Birth Action Coalition

BAC Website Under Construction

2011-08-16T22:02:00.000-07:00

If you have tried to visit our website recently you will see that it is down. We are aware of this and it is part of a transition to a more useful online resource.

Please check this blog for the latest info on BAC.

We plan to have the new site up within the next month.

If you would like to help BAC with it's new website (we are asking for volunteers at this time), please contact Kimberly Rivers: kimberly.rivers@gmail.com
cell: 805-727-1393

How Gentle Birth Saves the Earth, Robin Lim

2011-06-08T16:57:00.000-07:00

Here is a recent TED talk given by midwife Robin Lim. This Friday, June 10, 2011 BAC is hosting a screening of Guerrilla Midwife following Lim into the trenches in Indonesia working with birthing women. See details about the screening here: www.birthactioncoalition.org

"Guerrilla Midwife" Screening, June 10

2011-06-01T14:45:00.000-07:00

Spread the word. Friday, June 10. 7pm. at The WAV, 175 S. Ventura Avenue, Ventura.
See our website for details.

Here's the trailer:

BAC at Summerfest 2011

2011-05-22T10:36:00.000-07:00

Yesterday BAC was at Summerfest. This event took place at the Ventura Unified School District property on Stanley off of Ventura Avenue. There were many vendors, a bike rodeo, activities and fun for all. BAC's Marketing Chair, Tasha Cleaveland coordinated a wonderful booth with an obstacle course. Here are a few pics.

These shirts are gifts with your minimum donation, See details HERE

How You Can Help

2011-04-27T15:01:00.000-07:00

I’ll get right to the point. BAC needs your help. Some of you may be aware that I recently resigned from BAC’s Board of Directors and yet here I am asking you to help. Well yes. Because in case you didn’t notice I’m still here. I felt this subtle shift will allow me to be involved in a different way, and a way that I can enjoy more. It’s tough when you feel so passionate about an issue, have lots of great ideas and limited time and resources. It’s hard to get an organization moving the way you think it should and at the same time working on the stated mission of that organization. I have learned something very important, I can only do what I can do, and that is enough. I still hold the position of Programs Chair, spokesperson, oversee our website design (new design is coming along slowly but surely), Coordinate the Red Tent Gallery and help in any other way that I can. I will continue in those roles as long as the Board will have me and I am able.

BAC has been very blessed to have a small core of dedicated women and a few men who keep coming back event after event. But we need new folks to help support our core group. I have been involved now since 2008. Whew. Time flies and it’s easy to get burned out. I’ve learned not to attach myself too closely to my ideas, and to endeavor to let others take off on their own ideas when they match with our goals and vision and create the brand that we are striving for. While organizations always need money, we need volunteers even more right now. We need event coordinators, writers, vendor liaisons, public outreach volunteers, graphic designers, membership coordinator, internet wiz, and oh yes, Board members. Board members need to be passionate about working for respect and dignity for ALL birthing women and be willing and able to attend four (quarterly) meetings a year. That’s essentially it with a few other odds and ends. We do want folks who have participated in BAC events and can represent the organization out in the community in a positive and professional way. If you are interested in being nominated for the Board please get involved in an upcoming event and contact our current president Summer Sivas (summer.sivas@gmail.com) or call her 805-453-2968. If you have any questions feel free to email me as well Kimberly.rivers@gmail.com.

I have been very honored to have represented BAC in the community and look forward to our upcoming events and ongoing work. Focuses in the coming months and year are building membership, community outreach, and building bridges with local hospitals. If you want to help, step up and speak out for birthing women.

In Gratitude,

Kimberly Rivers

BAC Spokesperson Editorial in the Star

2011-04-26T10:47:00.000-07:00

"Why Are Midwives Being Targeted?"
By BAC Spokesperson Kimberly Rivers

Here is an short excerpt, and please read the full story at: http://www.vcstar.com/news/2011/apr/25/rivers-why-are-midwives-being-targeted/

Why are midwives being targeted?
Certified nurse midwives were notified that beginning Monday of this week they would be allowed back to St. John's Pleasant Valley Hospital in Camarillo following a ban that lasted over a year. Being allowed back is good for them, the women they serve and the hospital.
Unfortunately, the press as a whole continues to miss the point. Midwives are being targeted; rights of birthing women are being restricted.
The hospital continues to hide behind the claim of "patient safety" in the decision to remove certified nurse midwives (CNMs), and yet it has failed to present evidence showing that the care women receive from CNMs is less safe than care provided by the obstetricians who continued to attend births and perform cesareans at Pleasant Valley Hospital. I suggest that such evidence does not exist.

Save the Date: June 10 Movie Screening "Guerrilla Midwife"

2011-04-05T12:31:00.000-07:00

BAC in partnership with Baby International Film Festival is proud to host a benefit screening of the documentary film

"Guerrilla Midwife"

"Healing the Earth,

one baby at a time"
~ Robin Lim

Click the image below to see a trailer of the film

When: Friday, June 10, 2011

*Reception and ticket sales begin at 7:00pm*

Movie starts at 8:00pm

Discussion following the film with Mary Jackson LM and

Tracy Lough (midwife intern at birth center)

Where: the WAV Building

175 S. Ventura Avenue, Ventura, CA 93001

Why: This event will benefit BAC & Bumi Sehat Foundation, providing gentle birth services
for families, direct aid & training of midwives in Indonesia

Film Synopsis: Guerrilla Midwife follows Ibu Robin Lim into the trenches of her work. From Bali, where hemorrhage after childbirth is the leading cause of death, into the Tsunami disaster zone in Aceh, where her battle is fought with only one weapon, love. In this culturally mesmerizing, heart wrenching documentary, you will discover why we must reinvent our protocols for pregnancy and childbirth in order to preserve our Planet’s Humanity.

Deja Bernhardt, the film’s director says “This six year project took me from the rituals of Bali to the places where people washed up after the Tsunami, without their souls. It took me to Santa Barbara, to sit beside the very midwife whose hands welcomed me gently into the world, and to Italy where one midwife was honored as a warrior for peace. My prayer is that Guerrilla Midwife may be seen by enough people to tip the balance of our planet toward a lasting peace, where we all wish to arrive home.”

Who: BAC is seeking interested sponsors and vendors to participate in this benefit event and reception prior to the screening. For more information call the event chair:
Summer Sivas 805-453-2968 or email summer.sivas@gmail.com
www.birthactioncoalition.org

BAC Joins Ventura's St. Patricks Day Parade

2011-03-05T12:29:00.000-08:00

BAC Celebrates St. Patricks Day !

