02/21/2007 01:30 PM Senate HEALTH, EDUCATION & SOCIAL SERVICES

                SB  81-EXTEND BOARD OF MIDWIVES                                                                             
                                                                                                                              
CHAIR DAVIS announced SB 81 to be up for consideration.                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
1:36:43 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
RICHARD  BENAVIDES, staff  to Senator  Davis, sponsor  of SB  81,                                                               
explained that the bill extends the  sunset date for the Board of                                                               
                                                    th                                                                          
Certified Direct-Entry  Midwives (BCDEM) to  June 30,   2015. The                                                               
extension is in line with  legislative audit recommendations. The                                                               
board  serves  to  educate  midwives of  the  level  of  service,                                                               
experience,  and  education  expected  of  them,  regulating  the                                                               
profession while ensuring public safety.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR COWDERY asked for the number  of other states that have a                                                               
board of  midwives, and if  the length of the  proposed extension                                                               
is normal.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
MR. BENAVIDES said that the extension is average.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR COWDERY asked if the members are paid.                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
MR. BENAVIDES said that he believes  they only receive a per diem                                                               
while on board business.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
1:39:15 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
NIKKI ROUGET, with the Division  of Legislative Audit (DLA), said                                                               
that the DLA  conducted a review of the BCDEM  and concurred that                                                               
the board  is operating in  the best  interest of the  public and                                                               
should be extended, with no  operational recommendations. In 2005                                                               
the  typical  extension was  changed  from  four years  to  eight                                                               
years.                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR ELTON commented that the  previous administration had the                                                               
idea  to  reduce the  instance  of  board  overlap, and  said  he                                                               
wondered  if  anyone  knew  of  a similar  plan  by  the  current                                                               
administration.                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
1:41:31 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
KAY KANNE, Executive  Director of the Juneau  Family Birth Center                                                               
(JFBC), said that she has been  a midwife in Juneau for 23 years,                                                               
since there were no midwife laws.   The board was created in 1992                                                               
and she served two consecutive  terms; it strives for the highest                                                               
levels of  training and service, and  is looked to as  an example                                                               
for other  states, most  of which have  midwife boards.  The JFBC                                                               
serves 10 percent of birth population in Juneau.                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
1:43:38 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  COWDERY asked  where midwives  are  concentrated in  the                                                               
state.                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
MS. KANNE replied that most  midwives are concentrated in Juneau,                                                               
Anchorage, and  Fairbanks, and  are required  to practice  near a                                                               
hospital. The  midwife population  has been relatively  stable in                                                               
recent years.                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR THOMAS asked if midwife  training is readily available in                                                               
the state.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
MS.  KANNE  replied  that  it is  readily  available  in  Juneau,                                                               
coupled with  an approved program  with an option for  a masters'                                                               
degree. Training generally takes two to three years.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
1:46:10 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
BRODIE ANDERSON,  aide to Representative  Kawasaki, said  that he                                                               
was available for questions but did not plan to testify.                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
DANA BROWN,  Director of Alaska  Family Health and  Birth Center,                                                               
said that she  wants to see the board extended  because it does a                                                               
good job  of serving  the profession  and contributing  to public                                                               
safety. The  responsibilities of the board  include investigating                                                               
midwives,  overseeing   regulations,  and   providing  continuing                                                               
education.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
She added that  the Fairbanks Birth Center assists  in 11 percent                                                               
of local births, and in Wasilla the percentage is 25.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
1:49:50 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  DAVIS commented  that  all kinds  of  health services  are                                                               
needed across Alaska.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR ELTON  said that he  was surprised  by the high  fees for                                                               
board  membership, and  added  that the  board  is important  for                                                               
monitoring confidence and it ensures excellence of care.                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
1:52:44 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  DYSON said  that expensive  legal cases  brought against                                                               
the  board mean  penalization  of innocent  members; in  general,                                                               
though,  the board  has  done  an excellent  job  of serving  its                                                               
members.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR DYSON  made a motion  to move  SB 81 from  committee with                                                               
individual  recommendations and  attached  fiscal note(s).  There                                                               
being no objection, the motion carried.