Newsletters > Winter 1999 > Midwives Under Investigation, by Kim Pilgrim

On October 20th of this year, Kim Garret was served with a subpoena ordering her to surrender her records and provide documentation of adequate midwifery skills and training. Her deposition, November 20th,was comprised of two and a half hours of questions regarding cases from the past two years. Last year Laura Erickson was investigated by the Attorney General's office prompted by a complaint filed with the Board of Medical Practice by a Willmar physician after an appropriate transport to the hospital. The mom and baby were fine it must be noted. The investigation was based on false information and was followed by letters to political and professional agencies slandering her good work.

The Medical Board has the statutory responsibility to license midwives and has not handed out a license in over sixty years. Over the past eleven years, attempts have been made to re-establish a licensing procedure for traditional midwives, (those attending births at home), through both legislative and task force efforts. Currently the Medical Board has announced it will develop a practice act to be introduced into legislation in 2000. All of the choices discussed at the last task force involve physician oversight which neither physicians nor the midwives desire. Task force minutes from October 10th 1997 read, "if the task force is terminated so that midwives can pursue independent practice, there will likely be efforts by the County Attorney's Association and others to establish penalties for the practice of traditional midwifery." The threat was also made that they would choose someone to make an example.

With a subpoena handed out October 20th of this year, several midwives have banned together to form a new group called Midwifery Now! (MNow!). The vision of MNow! is to be an umbrella group that allows all midwives to join in discussions about midwifery no matter what philosophical standpoint she comes from. MNow! is working to activate the current law through a legal suit and legislative actions both using the Certified Professional Midwife (CPM) credential as the route to licensure. Many more midwives are submitting applications to gain this certification even though many have held out for many years to not take this avenue of credentialling. With the perspective on the CPM, credential and licensure has changed. The CPM is a national standard providing different avenues to reach this credential including apprenticeship, self study or formal schooling. The medical board has validated the exam included in this process, interestingly enough. It is true that few midwives are not interested in participating in the certification process for a variety of reasons. Midwifery Now!, however, supports these individual's perspective and warmly encourages participation of ALL midwives in further discussions.

Minnesota Families for Midwifery (MfM) is a citizens organization promoting midwife attended births and encourages each of you to become a member for $20 to receive our newsletter. (We welcome greater donations as well.) Updates on Midwifery Now!'s activities will be included in MfM's newsletters. Legal funds have been set up for both Midwifery Now! and Laura Ericson. Both need your help to free traditional midwifery so that you can continue to have access to their care and expertise. We welcome your input and involvement. No donation is too small or too high. Please direct any questions to MfM's voicemail: 612-347-1262.