Maternal Health Midwives

The act:

• Requires the Colorado civil rights commission to establish certain parameters when receiving reports for maternity care;
• Adds a midwife to the environmental justice advisory board and the governor's expert emergency epidemic response committee and adds midwifery as a preferred area of expertise for members of the health equity commission; and
• Requires a health facility that provides maternal health-care services to notify certain individuals at least 90 days before eliminating the services.

The act also allows the department of public health and environment (department) to contract with a third-party evaluator to complete the following tasks and make appropriate recommendations:

• Study closures, consolidations, and acquisitions related to perinatal health-care practices and facilities and perinatal state-designated health professional shortage areas and assets and deficits related to perinatal health and health-care services across the state, not limited to obstetric providers;
• Identify major outcome categories that the department should track over time and identify risks and opportunities;
• Explore the effects of practice and facility closures (closures) on maternal and infant health outcomes and experiences;
• Identify recommendations and best practice guidelines during closures and resultant transfers of care; and
• Create a health professional shortage area and perinatal health services assets and deficits map.

EFFECTIVE June 4, 2024
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)