Virginia ACNM writes in support of the above HB1649/1657. Though this bill may have limited impact for certified nurse midwives and licensed certified midwives who are jointly licensed by the Board of Nursing and Medicine, ACNM is is committed to eliminating racism and
racial bias in the midwifery profession and race-based disparities in reproductive health care. Education and acknowledgement of the reality that healthcare providers perpetuate harmful biases in care of marginalized communities that significantly contributes to health disparities across the Commonwealth is just the first step. The next is for action to address policies and practices that allow disparate care as a result of such bias within our educational institutions and workplaces. This requirement for education as a requirement to license recognizes that our training programs and workplaces are currently deficient in such education and action. Thank you to Delegate Hayes for re-submitting these bills for this important initiative that passed both chambers of this body just last year. We ask you do it again.
Virginia ACNM also writes in support of HB1903 to establish a nursing workforce center and increases residency stipends for physicians. Our healthcare workforce is critically underfilled, especially in primary and maternity care. We recognize the lack of explicit inclusion in this bill of support for essential primary, sexual, reproductive, and newborn healthcare provided by certified nurse-midwives and licensed certified midwives, and reproductive and newborn care provided by licensed midwives across the Commonwealth. We acknowledge that the majority of midwives in the commonwealth are certified nurse midwives who are educated through schools of nursing. And we urge policy makers to recognize that we need more midwives and explicitly include strategies to increase the workforce for all midwives licensed in the state. Such policies include funding to support midwives precepting students in the Commonwealth, creation of new programs for midwifery in the Commonwealth (there is only 1 program to date), and supplements to clinical sites to increase access to the number of available preceptors and training sites. We hope to be involved with the nursing workforce center and partner with the Workforce Development Authority for this important work.
Virginia ACNM writes in support of the above HB1649/1657. Though this bill may have limited impact for certified nurse midwives and licensed certified midwives who are jointly licensed by the Board of Nursing and Medicine, ACNM is is committed to eliminating racism and racial bias in the midwifery profession and race-based disparities in reproductive health care. Education and acknowledgement of the reality that healthcare providers perpetuate harmful biases in care of marginalized communities that significantly contributes to health disparities across the Commonwealth is just the first step. The next is for action to address policies and practices that allow disparate care as a result of such bias within our educational institutions and workplaces. This requirement for education as a requirement to license recognizes that our training programs and workplaces are currently deficient in such education and action. Thank you to Delegate Hayes for re-submitting these bills for this important initiative that passed both chambers of this body just last year. We ask you do it again. Virginia ACNM also writes in support of HB1903 to establish a nursing workforce center and increases residency stipends for physicians. Our healthcare workforce is critically underfilled, especially in primary and maternity care. We recognize the lack of explicit inclusion in this bill of support for essential primary, sexual, reproductive, and newborn healthcare provided by certified nurse-midwives and licensed certified midwives, and reproductive and newborn care provided by licensed midwives across the Commonwealth. We acknowledge that the majority of midwives in the commonwealth are certified nurse midwives who are educated through schools of nursing. And we urge policy makers to recognize that we need more midwives and explicitly include strategies to increase the workforce for all midwives licensed in the state. Such policies include funding to support midwives precepting students in the Commonwealth, creation of new programs for midwifery in the Commonwealth (there is only 1 program to date), and supplements to clinical sites to increase access to the number of available preceptors and training sites. We hope to be involved with the nursing workforce center and partner with the Workforce Development Authority for this important work.