LA Midwives Association Meeting

Saturday, August 14, 2010
9:00 am - 1:00 pm
Lafayette South Branch Public Library

Future of Midwifery in Louisiana ~ Very Important Meeting ~ Please Attend
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Breaking NEWS!!!

111th Congress (2009-2010)

H.R.5807.IH

This is THE most exciting, broad reaching legislation to affect women

and children ever! PLEASE read the bill, and let your Congress people

know that you fully support it and expect them to as well! This could

make a HUGE difference in our maternal and infant morbidity and

mortality rates; and allows us to finally see what is really going on in

this country!!! Not to mention it gives federal recognition to CPM's.

If you know people in the media, get on them to pick up the story please. We need a huge groundswell of support that the legislature

CANNOT ignore!

Please get involved today!

http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c111%3AH.R.5807%3A
http://roybal-allard.house.gov/News/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=199707

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Legislative Alert

AABC Takes the Lead on New Legislation

The American Association of Birth Centers thanks Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard and her staff for the introduction of the Maximizing Optimal Maternity Services for the 21st Century Act (a.k.a. ''MOMS for the 21st Century Act" (H.R. 5807) which places a national focus on evidence-based maternity care practices to help achieve the best possible maternity outcomes for mothers and babies.

AABC took the lead in developing the concept, reflected in the legislation, of maternity care shortage areas, and the inclusion of Certified Professional Midwives (CPMs) in all aspects of the legislation. Our lobbyist and legal counsel worked closely with Representative Roybal-Allard's staff in drafting the bill.

I particularly want to thank the members of AABC's Legislative Team for their hard work in developing and seeing this legislation to fruition. Our committed Legislative Team includes: AABC President Linda Cole, Cynthia Flynn, AABC Legal Counsel Susan Jenkins, AABC's lobbyist Karen Fennell, and AABC's executive director Kate Bauer. I want to give special recognition to Ruth Lubic, founder of the Family Health and Birth Center in Washington, DC that Congresswoman Roybal-Allardvisited last month.

Thanks also to the American College of Nurse-Midwives (ACNM) and the Big Push for Midwives for working in partnership with AABC on different aspects of the legislation.

The legislation specifically addresses the following areas:

Creates a new Health & Human Services focus on the promotion of optimal maternity care

Additional focus area for the Office on Women's Health.
Interagency Coordinating Committee on the Promotion of Optimal Maternity Outcomes.
Consumer education campaign.
Bibliographic database of systematic reviews for care of childbearing women and newborns.

Research and Data Collection on Maternity Care

NEW DATA FOCUS: Maternity care health professional shortage areas.
Expansion of CDC Prevention Research Centers program to include Centers on Optimal Maternity Outcomes.
Expanding models to be tested by Center for Medicare and Medicaid
Innovation to include maternity care models.

Enhancement of a geographically, racially, and ethnically diverse interdisciplinary maternity workforce

Development of interdisciplinary maternity care provider core curricula.
Interdisciplinary training of medical students, residents, and student midwivesin academic health centers.
Loan repayments for maternal care professionals, including CPMs for the first time.
Grants to professional organizations, including CPM organizations, to increase diversity in maternity care professionals.

ACTION STEPS

Thank Congresswoman Roybal-Allard for sponsoring the MOMS for the 21st Century Act.
The bill was introduced with 25 co-sponsors. Thank your federal Representative if he/she was a co-sponsor.
Ask your federal Representative to co-sponsor the MOMs for the 21st Century Act (HR 5807).

For tips on contacting your representatives visit www.BirthCenters.org

We are here at a tipping point and need YOU to make it happen.

Sincerely,