that more work was needed to fine tune this bill. Perhaps the best bills are ones that pass when they are thoroughly negotiated and not a moment sooner. Perhaps it is better to kill a bill that needs more time and let the discussions mature through the summer and fall as happened in this case.
