Your Delegate serves on the House Health, Welfare and Institutions subcommittee #1 that will be meeting on Tuesday, 1/17 at 8:30am. The subcommittee will vote on HB 1511 - the bill to authorize licensed midwives to carry and administer medication 

Why is this bill important?
The maternal mortality rate for Black women in Virginia is three to four times higher than their counterparts. The CDC consistently reports that most pregnancy-related deaths are preventable; the latest figure is 90%. The following medications are essential to address common complications during labor and delivery, but licensed midwives are not allowed to carry or administer them in birthing centers.

• Pitocin - mitigates hemorrhaging, the top cause of preventable pregnancy-associated deaths
  
  
• Oxygen - mitigates preeclampsia complications, the second top cause of preventable pregnancy-associated deaths
  

ACTION NEEDED!!!

Email and Call subcommittee members. Click on their names to link to their email address and send them a few sentences. Give their office a quick call today or tomorrow. You should leave a message today or tomorrow, but may be able to speak to their staff on Monday when they return to work at the Capitol and their staff will be in the office.  

House Health, Welfare and Institutions Subcommittee #1:
Edmunds (Chair) (804) 698-1060
Cherry (804) 698-1066
Fariss (804) 698-1059
Orrock (804) 698-1054
Robinson (804) 698-1027
Wachsmann (804) 698-1075
Adams, D (804) 698-1068 - She is the chief patron of the bill. Thank her!
Guzman (804) 698-1031
Hope (804) 698-1047
Price (804) 698-1095

Here's a few sentences you can use:

Hi, My name is ________. I am a constituent calling upon Delegate ______ to VOTE YES in support of HB 1511 on Tuesday during the Health, Welfare and Institutions subcommittee meeting. Licensed midwives must have authorization to give their patients life-saving medications during labor and delivery. Ensuring safe practices in birth settings is one step towards addressing preventable pregnancy-related deaths in Virginia that contribute to the alarming disparities in Virginia's maternal mortality, where Black women are dying three to four times more than other women, a rate higher than the national average. 

Stay updated as this bill moves through the legislature with our 2023 Bill Tracker. You can find al link to it under the POLICY menu on our website.

Thank you for your advocacy!

Dora Muhammad
Engagement Director
Manager, Health & Racial Equity Programs