Update From The States

Michigan CPM Bill Clears First Hurdle

Proposed legislation in Michigan - House Bill 4598 and Senate Bill 383 - would amend the public health code to create licensure for Certified Professional Midwives.

The bill has completed the first step to becoming a law, passing the House on December 3, HB 4598 with a vote of 79 to 25. SB 383 was assigned to the Senate Health Policy Committee, where as of this writing it waits to be scheduled for a hearing.

The effort to expand access to CPMs is spearheaded by the Friends of Michigan Midwives (FoMM) and its parent organization, the Coalition to License CPMs. Learn more and lend support here at their website.

(Image from the Friends of Michigan Midwives Facebook page)

Know A Leader in Midwifery?

Midwives Alliance Board Positions Nominations Open Now

Nominations open now through January 10, 2016. Nominations are now open for available MANA Board positions including:

Do you know a current MANA midwife who has skills, passion and commitment? Nominees must be current voting members. Directors may be elected to no more than 2 consecutive 3-year terms.To nominate yourself or someone else contact elections@mana.org.

Top Five Blog Posts of 2015

MANA is committed to ensuring that midwives, consumers, and policy makers are up-to-date on the latest research, policies, and thinking on midwifery care in the United States. As we wrap up 2015, we wanted to share with you our most popular blog posts in 2015. We encourage you to read and share.

#5: What Defines A Midwife? The MANA Perspective. This post by Colleen Donovan-Batson, MS, CNM, MANA's Director of Health Policy & Advocacy, highlights the key role midwives can play in improving health care outcomes in the United States and MANA's perspective on midwifery policy in the US.

#4: Learn about Childbirth Connection's report on the Hormonal Physiology of Childbirth and how midwives particularly support improved health outcomes in this post by MANA Communications Chair Jill Breen, CPM, CLC.

#3: Midwives Alliance of North America, in collaboration with ICTC, ICAN, and Elephant Circle released an Executive Summary of Existing Research on Racial Disparities in Birth Outcomes and Racial Discrimination as an Independent Risk Factor Affecting Maternal, Infant, and Child Health. This infographic graphically depicts key findings and offers solutions. You can view it here.

#2: This 2014 post on how midwives and doulas can work together effectively, written by Sharon Muza, BS, CD(DONA), BDT(DONA), LCCE, FACCE, continues to be one of our most popular.

#1: Our post highlighting the peer-reviewed Journal of Midwifery & Women’s Health (JMWH) study examining nearly 17,000 courses of midwife-led care (the largest analysis of planned home birth in the U.S. ever published) continues to be our most popular content on the MANA blog. The article confirms that among low-risk women, planned home births result in low rates of interventions without an increase in adverse outcomes for mothers and babies. You can read it here.

Shape the Future of Midwifery

Join the Nominations and Elections Committee

Who are the future leaders of the Midwives Alliance? MANA is looking for new members of the Nominations and Elections Committee. The duty of the committee is to seek qualified members to run for the Board of Directors positions that open. Every year one or more positions are up for election to maintain a 3-year cycle and continuity of leadership. The committee will maintain a pool of qualified motivated members to fill skill-based positions on the Board of Directors. Any member of MANA may serve on the committee, including students, supporters and voting members. If you are interested in participating in this dynamic process please contact elections@mana.org. The Nominations and Elections Committee is Chaired by Michele Welborn.

Have Midwifery News To Share?

Twice a month, MANA highlights news from state-level advocates, national policy leaders, and researchers shaping midwifery care policy and practice in the United States. If you have news to share in this newsletter, please let us know. Drop us a line at pressofficer@mana.org.

Call for Abstracts

Share Your Expertise at #MANA16!

Share your expertise at #MANA16 in Atlanta, Georgia! MANA is seeking proposals on topics including: clinical skills, education, global health, clinical issues, legal concerns and general interest. Learn more and apply here. All proposals are due by January 31, 2016.

Save the dates:

Jan 10: Last date for Board Nominations

Jan 31: Deadline Speaker Submissions - Submit Abstracts Here

Oct 13-16: #MANA16, Atlanta, GA

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