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2000 SESSION

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SB 657 Licensure of midwives.

Introduced by: D. Nick Rerras | all patrons    ...    notes | add to my profiles

SUMMARY AS INTRODUCED:

Health professions and health; licensure of midwives. Requires persons practicing midwifery, which is the assessment and care of a pregnant woman and her newborn during pregnancy, labor, birth, and the postpartum period outside of the hospital, to be licensed. Applicants must meet educational, specialized training, and competency standards set by the Board of Health Professions, with advice from the Advisory Council on Midwifery established in this bill, and must have a written protocol with an actively practicing physician who has hospital privileges and is experienced in providing labor and delivery care. In addition, midwives must obtain the informed, written consent of any pregnant woman seeking midwife care. The consent form, which must be approved by the Board of Health Professions, shall include information about the midwife's training, an explanation of the arrangements for physician backup, the midwife's level of malpractice or liability insurance, and a description of the patient's right to file complaints with the Board and the procedures for doing so. The Board of Health Professions shall promulgate regulations which, when implemented, will supersede current provisions in the Code for midwives, but the Board of Health will administer the licensing examination and issue licenses to midwives. The bill contains technical amendments.


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