Volunteers needed to walk in the

parade in downtown Ventura.

When: Saturday, March 12th, 7:50am

Where: Meet at the Ventura Mission then walking down Ann Street.

What: We need families to represent BAC. Getting the word out.

We need a truck to carry adult riders

Please contact Tasha if you can drive: 805-338-6690

Details: All who march must wear festive attire (green!) or your brown BAC shirt. Green hats or wigs are great too. If kids can dress in yellow or as "treasure" that would be fun and tie in to the theme. Please decorate your wagon or stroller. We have stickers and flyers to pass out. Pregnant mommies can paint their tummies with pots of gold :) It must be decorated, and we'd like to hang some banners on it.

The theme is "Giving back, the real pot of gold". We will be making signs that say "BAC gives back!" "Mom's give to their 'Pots of Gold'!" and other theme related slogans. If you want to come and decorate your wagon or stroller with us at our sign making party, let us know!

For information on the parade go to their website: http://www.venturastpatricksdayparade.com/

Contact Tasha at 805-338-6690 to let me know if you will be participating. I look forward to seeing lots of families SUPPORTING BAC!

If you know of other community events that BAC should participate in please contact our Events Scout: events@birthactioncoaiition.org

Movie Screening "Guerilla Midwife"

2011-02-18T10:36:00.000-08:00

BAC is a proud co-sponsor

of a benefit movie screening of:

Guerrilla Midwife

please join us for a community event and film screening exploring the links between gentle birth practices, peacebuilding and our humanity

Suggested donation - $10

this event will benefit Bumi Sehat Foundation, providing gentle birth services for families, direct aid, & training of midwives in Indonesia

View a trailer of Guerrilla Midwife at www.skwattacamp.com

“Healing the Earth, one baby at a time”

~ Robin Lim

Thursday, February 24^th, 6:30 pm

6:30 pm – arrive, meet and greet, welcoming

7:00-8:15 pm – film will begin promptly

conversation afterwards with Mary Jackson, a local midwife interviewed in the film

at The Unitarian Society, Parish Hall

1535 Santa Barbara St. at corner of Arrellaga St.

in downtown Santa Barbara

Guerrilla Midwife follows Ibu Robin Lim into the trenches of her work. From Bali, where hemorrhage after childbirth is the leading cause of death, into the Tsunami disaster zone in Aceh, where her battle is fought with only one weapon, love. In this culturally mesmerizing, heart wrenching documentary, you will discover why we must reinvent our protocols for pregnancy and childbirth in order to preserve our Planet’s Humanity.

View a trailer of Guerrilla Midwife at www.skwattacamp.com

Event Contact: Kolmi Majumdar~ kolmi@quailsprings.org, 805-452-6873

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thank you to our event sponsors!

Central Coast Doula Association, Santa Barbara Birth Center, Birth Action Coalition, Quail Springs, SB Permaculture Network, Hana Peace Works, Parent Television Network, and Baby! International Film Festival

Write A Letter for Birthing Options...

2011-01-03T10:41:00.000-08:00

Remember our protests last year? against the ban of CNM"s at Pleasant Valley Hospital?
Well the ban is still in effect, we are figuring out what the delay is, and what if any action we will take at this time. But in the meantime, please let the CEO know that you are still watching.

For info on the Midwifery Ban and BAC's actions last year see our website: http://www.birthactioncoalition.org/6.html

Please write to:

Mr. John Bibby
President and CEO
Pleasant Valley Hospital
St. John's Regional Medical Center
1600 North Rose Avenue
Oxnard, CA 93030

and to

Ms. Laurie Eberst
President and CEO
Catholic Healthcare West Ventura County
St. John's Regional Medical Center
1600 North Rose Avenue
Oxnard, CA 93030

In your letter mention that you are a member and/or supporter of the Birth Action Coalition and that you hope the ban will be lifted soon.

Please post a copy of your letters here.
Thank you for Speaking Out for Birth Choices,
Kimberly Rivers
BAC Board Member

A New Role

2010-09-10T14:27:00.000-07:00

Dear BAC members and supporters,

I am very excited about the upcoming year and serving as the new president of BAC. I want to begin by thanking all of you for your hard work and support over the last couple of years. I also want to specifically acknowledge and thank Kim Rivers for her tireless efforts as president; she has truly been the backbone of BAC. I hope to carry on her efforts so that BAC continues to thrive by educating and advocating for birthing women in our community.

BAC is such a wonderful organization that supports women and their families and I am so thankful to be a part of that. Working with BAC as Secretary over the last year has been extremely rewarding. I have made some amazing friendships and have been inspired by the passion of all the members. I look forward to working closely with the new board of directors and I am thrilled that Sandy and Summer have joined us.

Thank you again for your support. You will be hearing from us soon as we have some exciting new outreach programs and several community events that BAC plans to participate in during the upcoming year. Please contact me if you have any questions, concerns or suggestions. We are always striving to expand the mission of BAC.

All the best,

Summer Sivas

Welcome New President and Board Members

2010-09-01T08:10:00.000-07:00

Dear BAC Members & Supporters,
As of today, September 1, 2010, I am no longer serving as president of the Birth Action Coalition. I have been honored to have served for two years. I will remain on the Board as a Member at Large and look forward to supporting our new President, Summer Sivas. Summer is a new mom who lives in Ventura, as well as a researcher in the field of chemistry at the University of California, Santa Barbara. She is wholly dedicated to our mission of educating and advocating for all birthing women in our community. Summer has served on our Board for the past year or so as Secretary and so she is familiar with the current issues and direction BAC is headed. Please join me in welcoming her to this new role in our organization.
I also want to welcome two brand new Board members, Sandy Lipkin and Summer Hines. Both have been BAC members and when we went looking for new Board members they accepted the nominations from current Board members. Sandy is a local patent attorney, mother and will serve as a Member at Large on our Board. Summer is a busy new mom who was a tremendous help in our wildly successful "Women Create" fundraiser last year. Summer will be acting as Treasurer.

So here is our current Board:
President: Summer Sivas
Vice President: Tasha Cleaveland
Secretary: Jenn Plew
Treasurer: Summer Hines
Member at Large: S. Krystal McCauley
Member at Large: Jen Camomile
Member at Large: Laurel Connell
Member at Large: Kimberly Rivers
Member at Large: Sandy Lipkin

We will be adding Board Member bios to our website shortly. And remember, we want YOU to get involved in BAC. Click here to view our Volunteer Page.

