MAWS President, Valerie Sasson, and MAWS Legislative and Policy Chair, Audrey Levine, met with the Medical Directors of the Managed Care Organizations that contract with the WA State Health Care Authority on April 17th and June 5th to eliminate the barriers to increased access to the services of Licensed Midwives. As a result of these meetings, the Medical Directors agreed to the following:

Instead of requiring a Physician Letter for credentialing, the plans will accept the Emergency Plan that LMs are required to submit to the Department of Health every year with licensure renewal.
With regard to prior authorizations, the plans clarified that the purpose is for NOTIFICATION, not to limit access to the services of licensed midwives, home birth, or birth center birth. Prior authorization is designed to enhance communication between providers, patients, and the plan. The plans will consider changing the language to reflect this purpose.

Additionally, the information shared at these meetings about the outcomes and cost savings associated with LM care has paved the way for a conversation with the Health Care Authority about increasing Medicaid reimbursement for the services of LMs and increasing the birth center facility fee.

Hoping to be able to share good news on this front in the next few months. Stay tuned!

CCHD Bill Will Become Law

7-24-15

Signed by the governor on April 21st, this bill will require all newborns in Washington to be screened for Critical Congenital Heart Disease (CCHD) using pulse oximetry. CCHD affects nearly 1 in 100 infants. Early detection and intervention is critical for a good health outcome for these infants. The effective date will be July 24th, 2015.

Please click here to read the bill in its entirety

Anti-Racism Committee

Do you have one hour each month to devote to anti-racism work?

MAWS needs people like you to become part of our Anti-Racism Committee(ARC). This committee, based on a collaborative model, is dedicated to working towards ending healthcare disparities and addressing the impacts of racism as they pertain to birth and pregnancy outcomes. This committee, and MAWS as an organization, recognizes that racism and white privilege play a role in birth and pregnancy outcomes. This is not easy work, and it is incredibly important.

If you would like to be a part of helping MAWS address these issues please, contact Oesa Hauch oesahauch@gmail.com , the current committee chair. There is no prior experience necessary and commitment currently involves a monthly phone call.

Now is an exciting time to get involved and your involvement would be very valuable! Please consider becoming part of ARC. Thank you!

Call For Talented Volunteers!

MAWS, as most of you know, is 90%+ run by volunteers. This means we rely on them a bunch! We are looking for a few people willing to lend us their strengths and help us make MAWS even better! Here are just some of the positions we are hoping for help with:

Fundraising Committee Chair and Members: The fundraising committee exists to ensure that MAWS secures adequate funding to pursue its mission. The chair would collaborate with it's members to brainstorm fundraising events and other fundraising activities. Members would be required to be active participants in the committee.

H.E.R.E. has a new factsheet!

Family Health History:

Genetics & Health.

Certain health conditions are passed from generation to generation. Knowing one's family health history can help healthcare providers manage risks and determine screening recommendations.

The Genetics Program and the Health Promotion and Communication Section worked together to create an educational factsheet about family health history and genetics. The factsheet tested well with the general public. Many people echoed how important it is to know your family health history. One person said, "There's no other information out there like this."

The factsheet is available in both English and Spanish

For more information, contact Debra Lochner Doyle at Debra.LochnerDoyle@doh.wa.gov or Colin Mitchel at Colin.Mitchel@doh.wa.gov.

Whooping Cough News Release

Please click here to read the entire release from the Department of Health.

Tobacco Updates: ACA and New Free App

To our partners in health,

An important message from the Department of Health.

Tobacco use remains a leading cause of preventable death and disease in Washington State. Telling your patients, "Quitting is the single most important thing you can do to protect your health as well as your family" really does make a difference in the number of quit attempts. Evidence demonstrates that even brief clinical interventions can significantly increase the rates at which patients quit smoking.

The following resources and new tools can help you reach the two tobacco measurements outlined in the Washington State Common Measure Set for Health Care Quality and Cost.

Please take a minute to review the cessation resources available for 2015. Click here to read the whole update.

Department of Health Updated List of Perinatal Links

Please click here for a helpful list of links from the Department of Health.

Are You on Facebook?

"Like" the MAWS Page!

If you're on Facebook, visit us and "like" our page, and encourage your friends to "like" us, too. This is a great way to get the word out on MAWS' legislative work and events.

Banked Human Milk Mandated Benefit Proposal

The legislature has requested that the Department of Health (department) consider a sunrise review application that proposes making banked human milk a mandated health care benefit in Washington State. The proposal would mandate that carriers and Medicaid offer benefits or coverage for medically necessary human donor milk for infants under the age of eleven months of age under certain conditions.

