WHERE’S MY MIDWIFE PRESS NEWS

CONTACT: Gaby Merediz, 718-753-1174 www.wheresmymidwife.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Thursday, August 27, 2009

SEAHEC to Hire New Midwife

Where’s my midwife? continues to ask for dialog withDepartment of OB/GYN and NHRMCIn light of the Health Care Reform Panel Discussion being held tonight at UNCW, the mission of Where’sMy Midwife seems all too appropriate. As a group of over 400 consumers, Where’s My Midwife seeks toincrease access to midwives in the community. This goal translates into lower health care costs and highquality care. The Department of OB/GYN and NHRMC have made it very difficult to satisfy either of these consumer needs.It has come to our attention that SEAHEC will be hiring another midwife in their practice. We believe thenew hire will be used as a public relations opportunity to show that SEAHEC and the Hospital areresponding directly to the question, “Where’s my midwife?” In fact, SEAHEC has wanted to expand itsmidwifery service for over a year and has capitalized on this opportunity. Our needs are still not beingmet and our questions not answered. While we're grateful to have an additional midwife in our area,this hiring is insufficient. We're still down the number of practitioners in our area to respond to thepopulation's needs. Now, our providers have been reduced from three to two. This is not progress.The policy of the Department of OB/GYN at the hospital requires a supervising physician to be in housewhenever a midwife delivers a baby. This still restricts midwives working outside of SEAHEC fromoperating autonomously. Where’s My Midwife? continues to have as its primary goal the desire for adialogue with the hospital/Dept. of OB/GYN about changing their policy about on-site supervision. Thispolicy does not allow midwives to practice as they want to (and as families need them to) with greaterautonomy. We will continue to lose midwives in our area (as we have historically) as long as this policy isin place. OB offices will dissolve their programs and/or midwives will leave our area if this policy stays inplace. We will continue to picket in front of NHRMC until we are granted a meeting with the Departmentof OB/GYN and the hospital to discuss this policy. Members of Where’s My Midwife? will also attend theHealth Care Reform Panel at UNCW this evening.