Best,
Kimberly Rivers

BAC Tent Helps Community Build a Playground

2010-08-09T16:16:00.000-07:00

The BAC Board of Directors agreed to allow our wonderful tent (that is used for our Red Tent Gallery) to be used over the weekend for a community volunteer event in the community of Piru. Piru is located at the east end of the 126 freeway, just before you hit the 5. I have lived in Piru for the past seven years and was happy to be able to offer the tent for this event.

The BAC big tent was used at lunch time to keep the hot summer sun (yep Piru is getting some heat, even if Ventura is not) off of the 175 volunteers who turned out to build a playground in one day. The event was coordinated by Kaboom and funded mostly by a grant from Amgen.

Here is list of donors who contributed. A good list for BAC to be a part of.

And there's the big tent.

BAC would like to make the tent available to other select community events at no charge when it is not in use. Please contact a Board member for more information,

as a Board member must "sponsor" (just coordinate) the use of the tent.

- thank you BAC!

Kimberly Rivers

Piru Resident :)

BAC Medical Advisor resigns from Hospital

2010-08-09T08:28:00.000-07:00

Our own local pioneer OB, Dr. Stuart J. Fischbein has resigned from St. John's Regional Medical Center. While we feel this is a great loss to the two locations (St. John's in Oxnard & Pleasant Valley in Camarillo) it opens up new opportunities for birthing women in our community.

Read Dr. Fischbeins blog for details: http://supportdrfischbein.blogspot.com/

BAC President Meets with St. John's New CEO

2010-08-04T17:10:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday, August 3rd at 10:00 am, I met with Ms. Laurie Eberst CEO and Mr. John Bibby Director of Human Resources for St. John's Regional Medical Center. We met at Pleasant Valley Hospital in the Administrative Board Room. I so appreciated Ms. Eberst taking the time to meet with me, as it was just her second day on the job. I was so pleased to be joined by two expecting moms who will be giving birth in the month of August, and both of them hoped to deliver at Pleasant Valley Hospital in Camarillo. But there's a problem. Both moms want their midwife, Lynn Olsen CNM of The Women's Place to catch their baby. While they do have the option of having an OB attend their birth at Pleasant Valley, due to a policy change earlier this year no midwives can deliver at Pleasant Valley. Prior to this policy change, CNM's (Certified Nurse Midwives) had been delivering at Pleasant Valley Hospital for over 15 years. At our meeting the option of having the midwife attend as a "visitor" was offered, but for both women this was a reduction in the quality of care that they planned for. One of the moms has opted to give birth at St. John's Hospital in Oxnard so that she can be assured that her midwife will catch her baby, this will mean a longer travel time for her, and a big change in the environment. The other mom has actually decided to give birth out of the hospital at a local birth center to assure her of the ideal environment and preferred care provider for the type of birth she wants. Both of these women recognize the high quality of midwifery care, and do not feel that administrators at St. John's are acting in the interest of women like them.

During the meeting both Eberst and Bibby indicated that they are "moving in the direction" of having midwives back at Pleasant Valley. While they seem to understand the skill and quality provided by the midwifes affected (Lynn Olsen CNM and Joyce Weckyl CNM), I don't think that they truly understand the difference and safety provided by a skilled midwife. Skilled midwives are experts in normal, low risk, minimal intervention birth. To their credit Eberst and Bibby asked the Birth Action Coalition to provide them with information on the safety of midwifery of care to present to their Chief of Staff as they move toward getting the midwives reinstated at Pleasant Valley Hospital. We look forward to assisting the hospital in any way that we can in order to improve birthing options for the women served at these hospitals.

Stay Tuned.
Kimberly Rivers, President, Birth Action Coalition

St. John's Names NEW CEO, Ms. Laurie Eberst RN

2010-07-29T15:40:00.000-07:00

According to St. John's website, they have named a new CEO, here is the statement:

Click Here To view on St. John's Website

APPOINTMENT OF LAURIE EBERST, RN AS PRESIDENT AND CEO OF ST. JOHN’S HOSPITALS

Oxnard, Calif. (July 22, 2010) – After conducting a national search for a new leader, St. John’s Regional Medical Center and St. John’s Pleasant Valley Hospital are pleased to announce the appointment of Laurie Eberst, RN, as president and chief executive officer for the Catholic Healthcare West (CHW) Ventura County Market Service Area and St. John’s Regional Medical Center. Eberst comes to St. John’s from Mercy Gilbert Medical Center, in Gilbert, Arizona, where she has served as president for the past six years. She will assume the role of president at St. John’s full time on August 1, 2010.
“I am pleased to welcome Laurie Eberst to St. John’s,” said Sr. Corita Burnham, RSM, St. John’s Sister of Mercy sponsor. “Her strong leadership skills will allow our hospitals to continue to thrive as we build upon St. John’s century-long legacy of healing in the communities we serve.”
“Laurie Eberst will bring excellent administrative skills coupled with a huge heart for healthcare,” said Sandy Nirenberg, chair of St. John’s Community Board. “We were looking for a person who could lead St. John’s hospitals into the future as leaders in the dynamic communities we serve. After an arduous recruitment process, that’s just what we found in Eberst.”
Eberst began her CHW career in 1997 when she joined St. Bernardine Medical Center as assistant administrator of clinical services and the cardiac service line. Promoted in 1999 to St. Bernardine’s chief nurse executive, Eberst held that position until 2004, when she was named president of Mercy Gilbert Medical Center.
Under Eberst’s leadership, Mercy Gilbert Medical Center was opened and quickly achieved significant accomplishments, including being a Top 10 CHW Hospital in top quartile performance, gaining national recognition as a Healing Hospital known for its service excellence and compassionate care, and receiving local and national distinction as a Best Place to Work.
Eberst earned an undergraduate degree in Health Sciences and a master’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Redlands in Redlands, California.

BAC Member sends Letter to Cottage Hospital re. VBAC guidelines

2010-07-29T10:19:00.000-07:00

This letter is posted in the mail today, July 28th to Cottage Hospital. Jessica Barton is a mother, Le Leche League leader and BAC Founding Member who lives in Goleta. Barton had to travel to UCLA for her VBAC and has corresponded with Cottage Hospital in the past about the lack of access to VBAC. Cottage Hospital is the only hospital in the Santa Barbara area which has labor and delivery. See our website (scroll down) for information on our efforts in Santa Barbara to reverse the "de facto" VBAC ban at Cottage Hospital.

