June 13,1996
Contact: Tisha Graham (518)584-6619
NEW YORK FRIENDS OF MIDWIVES was represented strongly today at the arraignment of Syracuse midwife Roberta Devers-Scott, who was arrested and charged with two counts of practicing midwifery without a license, felony reckless endangerment and third degree assault. The State of New York currently lacks a licensing mechanism for direct-entry midwives (those who enter the profession outside of nurse midwifery education). New York Friends of Midwives is the largest consumer advocacy organization in the state, supporting the broader availability of midwives and the midwifery model of care for childbearing women in New York. Close to half of every other state in the country recognizes the unique contributions of the direct-entry midwife and, according to Tisha Graham, co-chair of NYFOM, "New York is out of step with the rest of the country and the rest of the world." An estimated 80% of all babies worldwide are born into the hands of midwives. New York Friends of Midwives has been active in working with state agencies to ensure that women maintain the right to choose the proven safe, woman-centered services that midwives provide in a variety of settings, including hospitals, birthing centers, and homes. At stake in the State of New York is the availabilty of midwives to assist women who choose birth in out-of-hospital settings. Though proven as statistcally safe, and in many instances safer than birth in an institutional setting, homebirth options for women received a damaging blow with the recent state-conducted investigations of at least ten midwives who provide care to women exercising their constitutional and human rights to choose where and with whom to birth. New York Friends Of Midwives expressed concern that more arrests will follow. "We are asking for a moratorium on all current and future investigations and arrests of direct-entry midwives until a licensing protocol is in place in the state which would allow these providers an opportunity to demonstrate their knoweldge and skills and practice openly with the women who demand their services." New York Friends of Midwives is outraged by the state's sting operation which resulted in the arrest of Ms. Scott back in December of 1995, when two State Education Department employees posed as a pregnant couple seeking the midwifery services that such midwives provide.
If you would like to respond to this news release on-line you can e-mail to Jackie Snyder at swiss223@vivanet.com.
Thank-you. "Destiny, or karma, depends upon what the soul has done about what it has become aware of."(Edgar Cayce).
Dear Friends: If you live in or near New York State, PLEASE READ THIS!! If you don't, but want to know what is going on, you are welcome to read this! Citizens for Midwifery urges you to get in on this important action!! Some of you may be aware that direct entry midwives are having a bad time in New York State. The New York State Board of Midwifery, which is mandated to license all midwives in the state, has denied licenses to almost all direct entry midwives who have applied (and none have yet been licensed). Those denied licenses have been issued cease and desist orders and are being investigated, simply for practicing midwifery without a license. At this time the Board of Midwifery has no actual licensing mechanism for direct entry midwives. The Board is writing Rules and Regulations which would basically make it impossible for any but midwives with a complete nursing education to get licensed, and the only acceptable midwifery education programs would be post-baccalaureate. Therefore, consumers and midwives in New York State have organized a RALLY (sponsored by Midwives Alliance of New York, New York Friends of Midwives, H.O.M.E., ICAN, MANA, Citizens for Midwifery, and others) for the western steps of the Capitol Building in Albany on Wednesday, May 22, starting at 1 pm. Please participate if you possible can!! (For more information call MANY (Midwives Alliance of N.Y. (315)469-7615.) The Rally is being coordinated with a LETTER WRITING CAMPAIGN to urge the Chancellor of the Board of Regents (which oversees the Midwifery Board) to take steps for the proper implementation of the law so that direct entry midwives can get licensed. IF YOU ARE A NEW YORK STATE RESIDENT, or live adjacent to New York, PLEASE WRITE A LETTER IMMEDIATELY! You can use the model letter that follows as a basis, but please write your own letter in your own words. (If you live outside NY State you can write a letter reflecting your location, perhaps about New York being seen as a model for other states...) If you are coming to the Rally, bring your letter with you-- letters will be personally delivered to the Chancellor's desk on the day of the Rally. If you cannot attend the Rally, please send your letter to the Chancellor care of Ms. Betsy Mercogliano (3 Wilbur St., Albany, NY 12202); she will see that your letter is delivered. Letters received after May 22 will also be delivered on later dates, or you may mail your letter directly to Chancellor Carl Hayden at the address below. THIS IS IMPORTANT!! What happens in New York State will be an example for many other states in terms of how midwifery is defined and controlled. Thank you for your attention! Susan Hodges, Pres., Citizens for Midwifery (a nonprofit, grass roots, volunteer organization of midwifery advocates in North America). MODEL