Proposed maternal health bills in Michigan pass out of Senate committee
(CBS DETROIT) - Maternal health outcomes in Michigan still vary based on location and race, but a package of bills in the state Senate aims to change that.
"Once I became a midwife, I knew everybody should have access to this care," said Nicole White, the co-founder of Birth Detroit.
White has been assisting with births for more than 20 years and recently co-founded her own birth center, a space for pre- and post-natal care and births. White says her work is similar to the care you'd get in a hospital setting.
"We do the same kind of physical testing. We do the same kind of like labs," she told CBS News Detroit.
But White says midwives also work to offer additional care.
"We spend a lot more time around education. We spend a lot more time around nutrition. We spend a lot more time on mental health," she said.
She says extending access to that care and improving the relationships between community birth centers and hospitals are clear ways to improve health outcomes for mothers and babies, which is what this eight-bill package aims to do.
"By collecting data, creating a complaint form, supporting more doulas, protecting folks from discrimination, we believe that we're going to go a long way in addressing some of the gaps," said state Sen. Stephanie Chang.
Chang says the bills would enhance community-driven birthing programs, improve the process of working alongside hospitals, and tackle issues of racism or biased birthing care.
"I think it's going to make a huge impact," Chang said. "Some of these bills will actually have an impact for everyone, regardless of your racial background."
The package of bills now heads to the state Senate for discussion.