*Note: Jessica has given permission to anyone to use her letter as a template to send one to your own local hospital. BAC suggests including a copy of ACOG's press release with your letter, and copying your local newspaper as well.

Jessica Barton
559 Mills Way
Goleta, CA
93117

July 28, 2010

Ron Werft, President and CEO
Cottage Health System
Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital
P.O. Box 689
Santa Barbara, CA 93102-0689

Dear Mr. Werft,

I am writing you regarding the new guidelines issued on July 21st of this year by the College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists which I have attached. The new guidelines relax some of the previous conditions that they had suggested a hospital should have in order to be able to offer vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC).

The practice bulletin states "Our primary goal is to promote the safest environment for labor and delivery, not to restrict women's access to VBAC." The bulletin also states that “women and their physicians may still make a plan for a TOLAC in situations where there may not be "immediately available" staff to handle emergencies, but it requires a thorough discussion of the local health care system, the available resources, and the potential for incremental risk.”

The National Institute of Health also issued a statement in March encouraging wider availability of VBACs. The statement is very long and can be found in its entirety here: http://consensus.nih.gov/2010/vbacstatement.htm
It includes the following: “We are concerned about the barriers that women face in gaining access to clinicians and facilities that are able and willing to offer trial of labor. Given the low level of evidence for the requirement for “immediately available” surgical and anesthesia personnel in current guidelines, we recommend that the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the American Society of Anesthesiologists reassess this requirement [which they have done]....Health care organizations, physicians, and other clinicians should consider making public their trial of labor policies and VBAC rates, as well as their plans for responding to obstetric emergencies. We recommend that hospitals, maternity care providers, health care and professional liability insurers, consumers, and policymakers collaborate on the development of integrated services that could mitigate or even eliminate current barriers to trial of labor.”

I am writing to ask how Cottage Hospital is going to respond to the new guidelines as issued by ACOG and the statement by the NIH. I hope that you will find a way to make VBAC an option for women in our community who desire it. As a local resident who had to travel 100 miles to give birth by VBAC a year ago, I would encourage you to revisit the current hospital and OB department policy on the issue and find a way to make more options available to local birthing women and families.

Sincerely,

Jessica Barton

ACOG issues new guidelines for VBAC, aim to improve access

2010-07-22T10:12:00.000-07:00

The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has issued new guidelines with the aim of improving access to VBAC. Link to ACOG press release.

NY Time Article regarding the new guidelines. Will this result in truly better access to doctors and hospitals who support access to the option of VBAC?

Click Here To See Article

Send this to your OBGYN and local hospital.

You can print out the ACOG announcement

and attach a personal letter telling the hospital why they

should encourage their OB's to do VBACs.

Sign Our Petition to Bring Back Midwives to Pleasant Valley Hospital

2010-03-26T11:01:00.001-07:00

Please View, Sign & Share our Petition! How many people can you get to sign it?

http://www.petitiononline.com/SpeakOut/petition.html

More Great Photos of our March 19th Protest against the Midwifery Ban.

2010-03-23T10:59:00.000-07:00

BAC Advisory Board Member, Karni Seymour-Brown LM,
with BAC Members and expectant moms, Lily Blueskyes & Amanda Tarpening
speaking out at St. John's on Friday, March 19th.

All photos taken & provided by Tasha Cleaveland
of Beyond Images Photography

BAC President, Kimberly Rivers keepin an eye on the kids.

The whole group, and our fabulous new banner. Can you Hear us Now!

BAC Members and new moms, from the left Jen Plew (BAC BOD Member),
Tricia Ainsworth & Summer Sivas (BAC Secretary).

Another happy family served by a midwife at Pleasant Valley.
We want our midwives back.

Due to the passage of health care reform, Women Have Better Access to Birth Options:

2010-03-22T19:11:00.000-07:00

From the MAMA campaigns blog: "The following are now law:

MAMA Campaign’s “partial victory”: Senator Cantwell’s provision that will have the effect of requiring Medicaid reimbursement for licensed CPMs offering services in licensed birth centers
American Association of Birth Center’s provision that mandates Medicaid reimbursement of the birth center facility fee
Childbirth Connection’s provision requiring quality assessment and improvement measures specific to maternity care
American College of Nurse Midwives’ equitable reimbursement act for Certified Nurse Midwives
And: giving birth, having a cesarean section, or being the victim of domestic abuse will no longer be considered pre-existing conditions and used to deny insurance coverage to women!"

See MAMA's website and click on their blog the grapevine for details.

Todays' Protest, March 19th. Great Energy, Great Banner. Keep Speaking Out.

2010-03-19T14:41:00.001-07:00

"If you think you are too small to make a difference, try sleeping with a mosquito".
-the Dalai Lama.
We had a great group today, about 25 folks showed up to continue to demand Access to Midwives for ALL Women. Here are our first release photos.

Join your voice to ours, even if you can't make a protest: see our website for info on our letter writing campaign.

Report from Amnesty International: Maternal Heatlh Care Crisis=Systemic Violation of Womens' Rights

2010-03-12T08:50:00.000-08:00

Amnesty details the maternal health care crisis in this country as part of a systemic violation of women's rights.

The report, titled "Deadly Delivery," notes that the likelihood of a woman dying in childbirth in the U.S. is ﬁve times greater than in Greece, four times greater than in Germany, and three times greater than in Spain. Every day in the U.S., more than two women die of pregnancy-related causes, with the maternal mortality ratio doubling from 6.6 deaths per 100,000 births in 1987 to 13.3 deaths per 100,000 births in 2006. (And as shocking as these figures are, Amnesty notes that the actual number of maternal deaths in the U.S. may be a lot higher since there are no federal requirements to report these outcomes and since data collection at the state and local levels needs to be improved.) "In the U.S., we spend more than any country on health care, yet American women are at greater risk of dying from pregnancy-related causes than in 40 other countries," says Nan Strauss, the report's co-author, who spent two years investigating the issue of maternal mortality worldwide. "We thought that was scandalous."

Click here to Read more:

http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1971633,00.html#ixzz0hywniPE4

click here for the Amnesty Report:

http://www.amnestyusa.org/document.php?id=ENGPRE010882010&lang=e

Thoughts on Right to Refusal of Treatment.

2010-03-11T09:03:00.000-08:00

In the few years that I have been advocating in my community for access to birthing options for women, I have had an idea about a deep connection between the relationship, or lack thereof, between birthing women and their doctors and the complaint from doctors about liability in allowing women access to various birthing options (VBAC, out of hospital birth etc).