The full proposal and application documents are posted on the Sunrise web page. On this page, you will also find information on the process and the statutory criteria that the department must consider in our review. If you are not familiar with the sunrise process, organizations and members of the public may request that the legislature mandate coverage of certain health care benefits. The legislature may then request that the department consider the sunrise application and provide recommendations on whether the proposal meets criteria in Chapter 48.47 RCW to show the proposal is in the public interest.

The department is holding a public hearing on Monday, July 27, 2015, beginning at 1:00 PM at the Department of Health office in Tumwater to receive oral testimony on the proposal. You may also submit written comments until midnight on July 22, 2015.

For additional details about the hearing, please see the attached Notice of Written Comment Period and Public Hearing.

If you wish to receive further communication/updates about this review, please email sunrise@doh.wa.gov or call Sherry Thomas at (360) 236-4612 to be added to the distribution list.

Featherstone Reid Award for Excellence in Health Care

The Washington State Board of Health is seeking nominations for the Warren Featherstone Reid Award for Excellence in Healthcare. This award recognizes individuals and facilities that have exhibited exceptional quality and value in the delivery of health services. The recipient of the award is chosen annually by the Governor in conjunction with the Secretary of Health.

The Board needs your help in finding the next Warren Featherstone Reid Award recipient. I have attached the nomination form. Please share with your partners and let us know about individuals and facilities that deserve to be honored with this prestigious award. Additional information regarding the award is available on the Board's website.

The nomination deadline is June 24, 2015.

2015 Call for Nominations to the MEAC Board of Directors

Term: The Nominations Committee of MEAC is inviting nominations for an individual to serve as a Board Member for one three-year term beginning October 2015, with the possibility of additional terms.

Qualifications: Board Members are individuals who have an interest in maternity care, the education of health care professionals and in serving the public through participation in the accreditation process of midwifery schools. They should have previous service on community, state or national boards.

Qualifications include the knowledge, skills, and dispositions needed to make high-stakes accreditation decisions including the following: general understanding of board policy and procedures; respect for the confidential, fair and impartial nature of accreditation decisions; and prior service on a community, state or national board.

Personal characteristics include the ability to: work and make decisions in a close collegial relationship; strive for consensus within a group but take responsibility for actions based on a vote by the quorum; express individual questions and concerns and hear the perspectives and opinions of others; consider information and data impartially and make rational and timely decisions; and communicate decisions effectively in written decision reports. In addition, candidates must be willing and able to serve a three-year term.

Responsibilities: The MEAC Board of Directors has the primary charge of rendering accreditation decisions. The Board is a self-managing group, with clear structure, policies and procedures that support the accreditation decision making process. Board Members primarily represent midwifery educators and practicing midwives. Board Members have vested responsibility for the accreditation decision-making process. The Board of Directors also contributes to the accreditation policies and procedures, and the revision of professional standards. MEAC is guided by its own founding principles and mission as well as guidelines for strong education accreditation practice as defined by the Association of Specialized and Professional Accreditors (ASPA) and the U.S. Department of Education.

Board members commit to attend monthly telephone conference calls and one in-person board meeting in the fall of each year; to actively serve as a member of committees or work groups if assigned; and to participate in accreditation training and orientation sessions. Preparation for Board meetings includes review and critical assessment of written reports and accreditation materials. MEAC covers a significant portion of travel expenses for the fall in-person board meeting.

Any individual may make nominations. Self-nominations are encouraged.

How to submit: Please complete the attached nomination form and return as an attached file to: sandra@meacschools.org by July 31, 2015.

2015 WA State Newborn Hearing Screening Meetings

Annual Newborn Hearing Screening Coordinator's Meeting will be held in Seattle on June 26th. Please contact Laura Steinmetz, AuD at laura.steinmetz@seattlechildrens.org for registration information.

More details regarding directions and parking will be sent to those registered closer to the event dates.

This course is offered for 0.45 ASHA CEUs (Intermediate level, Professional area).

Continuing Education and Upcoming Events

Karen Strange- Integrative Resuscitation of the Newborn

This class is specifically designed and taught for any setting where babies are born, including the hospital, birth centers and home birth. The class is suitable for MDs, EMT's, CNM's, CM's, PA's, CPM's, DEM's, RN's, doulas, childbirth educators, students, apprentices, helpers-and anyone who may be present at a birth, including parents.

Saturday, July 25th Portland, OR Register here!

ADT with Sharon Muza: Working with VBAC Clients

PALS Doulas and Women's Center at North Seattle College presents this Advanced Doula Training. This is a 3 hour class.

When: Saturday, June 20th, 2015

Location: North Seattle Community College, College Center Building, Room 1161

9600 College Way North, Seattle, WA 98103

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