Senate votes next on bill that would repeal requirement for a written practice agreement with doctor or hospital.
Independent licensed midwife Linda Lovig uses a sonogram to see the position of Tawny Birmingham's baby. Birmingham, of Mattydale, is expecting a girl. Syracuse, N.Y. -- A bill that would let licensed midwives practice independently was approved in the Assembly Monday and is awaiting a vote in the Senate.
Midwives can deliver babies in hospitals, birth centers and homes without supervision by a doctor. But they must have a signed written agreement with a doctor or hospital willing to step in and provide emergency services if a patient develops problems the midwife cannot handle.
The bill would repeal the requirement for a written practice agreement. Midwives say the agreement is a barrier to their ability to practice independently and that it’s difficult to find doctors in rural communities willing to sign the agreements.
Some doctors’ groups oppose the bill because they say doing away with the written practice agreement would jeopardize patient safety.
Midwives in New York perform about 15 percent of the non-Caesarean deliveries.