I am heartened to see the National Institutes of Health attempting to have open dialogue about reaching a consensus on VBAC in this Country, but quite disappointed about the lack of clear support for a womans right to refusal of treatment. Here is a link to a wonderful legal analysis of this issue .

While the stance taken both in the written report, and in the follow up press hearing on the issue of a woman's right to refusal of treatment involving having a repeat cesarean is disappointing, just the fact that we are discussing it helps to shed light on a very troubling aspect of our medical treatment & management of pregnant women in this Country. A respected national organization has said there is no clear consensus or overall legal support (that is news to us!) for a woman's right to refusal of treatment in all cases . This is truly astounding. In no other area of medicine is this even questioned except with a birthing woman.

The Panels found that a VBAC is a good option for most women, that the issue of a physicians liability in the process of obtaining full informed consent needs to be addressed; these are all findings that move in the right direction. But to fail to declare that a woman does not ALWAYS have the right to refuse major abdominal surgery is very surprising and troubling. Although I do understand the the NIH is not a "legal" or legislative body, I would suggest that they are fully within their duty to name the ethical obligation for physicians and hospitals to maintain policies which support a woman's right to refusal of treatment.

I wonder what the panel proposes when the woman and physician do not agree? Who gets to decide when a pregnant woman should and should not have surgery? Do we really believe that a physician or hospital administrator knows what is best for a birthing woman? better than the fully informed woman would know? I cannot imagine any other patient, besides a pregnant woman, being forced to have major abdominal surgery, Can you?

I also find it interesting that physicians and hospitals continue to use medical liability as a basis for their limiting access to VBAC for birthing women. When the decision is taken away from the patient, as is the case when a VBAC ban is in place, and is the case when physicians are unwilling to allow the woman a trial of labor, does this not automatically increase the liability of the physician? In that case the physician is choosing to limit the involvement of the patient in the decision making process of their own health care. It would seem normal and a natural part of that chosen path that the liability of the physician increase. But when a patient is encouraged and supported in being an active part of the decision making process for their own health care, and when a physician is open and honest about all of the forces which flavor his or her advice for "treatment", and when a physician then allows the patient to determine the course of treatment that is best suited for them, it would seem that liability would dissolve. I do not mean literally dissolve, but in the patients mind.

Studies & reports have shown this to be the case. When patients feel they have a good and open relationship with their physician, when they feel there is a caring relationship there, they are less likely to sue.

"A patient who is upset about the doctor-patient relationship, either because something didn't work out or they perceived a lack of caring, is more likely to sue the doctor. Plaintiff attorneys say that the majority of their calls come from patients who had poor rapport with their physicians"

"Medical mistakes happen because the human body is complex, treatments are complex and there are no guarantees in life. Most patients don't sue their doctors when a bad outcome occurs. The experts in risk warn us that the relationship is the most important prevention for lawsuits, followed by meticulous documentation in the medical record." (emphasis added)
-from article by Toni Brayer, FACP, is an ACP Internist editorial board member who blogs at EverythingHealth, designed to address the rapid changes in science, medicine, health and healing in the 21st Century.
from the American College of Physicians, ACP Internist Blog, November 9, 2009

In conclusion, I wonder what would happen to the number of malpractice suits filed in this country, if physicians spent more time and effort in building good rapport with their patients than they spent limiting access to full informed consent and right to refusal of treatment. Imagine that.

-Kimberly Rivers
President, Birth Action Coalition
www.birthactioncoalition.org

National Institute of Health, Convention to reach Consensus on VBAC

2010-03-10T11:59:00.000-08:00

Most recent findings from the NIH Conference on VBAC.

Below is the summary from the report,:

Vaginal Birth After Cesarean: New Insights

(emphasis added)
Each year 1.5 million childbearing women have cesarean deliveries, and this population continues to increase. This report adds stronger evidence that VBAC is a reasonable and safe choice for the majority of women with prior cesarean. Moreover, there is emerging evidence of serious harms relating to multiple cesareans. Relatively unexamined contextual factors such as medical liability, economics, hospital structure, and staffing may need to be addressed to prioritize VBAC services. There is still no evidence to inform patients, clinicians, or policymakers about the outcomes of intended route of delivery because the evidence is based largely on the actual route of delivery. This inception cohort is the equivalent of intention to treat for randomized controlled trials and this gap in information is critical. A list of future research considerations as prioritized by national experts is also highlighted in this report.

Click Here for the entire report.

NY Times: Navajo run Hospital has better outcomes by using midwives and allowing VBAC.

2010-03-08T09:29:00.000-08:00

A wonderful NY Times Article shows the success of a labor & delivery unit at a Navajo run hospital in Tuba City, Arizona, at lowering cesarean rates, both the primary & repeat rates, providing better outcomes and lowering overall costs, by utilizing the skills of midwives.

Quotes from the article:

"Tuba City will not be on the agenda, but its hospital, with about 500 births a year, could probably teach the rest of the country a few things about obstetrical care. But matching its success would require sweeping, fundamental changes in medical practice, like allowing midwives to handle more deliveries and removing the profit motive for performing surgery"

"Doctors and midwives here earn salaries and are not paid by the procedure, so they have no financial incentive to perform surgery. (Doctors earn $190,000 to $285,000 a year, and midwives $80,000 to $120,000.)"

"The hospital and doctors are federally insured against malpractice, in contrast to other hospitals, where private insurers have threatened to raise premiums or withdraw coverage if vaginal birth after Caesarean is allowed.

As a result, Dr. Leib said, doctors in Tuba City are free to “think about what’s best for the patient and not what covers our butts.”

Researchers say "avoid all unncesessary interventions"

2010-03-05T11:10:00.000-08:00

A study done in California that shows the number of maternal death rates related to birth, has tripled since the 70's. Here is a video clip from ABC news.

BAC hopes that our local hospitals and care providers discuss with birthing women the true risks of various elective interventions, including elective induction, elective cesarean and elective augmentation. This study suggests that ALL means should be used to avoid unnecessary cesareans, in order to avoid the risk of blood clots from the surgery. It is BAC's position that ALL birthing women should be given this information by their health care provider as is required under the tenets of full informed consent.

Ask your care provider about ALL risks of what they are advising.

Protest #3: To Demand Midwives be reinstated at Pleasant Valley Hospital.

