Resolution in Support of the Out of Hospital Birth Access and Safety Act (H.2341/S.1519) and Recognizing Black Maternal Health Week in the City of Boston. On motion of Councilors Mejia and Lara, Rule 12 was invoked to include Councilor Arroyo as a co-sponsor.
05130513. Counsel is me here, and Laura offered the following resolution in support of the Out of Hospital Birth Access and Safe Act. 2341 The Senate 1519 in recognizing Black Maternal Health Week in the city of Boston. Thank you, Mr. Clarke. The Chair recognizes. Counsel me here. Counsel me here. You have the floor. Thank you, Mr. President. And before I go on, I'd like to add Counselor Arroyo as an original co-sponsor. Mr. Clarke, please add Counselor Arroyo as an original co-sponsor. You have the floor councilman here. Thank you, Mr. President. You know, I. When I gave birth to on the lease, I was considered a late H mom. I was 40, and I had gestational diabetes and a high risk pregnancy that ended in a C-section. And navigating the VA system was a bit traumatic considering all of the complications that I faced. But what I did not know was my rights and what I should be asking for and advocating on behalf of. And, you know, this conversation in terms of black maternal health is an issue of equity. And I think we have an opportunity here in the city of Boston to really lean into the conversation and help support the advocacy on behalf of this issue. We know that home births here in the city of Boston, not in the city of Boston, but just in general over the past years have risen dramatically. The new Center for Disease Control and Prevention reports showing that between 2019 and 2020, home birth rates rose 47% in Massachusetts alone. Out of births, births either at home or in birth centers are safe and beneficial and a valid reproductive choice that is currently denied to most birthing people here in Massachusetts because of certified professional midwives who attend low risk births in homes and birth centers, are not licensed in Massachusetts, despite being licensed in 37 states. And so had I had the option to have a home birth, probably my situation would have looked very different. Fortunately, there's legislation in the State House titled The Out of Birth, Hospital Birth Access and Safety Act has been filed, which seeks to establish within the Department of Public Health a licensing process for professional midwives and add them as medical slash MassHealth providers. Passing this legislation is crucial for supporting birthing people, closing the crucial safety gaps and expanding access to out of hospital birthing options, meeting people where they are and accommodating the needs of birthing persons to ensure that they feel comfortable, safe and well taken care of. It is crucial that we're making space for people with different preferences when it comes to birthing, and this legislation seeks to address just that. It also is very timely that this legislation is in the State House and we're currently celebrating Black Maternal Health Week in a time when historic and systemic inequities have resulted in the risk of death and severe mobility being two times as likely for black birthing women compared to white counterparts. And we need to be doing more to support this legislation to recognize black maternal health month. And I think it's all 365 days a year, especially as home birth rates have risen here by 36% among black birthing people in the United States and between 2019 and 2020. And for all those reasons, I'm excited to support this initiative and also just want to shout out this year to Brazil, who is leading now here in the city of Boston to have a birthing center right here in Boston. And I also want to give a shout out to Nurse Tiffany, the so who is in the labor and delivery, as well as Emily and Esther for all the work that they have been doing in this space. So just wanted to thank you both for your leadership and also to my co-sponsors for joining me on this. So I ask that we suspend the rules and pass this resolution. And I hope that my colleagues who have co-sponsored will rise up to the occasion to say a few words, too. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Councilman. Here, the chair recognizes council. Borough Council. You have the floor. Thank you, President Flynn. And thank you, Councilor, for including me as your co-sponsor on this resolution. I am very happy to hear the share of Ariel's name invoked in the City Hall chambers as the shearer was my boss, the Boston Public Health Commission, when I worked there. And she taught me pretty much everything I know about home birthing. And I think that the city of Boston is incredibly lucky to have her working to open the first freestanding birth center in the city and ran by a black woman. Nevertheless, I'm excited that the Boston City Council has an opportunity to publicly support the out-of-hospital birth. Access its safety act and to recognize black maternal health week. This is an issue that is very near and dear to my heart as a mother. When it came time to make a decision about my birthing plan, I was bombarded with research and data that made it very clear to me that the decision to have a child, especially as a black woman, was a dangerous one. The United