Hospital loosens rule on midwives

A new rule written by the New Hanover Regional Medical Center obstetrics staff will allow a certified nurse midwife to deliver a baby at the hospital without requiring the supervising physician to be on-site.

"The supervision rule that was approved by the obstetrics committee of the medical staff allows for some low-risk deliveries to be managed by the midwife if its approved by the supervising physician,” said Carolyn Fisher, NHRMC spokeswoman.

Whether the physician will be on-site will be determined through a consultation between the midwife and the physician on a case-by-case basis. Low-risk deliveries would be determined by the patient’s medical history and if there are no complications, Fisher said.

The obstetrics department staff decided to re-write the rule after months of lobbying from local midwife advocates. Advocates argued that the former policy added an unnecessary strain on physicians by requiring them to be physically at the hospital while a midwife was delivering her patient’s baby.

Most North Carolina hospitals, including UNC Chapel Hill and Duke Medical Center do not have such a requirement.

“There isn’t a second vote required, the policy has been approved,” Fisher said. However, the obstetrics department is finalizing the language of the new rule and plans to have it completed by February.