The Massachusetts Medical Society commends the legislature for enacting this landmark legislation aimed at improving patient outcomes and closing troubling disparities in maternal health care. By expanding access to doulas, lactation consultants, and perinatal mental health care services, this bill ensures that families will have the comprehensive support they need throughout pregnancy and the postpartum period.
Establishing a licensure pathway for Certified Professional Midwives and facilitating the creation of freestanding birth centers will increase access to a broader range of birthing professionals and settings. While the MMS believes the safest location for birth is a hospital or birth center, we support the right of birthing people to make informed choices between a diversity of health care professionals and appropriate settings and we credit the legislature for including measures that prioritize patient safety in home birth settings and bolster care integration. This legislation addresses many of the long-standing concerns the Medical Society has raised regarding the regulatory framework and practice standards for CPMs, striking an appropriate balance that advances equity and patient safety. We look forward to engaging with all stakeholders to ensure a regulatory implementation process that promotes access to evidence-based, risk-appropriate care for all birthing individuals.
This legislation will address the concerning rise in maternal mortality and morbidity rates in the Commonwealth and collectively will make meaningful progress toward our shared promise of health equity.
-Hugh Taylor, MD, President, Massachusetts Medical Society