States has the worst maternal health mortality among all wealthy nations in the world. And it's the only nation with a maternal mortality rate has been rising every year. In Massachusetts, like Councilor Richard Black, working people are two times more likely to die or have a near miss than their white counterparts due to structural or interpersonal racism. And I know that it's kind of daunting to listen to that data and to listen to those facts. But there's a bright spot. And that bright spot is that most maternal health deaths are preventable, which means that we can do something about this crisis. When I decided to have a homebirth to give birth at home, I did it because I knew it would be the safest, most affordable option for me. My midwives and my doula were essential in ensuring that I had a joyous birthing experience. And our current laws in the state of Massachusetts make it so that experience is not accessible to everyone. I believe that all people deserve to have a birthday experience where they feel listened to, affirmed and cared for. And we should work to make that possible. Regardless of whether people are giving birth at home at a birthing center or at a hospital and working towards this like CC will make that possible. By supporting this resolution, we're acknowledging that the importance of safer, more equitable access to midwifery care options and the impact that offering those supports will ultimately have on the maternal health outcomes of black. And all birthing people in the city of Boston and across the state. Thank you, counsel. Our the chair recognizes counsel. Royal counsel. You have the floor. Thank you, Mr. President. Thank you to Counselor Miki and Counselor Lara for sponsoring this and bringing this forward. And for all the advocates who've been doing work on this. When I did the racism as a public health crisis, I dug into a lot of different health metrics and things that impact health. And one of the most striking, disappointing and painful ones was the inequities that we see in black maternal health. Even in the Boston, where our hospitals are considered world renowned, we have these wide gaps and inequities in these unnecessary deaths. And frankly, it's it's painful to know that our children and their parents are experiencing outcomes largely due to the fact that they are black. And so we need to get to a place where we prioritize this, where we speak on this, and we move on this in a way that effectively addresses a very real issue. I hope to see real action on this because these numbers are scary. They are very disappointing. And we are in the year 2022 and this needs to be more of a focus issue. So thank you to those who have raised it. And thank you to those who continue to advocate for these kinds of protections. Thank you, Mr. President. Thank you, Counsel Arroyo, would anyone else like to speak on this matter? The chair recognizes counselors and counselors. And you have the floor. Thank you, Mr. President. I just rise in support of this resolution. It is. I just want to reiterate that the numbers are scary, that black women are dying at rates that are should make us really jolt. And the number of stories from people in my own family, the number of time that I have had to exercise my strength as a lawyer to make sure that hospitals aren't discriminating against not only black women in the maternal health space, but in hospitals in general. So we have deep, deep health disparities where that we need to address. And there's so much work being done at the state level. At the state level, great advocates, which is why it's really important to help black women in spaces and legislative bodies really pushing for a black woman in our health. So just want to rise in support of this and rise in recognition of black maternal health. So I think thank you to the sponsors. Thank you, counselors. And, um, anyone else, so to speak, on this matter? The first the first hearing I had as a city councilor four years ago, I sponsored a hearing with with Mayor Janey, Councilor Janey. And we had this discussion on the health care of African-American woman. And as we as we recognized black maternal month this month. I just want to say thank you to the sponsors and the tremendous work that you're doing on this subject and to our city officials as well for the focus that they're out there doing as well. But this is an important issue, and we need to work together to make sure that the health care and services are available to everybody equally, especially especially women in need, women of color as well. So. Thank you to the sponsors. If anyone else would like to sponsor this, raise your hand, please. Please. Howard Councilor Baker. Council. Council President. Council. Fernandez Innocent Council. Florida Conservation Council. Murphy's Council. We're all pleased that the chair. Um, docket 0511 will be referred to the committee in Boston. I'm sorry. Yeah. Um, docket zero five. Oh, yeah. Dark 0513 councilors McGwire, Laura and Arroyo. They seek suspension of their roles in adoption of 0513. All those in favor say aye. Aye. All those opposed saying, Hey, we have it. The resolution has been passed. Mr. Clerk, please read doc 0514. Oh, we did that one. Mr. Clarke, please read docket 0515.0515.