SM - Newsletter

The staff and board of Midwives Care, Inc. regret to announce the closing of our midwifery practice.

We are deeply sorry to announce this news. Midwives Care has been privileged to provide options in birth, pregnancy, and well-woman care in Cincinnati for 20 years. However, the current health care environment is one fraught with challenges, and despite our best efforts, there are some we have not been able to overcome.

We have been working for the past several years against this possibility. During this time, the costs of health care have risen dramatically - for example, our malpractice insurance rates more than tripled between 2004 and 2006. It was obvious that we could not continue as we had been in the face of these skyrocketing costs, so we began seeking alternatives and partnerships. During the past 2 ½ years, we transitioned into a non-profit organization, began conversations with several potential partners, sought grants that would support us in our work, and held numerous fundraisers.

In 2004 we identified a local Federally Qualified Health Center which had the potential to partner with Midwives Care, Inc. This seemed the best of several options because they were open to the idea of re-opening the birth center - one of our primary goals. However, by late 2005 it was clear that there were specific issues that could not be resolved. At that point we renewed earlier conversations we had begun with a hospital healthcare organization. We had a positive experience negotiating with them, and in early March it appeared we were mere weeks away from signing a contract. However, on March 10th we were unexpectedly informed that, due to budgetary constraints, they would not be able to follow through.

With the termination of these latest negotiations, and with our malpractice contract renewal date of April 30th looming, it became clear that we had lost this battle to keep the practice of Midwives Care, Inc. operating. The staff and board of Midwives Care have worked tirelessly, with your support, to prevent this outcome. We feel we have exhausted every option which would allow us to provide services which uphold the midwifery model we honor.

Our work over the past 20 years has been extremely rewarding, and the midwives and staff of Midwives Care are sorry to see this journey end. They and the board also grieve to see another option in Cincinnati vanish. We grieve to see women struggle to find providers who wholeheartedly support their choice of a natural birth. We grieve to see women who want a home birth have their options diminish. We wholeheartedly believe that women should be partners in their health care and in their births, but fear this is becoming more challenging in the current environment. Although the midwifery practice will cease, the Board of Midwives Care, Inc. plans to evolve into an advocacy and education organization. We will clarify our mission statement and goals over the next several months, and look forward to finding new ways to support women and choices in health care. Please visit our website at www.midwivescare.org; it will soon be updated with our next steps and plans - and we would welcome your involvement! We need the energy and passion of people who support independent midwifery and healthcare options in Cincinnati! We also are planning another Reunion Picnic, probably in June 2006, and it would be wonderful to see our friends and supporters. As soon as the date and location are finalized, they will be on our website.

The midwives, staff, and board have felt so blessed over the past years to have such a wonderful and supportive community. The struggles have been well worth it for the rewards - the opportunity to meet and work with such strong women and families. We are all eternally grateful for your support.

With heartfelt thanks and best wishes,