2010-02-28T09:45:00.000-08:00

Members and supporters of the Birth Action Coalition intend to gather each month in front of St. John’s Regional Medical Center in Oxnard, until they either: reinstate the midwives at Pleasant Valley; show records of birth outcomes for CNMs and obstetricians which support their claim that it is safer for “low risk” birthing women and babies to labor in Oxnard; or retract their claim that the midwifery ban is due to patient safety.

When: Friday, March 19th, 11am-1pm
Where: Corner of Rose & Gonzalez in Oxnard, in front of St. John's Regional Medical Center. The admin & CEO offices look out onto where will be. AND, the Medical Committee which approved this ban is meeting on this day.

Join us! and invite your friends!

IMPORTANT REMINDERS:
Please DO NOT park in St. John's parking lot.
Please observe ALL rules regarding pedestrian traffic.
Please wear RED shirts (black & brown blend too much, we are going for a bright color).
When at the protest & holding a sign, please face sign toward the street.
Bring your signs (Bigger/Thicker Words are more visible), or borrow one of ours.
Please make sure all trash is picked up.

One of First CNM to be at Pleasant Valley, now at Cedars Joins her Voice to Ours

2010-02-28T08:05:00.000-08:00

Deborah Frank CNM at Cedars Sinai & UCLA submits letter to Ventura County Star.

BAC President is joined by Ina May Gaskin in VC Star Letters

2010-02-27T18:07:00.000-08:00

Click on the links to Ventura County Star letters, share with your friends. Interest in the letters & news, keeps interests on the issue!

BAC President, Kimberly Rivers letter

Ina May Gaskins letter in support of our cause

BAC Member Patti Reis's Letter

Attack on Midwives in Mississippi, Help Stop Bill 695.

2010-02-26T09:24:00.000-08:00

Mississippi House Bill 695, which would OUTLAW Certified Professional Midwives and deny women access to their care, needs to be stopped TODAY!

If you live in or have midwifery or doula clients in Mississippi, start making calls and sending emails to your STATE SENATORS ONLY and forward this page to anyone you know who lives in the state (calls can be made to home and office numbers both).

Mississippi residents can find out who their State Senator is here:

http://www.capitolconnect.com/demoassoc1/legislatorsearch.aspx

It is particularly important that members of the Senate Public Health committee (listed below) hear from their constituents, telling them to vote NO on HB 695 and that you do NOT support making Certified Professional Midwives, who are specially trained to deliver babies in out-of-hospital settings, illegal.

The bill, which includes stiff penalties for ANY midwife practicing who is not a nurse-midwife and which repeals the current exemption that midwives have from Mississippi’s medical practice act, has already sailed through the Mississippi House, so urgent action is needed TODAY.

http://billstatus.ls.state.ms.us/2010/pdf/history/HB/HB0695.xml

For all the details: http://www.thebigpushformidwives.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=enews.signup

Second Protest & BAC's Position regarding Midwifery Ban at Pleasant Valley Hospital

2010-02-24T08:41:00.001-08:00

On Saturday, February 20, about 40 members and supporters of the Birth Action Coalition gathered for a second time in front of St. John’s Regional Medical Center in Oxnard to protest a ban on midwifery at the hospital’s sister location, Pleasant Valley Hospital in Camarillo. St. John’s administrators continue to cite “patient safety” and availability of a NICU (neonatal intensive care unit) as the reasons for approving the policy, which prohibits certified nurse midwives (CNM) from attending births at Pleasant Valley Hospital.

It is the position of the Birth Action Coalition that all birthing women should have access to the full spectrum of birthing options, and be fully informed on all of those options. This includes the option of care provider and location for her birth. BAC is protesting to maintain access to certified nurse midwives for the childbearing women of Camarillo.

BAC is also asking St. John’s to produce records from the past 10 years showing that laboring women who are attended by certified nurse midwives have a greater need of an immediately available NICU, as compared to laboring women attended by obstetricians. All births, including those attended by CNMs, which take place at Pleasant Valley are supposed to be “low risk,” and all certified nurse midwives work in collaboration with an obstetrician. Studies have shown that there is a reduction in risk when “high risk” mothers deliver their babies at a hospital which contains a NICU(1). So how does banning midwives -- who attend only low risk births -- make it safer for laboring women?

Cesarean births continue to take place at Pleasant Valley Hospital. How is major abdominal surgery, and all the risks to mom and baby that go along with such a procedure, considered lower risk than a birth attended by a certified nurse midwife?
Please show us the numbers.

BAC believes that financial reasons are at the root of this decision. It is understandable in our current healthcare environment that hospitals are looking for creative ways to increase revenue and cut costs. It is our position that St. John’s Regional Medical Center has inappropriately named patient safety as the reason for the midwifery ban, when in fact, it is a policy aimed at increasing overall revenue to the hospital. And to be clear, we hold that there is nothing overtly wrong with a hospital making decisions to increase revenue, but we feel it is inappropriate to limit options for birthing women while making false statements regarding the safety of care provided by certified nurse midwives.

Members and supporters of the Birth Action Coalition intend to gather each month in front of St. John’s Regional Medical Center in Oxnard, until they either: reinstate the midwives at Pleasant Valley; show records of birth outcomes for CNMs and obstetricians which support their claim that it is safer for “low risk” birthing women and babies to labor in Oxnard; or retract their claim that the midwifery ban is due to patient safety.

-Kimberly Rivers,
President, BirthActionCoalition.org

1.)US Department of Health & Human Services (AHRQ, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality), Health Care Costs and Financing Researchers examine regionalization and use of expensive health technologies in neonatal intensive care. “These researchers showed that the risk of neonatal death is reduced when hospitals with no NICUs or intermediate NICUs transfer high-risk mothers to hospitals that have a regional NICU where many such babies are treated. High-risk mothers are defined as those who are expected to deliver babies weighing less than 4.2 pounds.”
http://www.ahrq.gov/research/aug02/0802RA17.htm

Saturdays Protest against the Midwifery Ban!

2010-02-21T09:24:00.000-08:00

For a second time, about 40 members and supporters of the Birth Action Coalition gathered in front of St. John's Regional Medical Center in Oxnard to protest a recent ban on midwives at their sister campus, Pleasant Valley Hospital in Camarillo. The Hospital continues to state patient safety as the reason for the ban, while community members, the affected midwives and some hospital staff continue to challenge the hospital to prove that it is risky for midwives to attend births in Camarillo, or state the true reason for the ban. The Birth Action Coalition plans to gather monthly at this location until the Hospital responds.
(Photos in this post taken by BAC supporter Lilly Meehan)

"Thoughts on Pediatric Policy" by BAC Medical Advisor, Dr. Stuart J. Fischbein

2010-02-19T08:53:00.000-08:00

Below is a wonderful article written by own Medical Advisor, Dr. Stuart J. Fischbein (click here to go to his blog). This is a take on what is going on at Pleasant Valley Hospital and the midwifery ban.

