N.Y. Legislature Approves Midwife Independence Legislation

Main Category: Nursing / Midwifery
Also Included In: Primary Care / General Practice;  Pregnancy / Obstetrics
Article Date: 05 Jul 2010 - 2:00 PDT


The New York Senate on Wednesday voted 61-0 to approve a bill (S 5007) that would allow midwives to practice independently without obtaining "written practice agreements" with obstetricians or hospitals, Long Island Newsday reports. The state Assembly approved the bill Monday in a 95-17 vote (Ricks, Long Island Newsday, 7/2). The measure, known as the Midwifery Modernization Act, now goes to Gov. David Paterson (D) (Crowley, Albany Times Union, 7/2).

The written practice agreements are supposed to ensure that midwives have backup support from doctors or hospitals if problems arise during a pregnancy or delivery. Some doctors -- fearing they could be liable for complications in patients whom they know little about -- decline to enter the agreements. While many midwives have privileges at hospitals where help is easily available, midwives who assist in home births and practice in rural communities often face difficulties meeting the requirement, the New York Times reports.

The repeal of the agreement requirement gained momentum in April after the closure of St. Vincent's Hospital in New York City. The hospital had agreements with several midwives, who became unable to deliver babies when the facility closed (Confessore/Hartocollis, New York Times, 7/2).

The New York State Association of Licensed Midwives, the Nurse Practitioner Association of New York State and several other professional groups support the legislation, sponsored by Assembly member Richard Gottfried (D) (Long Island Newsday, 7/2).

The bill was "bitterly opposed" by the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, which argued that midwives needed direct supervision from physicians to ensure patient safety (New York Times, 7/2). The group will lobby Paterson to veto the measure (Albany Times Union, 7/2).

New York has roughly 1,300 midwives who perform 15% of the state's non-Caesarean section births (Long Island Newsday, 7/2).

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