We are urgently in need of better maternal health care in Massachusetts. Last year, the Department of Public Health reported the shocking data that severe maternal health complications have DOUBLED over ten years in Massachusetts. Meanwhile, we have sustained closures of birth centers and maternity units in every corner of the state. This is disportionately harming Black mothers due to structural racism, but the crisis has reached every demographic in every community.
Midwives are proven to improve outcomes while reducing health care costs. The midwifery model of care is individualized, respectful, and prevention-based, leading to fewer unneeded medical interventions and high patient satisfaction. Expanding access to midwifery care, including in birth centers, was a key recommendation of the 2021-2022 Legislative Commission on Racial Inequities in Maternal Health.
Please take action this legislative session to integrate certified professional midwives into the maternal care workforce, as H.4566 and S.2734 would do.
