20004: Supporting Access to Midwifery Services in the United States (Position Paper).

The article examines the position of the American Public Health Association (APHA) on the expansion of midwifery as a key strategy to improving access to care for childbearing families in the U.S. The association has publicly supported the use of innovative strategies to improve birth outcomes and decrease maternal and newborn morbidity an mortality but these documents do not address access to midwifery services. It is recommended that the APHA should urge all state legislatures to legalize the practice of midwifery and promulgate regulations in order to assure the safety of the public's health as it relates to midwifery practice.