Medical Malpractice...Can It Be Reformed?

We hear a lot of dialogue and debate in the maternity care world about the impact of malpractice lawsuits on most practicing physicians.  Concerns about fears of liability driving up unnecessary tests and procedures are a big reason that women choose to opt out of the standard medical model of care.  Rising costs of malpractice insurance premiums have sent many state and national OB groups to their legislators, asking for some kind of consideration in the milieu of health care reform options being considered in Washington.

A very interesting article published last week in Indiana (where legislators have set malpractice award caps) suggests that no amount of legislative reform will stop the flow of excessive procedures and defensive medicine among our nation's doctors.  

Medical malpractice costs take spotlight. By Maureen Groppe / Star Washington Bureau

What do you think?

Midwives: A Safe, Cost-Saving Alternative

Please take a minute to read this insightful essay by Peggy Garland, Certified Nurse Midwife and Coordinator of the Massachusetts Coalition for Midwifery, on topic of maternity care and midwifery.  We spend so much time defending our choices and our profession that it is nice to have a chance to remind ourselves what amazing potential we have in the movement to bring midwifery to more women in the US.

You can read and comment on the full article here. Save a copy so that you have a good reference when you're writing those letters to legislators!

Here's a highlight:

Did you know that almost a quarter of all hospital discharges involves maternity care (mother and newborn)? That six out of fifteen of the most common hospital procedures involve maternity care? That Cesarean section is the most commonly performed surgery? Why are so many procedures being performed on essentially healthy people? It’s the same reason behind sky-rocketing costs in all other sectors of health care: reimbursement is procedure-driven.

None of us would want to stint on the health of mothers and babies if all these procedures produced improved outcomes. But our outcomes are among the worst in the developed world and are not improving. The long-term health problems for women associated with Cesarean section are only now being understood. Maternal mortality is actually increasing. Some of the problem is undoubtedly due to excess interventions, especially those of unproven effectiveness.

The hallmark of midwifery is care with minimal interventions, with a focus on those that are evidence-based. Numerous studies of midwifery care involving low-risk women show lower costs and equal or better outcomes... [read more]

Helpful Insights On Health Care Reform

Feeling a little overwhelmed with the volleyball game going on in Congress over Health Care?  Join the club. While the MAMA Campaign works steadily to stay on the court, truth and fiction about what Health Care Reform will mean to the average US citizen continue to collide in mid air.  While the whole thing may end up in a net-ball for this year, keeping up with the status of the current bills is a real workout.

The MAMA Campaign is staying in shape for the finals (bills from the Senate and House are expected out in late December at this point) and will continue to keep you informed of all the relevant plays.  Check out this helpful overview from this week's Washington Post, 8 Questions about Health Care Reform, and then subscribe to our blog for more updates and links to relevant articles that will keep you in shape for further efforts in advocacy for midwifery and maternity care!

MAMA Fundraising in Montana- Home Birth Community

The home birth community in Missoula Montana continues to work on a political action event and a silent auction fundraiser for the MAMA Campaign. The place for the fundraiser became more of a problem than we expected. Many places were either booked, too expensive, too small or big, or wanted to charge for their food catering. Finally, we found a space at the Downtown Dance Collective. It has a small kitchen, open floor plan and is affordable. We booked it for Friday evening, September 25^th.

Today at the meeting we made several decisions. Since the auction place and date have been completed, we concentrated on how the political action “parade” would work.

The consensus in earlier meetings was to have a parade separate from the auction so families with young children wouldn’t have to participate in a parade for 1-2 hours and then attend a fundraising event for another 2-3 hours. So we decided to schedule the parade for the day before the auction. Participants will gather at 3:30 pm, close to the end of the school day and early enough to allow for the parade to arrive at Senator Baucus’ office between 4:00 and 4:30 pm. (The office is open until 5 pm)

I agreed to write a petition for all parade participants to sign stating that the undersigned are all voters in Montana and want Senator Max Baucus to include Certified Professional Midwives as maternity care providers in the Medicaid section of the Senate’s health reform legislation. This petition will be presented to the local office staff for Senator Baucus.

Auction items are being donated from local businesses and individuals. While having lunch today with my 95 year old father-in-law I told him of our plans. As I watered his plants, he found a backpacking fishing rod and reel to donate to the auction. What a guy!

Advertising will begin soon and details of the auction will be covered at the next meeting.

Update on Wednesday, September 9, 2009 at 12:24PM by Dolly Browder

September 4, 2009 was another productive fundraising meeting in Missoula, Montana for the MAMA Campaign. Sadly, one dedicated volunteer has had to drop out because of medical issues. Her contributions will be missed.

Following the decision to have a two part event (political action march and community fundraiser), the committee has been focused on the details. The political action event originally was called a “parade” but we decided to relabel the event as a “Political Action March”. Advertising has begun with radio, newspaper articles, flyers, emails, Facebook attachments, etc. We are planning a sign making party so we will need poster board and a couple sizes of wooden sticks for the signs.

The fundraising event will take place the day after the march. It will include a silent auction, pizza and possibly beer and wine. The details of this event at times seem a little daunting. Who will serve the alcohol (a caberet license is necessary)? What to drink for kids? How many pizzas need to be made? It was decided to ask for a donation for the food. How much and how to monitor that or not?

The number and quality of items donated for the silent auction is heartwarming; everything from home-made furniture and overnight lodging (a local B&B and a Yurt on Flathead Lake) to baby items and a home-made rug. Details of running the auction (payment options, bidding numbers, etc.) will have to be addressed.  One committee member has been involved in a local non-profit organization auction before and can help with these issues.

Overall,  the joy of working with local young families that have received the services of a Certified Professional Midwife at their birth is exemplary. What a commitment to the MAMA Campaign!

Share your birth story with the MAMA Campaign!

As we put bandaids over our blistered feet from walking the halls of Congress last week, it was with the knowledge that everything we do makes a real difference that kept us going. Reading and sharing stories of true triumph and blessings as families across the country birth their babies into the waiting hands of Certified Professional Midwives reminds us that we truly make a difference in the lives of babies. Please enjoy this beautiful birth story and consider sharing your own!

Birch’s Birth – from a mother’s perspective

On Saturday, Feb 7th I awoke with a feeling of anticipation. It was the baby’s due date, although I didn’t think that he or she would actually come on this day. In fact, I was prepared for another 10 days of waiting. Still the anticipation was there. It is hard not to be hopeful when it feels like a basketball weighing 30 pounds is in your belly! And the fatigue!

Richard and I felt prepared both emotionally and physically for labor and for the early days of parenthood. We had gone to a birth class for six weeks which was based on the book “Birthing from Within” by Pam England. Our friends and community here in Vermont had blessed us in two different Blessingway ceremonies and many of them signed up to bring us food for the first two weeks after our baby’s birth. The cloth diapers were ready to be put to use. Our Certified Professional Midwife, Mary Lawlor, and doula, Natalie, were ready to come to our house at a moments notice. Although I experienced moments of anxiety about the pains of labor, I was able to get through those moments by reminding myself that my body was designed to give birth and that many women had gone before me. Most of the time I felt confident about labor because I knew that giving birth had the potential to be a very empowering experience. I was especially excited about giving birth in my own home.

Click to read more ...