LETTER: Mr. Carl Hayden Chancellor of the Board of Regents 303 William Street Elmira, New York 14901 Dear Regent Hayden, As a New York State resident I am confused and concerned about the status of direct entry midwives. It was my understanding that the Midwifery Practice Act of 1992 would provide a mechanism for licensing non-nurse midwives, the internationally recognized preferred provider of maternal care services. However, it appears I am misinformed and that these midwives are instead being arrested and families denied the option of this quality care. ADD SOMETHING PERSONAL HERE, BUT NO IDENTIFYING DETAILS.... ~I had a midwife attended birth center or home birth that was an empowering, positive family experience and I want my daughter or daughter-in-law to have the same opportunity ~my granddaughter was born at home and it was a much better birth experience than I had in the hospital ~I have had both hospital and out-of-hospital births and my care by a midwife and recovery in an out-of-hospital setting were far superior ~as a mother of X I value a birth setting where my family is present for support and bonding with the newborn. ~I value the counseling and educational on a wide range of health issues that is provided by midwives. Those services are not available from an obstetrician. ~I value a maternity care provider who listens to my concerns According to several studies by the World Health Organization, those countries that primarily use non-nurse professional midwives for maternity care have better birth outcomes--lower maternal and infant mortality rates, fewer low birth weight newborns, fewer birth traumas, and greatly reduced cesarean section rates-- than we do here in the U.S. and particularly in New York State, where we rely on a medical model of care. Therefore, I request the Board of Regents to step in and instruct the Board of Midwifery to: 1) review the scientific data, their own delinquent reports on direct entry midwifery and barriers to practice, and reports from citizens groups that will be filed with the BOM; 2) modify the rules and regs, and if necessary request legislative changes, that will allow for the licensing and certification of direct entry midwives in New York State, and; 3) initiate a moratorium on the arrest of midwives until the BOM has had a chance to review and evaluate the mandated reports and finish the task of providing for the licensing of direct entry midwives. If New York State wants to safeguard the health and provide quality care for mothers and babies, it needs to encourage the practice of midwifery by Certified Professional Midwives (CPMs) and promote the use of out-of-hospital birth settings. Midwives provide skilled, professional maternal care. Midwives reduce maternal care costs. Midwives are a smart choice for New York State. Sincerely, NAME
Support for lay midwives needed:
Press Statement
LAY MIDWIVES UNDER ASSAULT IN NYS
by David Yarrow
"The first 'witch' hung in American colonies
was a midwife whom the doctors accused."
Dr. Robert Mendelsohn, MD in "Male Practice" pg. 151
ALBANY, NY -- In life, we all follow one singular path into this
physical world: the vaginal tube. Struggle to control this route into
reality has gone on for ages. In a recent European century, male-
dominated medicine seized the position at the end of the vaginal canal.
Birth, with disease and trauma, was defined as medical practice.
Witch hunts are past history, and recent effort has begun to
establish women's rights, and reestablish women's rites -- including
their role as professional midwives independent of medicine.
But in NYS it's still legal to hunt midwives. Now, the Empire State
has netted its leading midwives.
BIRTH INTO A FELONY
Dec. 13, 1995 Roberta Devers-Scott was called to the Onondaga County
Family Planning front office where she worked as counselor. There, two
undercover investigators and a police officer handed her a search
warrant and handcuffed her. At the police station she was mug shot,
finger printed and imprisoned, charged with felony. Her home was
searched and records seized.
Her crime? Not drug dealing, prostitution, child abuse, street
violence, murder. Roberta's felony was to help other women give birth
at home, educate them about pregnancy, guide them through the birth
process, empower women. Roberta practiced lay midwifery in central NY.
Roberta isn't the only midwife under legal attack in NYS. Rather, a
serious effort seems underway to subvert a 1992 NYS law and abolish lay
midwifery. To do so drastically reduces women's birth options and home
births may become impossible, if not illegal.
An occasional official inquiry into traumatic outcomes of abnormal
births was normal -- until recently. Now NYS has played "bait
and betray" tactics to trap lay midwives and suppress their practice
as unlicensed profession.
STATE WIDE HARASSMENT
Summer '93 a Long Island midwife investigated by Education Dept.
Office of Professional Discipline is coerced to agree to stop practice.
Spring '94 Hudson Valley midwives Julia Kessler and Karen Pardini are
charged by Health Dept. with unlicensed midwife practice.
October '95 midwife Maggie Kern investigated by the Education Dept.
Office of Professional Discipline.
November '95 midwife Susan Frank investigated by the Education Dept.
Office of Professional Discipline.
January '95 midwife Hilary Schlinger investigated by Education Dept.
Office of Professional Discipline.