"Thoughts on Pediatric Policy"
As the motivation behind the banning of Certified Nurse Midwives at Pleasant Valley Hospital becomes clearer, I believe it deserves some logical analysis. By now, it is apparent that a major driving force behind the policy was the displeasure of some of the pediatricians at Pleasant Valley. They did not want to take responsibility for babies who were not going to become their patients and for whom they would be reimbursed poorly and feared liability. The merits of this fear are debatable but its existence is a fact and a byproduct of today’s medical-legal world. There was also distaste by the pediatricians for the desires of some of the parents of midwife delivered babies who often had differing views on newborn care. Pressure from them on their committee in turn became pressure on the obstetric committee and the administrative cascade was set in full swing. Whether any alternatives were ever considered is unknown as the process all resides behind a veil of secrecy. Had this been an open discussion, it is possible that another, far better, alternative might have been reached.

A little history is now appropriate. Before the 1980’s healthy newborns were not seen by pediatricians in the hospital setting. Healthy babies were taken to the nursery or roomed in with mothers and cared for by trained hospital nursing staff. Usually within a few days to weeks after going home the baby would be taken to the local family doctor’s office for a check up. Only if problems were discovered by the nurse or parents would a doctor be called. However, in the 80’s doctors were generally paid well by third party payers and pediatricians soon realized that newborn exams were a decent source of revenue. So, policies were created by hospital committees that began mandating newborn exams on every new baby, regardless of necessity or not. These policies were also justified under the guise of “safety” but were really self-serving and revenue generating. In fairness, this tendency was not limited to pediatricians but that is what is relevant here.

For 3 decades the well-baby exam became the norm. This habit was formed before the age of evidenced-based medicine. As Thomas Paine said, “The habit of not thinking a thing wrong gives it the superficial appearance of being right”. No one questioned it as long as everyone was paid well by third party payers. But, in the last decade there has been a steady decline in reimbursement for this service. Medi-Cal pays almost nothing. Pediatricians have come to resent having to come to the hospital and have their work be undervalued and their opinions questioned. Patients of the midwifery model often want early discharge but have to wait hours to have their baby discharged as there is no incentive for the pediatrician to be inconvenienced for a well newborn. Frustration and sometimes hostility ensue. Lost in this frustration is the mission of why we do what we do. The original monetary motivated, non-evidence related policy of requiring a doctor to see every newborn baby, regardless of need, has now risen up to bite them and, by default, all of us in the ass.

So, my suggestion would be for St. John’s staff and administration to reconsider their policy banning midwives and look at another evidenced based option. Eliminate the requirement that every newborn be seen by a doctor before going home. Create a new policy that restores low risk midwife patients to Pleasant Valley and allows the delivering practitioner and the well trained nursing staff at Pleasant Valley to decide which babies are in need of an exam and which can do just fine with loving parents following up with their family doctor or pediatrician in the office. Truthfully, there is no reason a well newborn needs to be taken away from its mother to be examined in the sterile environment of the little nursery area there. It would be rare indeed to find anything that is life threatening. And for babies that are sick, well, those babies are going to be transferred to St. John’s NICU anyway. On the rare occasion that a low risk mother delivers a baby in need of resuscitation there can be a trained technician or nurse in house while the NICU team is on the way. Quite frankly, most office based pediatricians are not comfortable with advanced resuscitation anyway. Some being years removed from it and wise enough to leave it to those that perform it frequently.

I believe there is a better solution to the pediatricians' concerns. There most certainly is a better process that could have been used. The committees that decided the policy to ban midwives should have opened up dialogue between the concerned parties. The midwives and the doctors that work with them were never consulted in the process. Secrecy has no place in this issue. This was not a peer review process so why the hiding behind confidentiality? Questions have been asked and gone unanswered for 10 days now. The pediatric committee was motivated by financial and legal concerns. The OB committee was all too eager, in their pettiness, to oblige and failed to consider other options. The administration has its agenda which may very well include closing the labor and delivery unit at Pleasant Valley Hospital. Since they are all forbidden by their lawyers to speak and they have offered no other logical explanation this must be true.

Bring Thomas Paine’s “common sense” back to Pleasant Valley. Let’s change the habit of not thinking something is wrong simply because it has been done that way for a long time. Pediatricians do not want to see some newborns at PV. So let’s have a policy that says they don’t have to unless a doctor or nurse requests it. Leave the healthy babies alone and let them thrive with their new families. Being born is not a disease!

Stuart Fischbein, MD FACOG

Why do women want Access to Midwives?

2010-02-18T08:58:00.000-08:00

Here is an excerpt from the posting. Dr. Terry Cole is a local OBGYN who works with two CNM's Denise Ellison & Anne Chezar Garnett. They mainly attend births at Community Memorial Hospital in Ventura.

This is a part of an article at: http://www.mymidwife.org/midwifery.cfm
A doctor's opinion. "What's really a shame is that more women aren't afforded the opportunity to deliver with a midwife," says Dr. Terry L. Cole, a California obstetrician. In his 21 years of practice, Cole says, he has "virtually always been associated with midwives."

In his Ventura and Oxnard, California, offices, Cole and two CNMs-Anne Chezar
Garnett and Denise Ellison-serve women from all walks of life. When a low-risk woman comes to Cole, he will meet with her once during her pregnancy, but otherwise she will receive all her prenatal care with the CNMs. Garnett and Ellison share call duties; most women will see both midwives during the prenatal period, so they will be comfortable with either one for the birth. Deliveries take place at one of two nearby hospitals supportive of the midwifery approach. "When a woman goes into labor, she calls the midwife," Cole says. "I'm just called if I'm needed. I'm there for consultation."

Most of the women delivering with his midwives are classified as low-risk. Cole says that he, Garnett, and Ellison can co-manage women with moderately elevated risk, such as those with mild toxemia. And in cases where Cole needs to manage the delivery, one midwife might still be there to offer emotional support.

