The Joint Committee for Administrative Rules met on Tuesday March 8, 2011 and APPROVED the RULES for Birth Centers!
After considerable final-moments e-mails and phone calls between of the Birth Center Task Force team and the IDPH regarding the language for the definitions of "birth assistant" and "health-related field", we we able to come to an agreement that was passed by JCAR. The Birth Center Task Force considered a 45-day delay in consideration of Certified Professional Midwives (CPMs) and our desire to have language that allowed for their presence in the birth centers as birth assistants. The IDPH and IDFPR would not allow for language that included CPMs because the key legislation had not passed.
We did come to an agreement. The language in the Rules now defines "health-related field" as
Health-related field - either a registered nurse or licensed practical nurse, physician, physician assistant, or other classifications that are licensed, registered, or certified by the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulations.
It is the "other classifications" that allows for CPMs once they are licensed/certified by the state. It makes the push for passing the CPM legislation more evident, and the IDPH is well aware of our intent in this language.
Now the Rules paperwork moves back to IDPH, who then requests the Secretary of State to publish in the Illinois Registry. At that point they are final. This should be accomplished in a few days or a few weeks, but must be done by August.
Thank you to all who have followed this journey and participated either financially by contribution to Health and Medicine Policy Research Group or donated their time in responding for requests to contact legislators or in writing letters during the Notice period.
Sincerely,
Gayle Riedmann, CNM
Chair, Illinois Birth Center Task Force
Health and Medicine Policy Research Group
www.hmprg.org
