Out-of-Hospital Midwives on the RISE!

Just a few years ago in the nation's capital, the closing of the South East DC hospital caused major upset in the black community. This hospital served hundreds of pregnant women and their families. They would need alternative birth options. Many of these families could not get into certain hospitals for care because many of the Physicians who practiced at these hospitals did not take Medicaid. If You had Medicaid and went there, Your insurance was not accepted, services denied, referral elsewhere, and so on...

Working hard behind the scenes with My colleague and Friend Dr. Wodul, as part of the Midwifery Task Force for Washington DC, we tried everything to show how Out-of-Hospital (OOH) Midwives will bring the needed improvement to the SE community and eventually all of DC. But, to no avail, we were met with promises that were never fulfilled surrounding the CPM credential. The license We sought to prove to the Board of Nursing that CPM's will improve maternal health outcomes led to issuance of a statement approving the CPM credential but they didn't want to officiate a license. Words like 'endorsement and reciprocity' were tossed around.

One night, I poured Myself into reading the laws and recalled under a state of emergency, the Mayor had the ability to issue Temporary Medical Licenses for health care professionals. To Me, the closing of the South East Hospital was such an EMERGENCY!! But My letters and calls ended without consent nor a solution...until Covid19!

It took Covid19 to "birth" the emergency protocol I had requested years ago on behalf of the struggling black communities in South East, DC. I truly believe Covid19 is of great historical significance for "Millenials"! Because of Covid19, some states are begging CPM's to mobilize! The numbers of clientele and out-of-hospital births with CPM's are increasing rapidly! I encourage ALL OOH Midwives nationwide to RISE!

Support and empower each other as community Midwives! If You are an OOH Midwife serving black families and people of color where black mothers and babies continue to have the worst birth outcomes in this country, participate, mobilize and partake in this shift towards ending black birth disparities. There are too many communities like South East DC that need Midwives!

Could Covid19 in North America mark the beginning of a NEW DAY in the History of Midwifery?

MANA recognizes and supports the imperative for OOH Midwives in every state, nationwide! Allow this present pandemic to funnel and equip other Midwife Students, Midwife Apprentices and Midwives to-be who are currently Doulas to began building opportunities for more Midwives! Join the mission for which MANA was created to populate every community reclaiming Midwifery's mark on history forever forward!

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