Cole's confidence in midwives is evident, but the most telling endorsement he offers? "My wife was delivered by midwives. If you are a low-risk patient, you really want a midwife delivering your baby," Cole says. "Anyone who has ever seen a midwife with a woman in labor or been delivered by a midwife would never go back to a doctor."

*taken from "Up Close and personal" by Caroline Kettlewell, Every Baby magazine, Issue Four.

For complete "article" see: http://www.mymidwife.org/midwifery.cfm

People are talking...

2010-02-18T08:56:00.001-08:00

about our efforts, here's a blog post:

http://www.onbirthing.com/2010/02/09/california-why-say-no-to-midwives/#more-312

OUR EFFORTS ON "My Best Birth", the website of Ricki Lake & Abby Epstein.

2010-02-18T08:35:00.000-08:00

A local CNM, Joyce Weckl's letter about our current efforts to get St. John's to life the midwifery ban at Pleasant Valley Hospital in Camarillo appears on My Best Birth Website. Check it out!

http://www.mybestbirth.com/profiles/blogs/take-action-cnms-barred-from

Media Alert for Protest on Saturday:

2010-02-17T10:06:00.000-08:00

***MEDIA ALERT***

• What: Second Protest by members & supporters of BAC (Birth Action Coalition) against recent decision by St. John’s Hospital (part of Catholic Healthcare West) to ban midwives from attending births at the St. John’s facility in Camarillo.

• When: Saturday, February 20, 11 a.m.-1 p.m.

• Where: St. John’s Hospital and Corporate Offices in Oxnard (corner of Rose & Gonzalez)

• Who: The Birth Action Coalition are community members who believe the birth journey is an essential expression of human dignity that requires informed and empowered partnerships between women, families and healthcare providers. Through projects that educate and advocate, The Birth Action Coalition will work to create supportive birth environments in the Ventura and Santa Barbara areas.

• Why: It is the position of BAC that certified and licensed midwives are an integral part of our community. In Ventura County, professional midwives have been working with doctors in providing a choice to birthing families for over 30 years, as Certified Nurse Midwives (CNM) in our local hospitals, and as Licensed Midwives (LM) since 1996, when the state began licensing midwives for births in women’s homes and independent birth centers. See our Press Release for more details and our response to St. John’s claim that this policy was made due to “patient safety” concerns.

To request our full press release please email: pr@birthactioncoalition.org
For questions please contact: Kimberly Rivers 805-727-1393

Our New Website! If you haven't seen it today, You haven't seen it!

2010-02-15T15:10:00.000-08:00

Please visit our new & revamped website.
We're adding great content, photos and info.
Check it out!
www.birthactioncoalition.org!
cheers!

Letters to the Editor

2010-02-14T16:25:00.000-08:00

There were some wonderful letters to the editor supporting our position on the midwifery ban at Pleasant Valley Hospital.
Here is a link to one: http://www.vcstar.com/news/2010/feb/13/pregnant-women-deserve-options/?comments?cid=Facebook

Keep the pressure on!

15 of 16 Registered Nurses (RN) in Women's Unit at St. John's Oppose New Policy banning Midwives.

2010-02-14T10:06:00.000-08:00

See the Ventura County Star article. http://www.vcstar.com/news/2010/feb/13/15-of-16-rns-in-womens-unit-at-st-johns-oppose/

The Nurses are with us!

Thank you to our donors!

2010-02-14T09:47:00.000-08:00

Thank you so very much to Tara S. & Laura B. for
donating money immediately to support our sign making needs!

Want to support our efforts too?

contribute to BAC... 2 easy ways:

1. paypal: donations@birthactioncoalition.org

2. checks payable to Birth Action Coalition, mailed to
Birth Action Coalition, PO Box 24254, Ventura, CA 93002-4254

Protesting AGAIN! Join us!

2010-02-14T09:26:00.000-08:00

Members & Supporters of the Birth Action Coalition will gather again to protest the ban on midwives at Pleasant Valley Hospital in Camarillo. We will be at the corner of Rose & Gonzalez in Oxnard, in front of the corporate offices at St. John's Regional Medical Center, the folks who govern Pleasant Valley.

Bring your signs (all positive slogans please? pressing questions are great!) the bigger the better, your lunch, picnic blanket and sunscreen!

Wear dark brown our black.

Please DO NOT park in the St. John's parking lot, there are plenty of places to part across the street.

Parents, PLEASE (we know it can be tough) make sure your kiddos are respectful of the property.

When: Saturday, February 20th, 11am-1pm
Where: corner of Rose & Gonzalez in Oxnard, South West Corner right in front of St. John's.

First CNM in Ventura County Responds to Midwife Ban at St. John's Pleasant Valley

2010-02-12T18:23:00.000-08:00

MY-MY- MY!!
Thirty years after struggling against unfair, restricted trade practices against Certified Nurse Midwives (CNM), it starts all over again. SJPVH has taken away a perfectly legal birth choice for families.

All hospitals, nursing services and medical staff should be practicing based on evidence based facts. There is no evidence that nurse midwifery care is inferior to medical care, in fact there is evidence against this misinformation.
To use lack of a level 2 nursery as an excuse is ridiculous. If a hospital cannot manage care for their patients, perhaps they should not be providing that service. To single out a licensed professional is restrictive and against fair trade Act

30 years ago I fought this battle, pioneering nurse midwifery into Ventura Co. It was a struggle at times, humbling at times, but eventually very rewarding. I spent 10 years assisting births at both St John’s and Community Hospital. I certainly never thought that midwives would have to go through this again.

A CNM is a licensed legal professional, whose education qualifies her (or him) to provide excellent and safe care. We practice in conjunction with the medical team, identify problems, get consults, and assistance as needed

I sincerely hope that the hospital, MD's and risk management revisit and correct this issue.

Sincerely,
Patricia Halpin, CNM

BAC's New Blog: Protest at St.John's a great Success.

2010-02-12T16:15:00.000-08:00

Over 50 supporters showed up to speak out for birthing options today, February 12th, 2010 in Oxnard. Members & Supporters of the Birth Action Coalition gathered to let St. John's Hospital know that we will not stand for the ban of midwives at Pleasant Valley Hospital in Camarillo.
We are planning to keep the pressure on, and will be protesting again, Saturday, February 20 from 11am-1pm at the corner of Rose & Gonzalez in Oxnard.
Find us on Facebook! Here are some photos from the event and check out the Ventura County Star Article and the great photos they took: http://www.vcstar.com/news/2010/feb/12/supporters-will-rally-in-oxnard-today-to-protest/