Concerning ensuring access by licensed midwives to medical staff privileges at public health facilities.
Summary
HB 26-1092 would prohibit a public health facility in Colorado that offers labor and childbirth services from denying, restricting, or conditioning full medical staff privileges to a certified nurse midwife or certified midwife solely because of that person’s licensure, so long as the provider is practicing independently within the scope of practice authorized by law. The bill is aimed at ensuring that licensed midwives can obtain the same core privileges as other medical staff members, including direct admitting and discharge privileges and the same voting rights on medical staff matters.
The bill also includes a legislative declaration stating that certified nurse midwives and certified midwives are qualified professionals authorized to practice independently, and that inconsistent credentialing practices have limited access to midwifery care. It specifies that the new protections apply to public health facilities certified under state law and does not alter the separate authority of other advanced practice registered nurses to seek privileges consistent with their own scope of practice.
Impact
The bill would add a new section to Title 25 of the Colorado Revised Statutes, creating a nondiscrimination rule for medical staff privileging at public health facilities that provide labor and childbirth services. In practice, it would limit a facility’s ability to use licensure status alone as a basis for denying midwives full staff privileges, and would require any privileges granted to be comparable to those of other medical staff. The measure would affect public health facilities, certified nurse midwives, certified midwives, and hospital credentialing and medical staff governance processes.
Sentiment
The bill’s stated purpose and sponsor support suggest a pro-access, pro-midwifery policy approach focused on expanding childbirth care options and reducing barriers to practice. The legislative findings frame the issue as one of patient access, continuity of care, and public health. However, the bill was ultimately postponed indefinitely in the House Health & Human Services Committee, indicating that it did not advance and that there was likely insufficient committee support or unresolved concerns.
Contention
The main point of contention appears to be whether public health facilities should be required to grant full medical staff privileges to licensed midwives based on licensure and independent practice status. Potential concerns include hospital credentialing autonomy, how privileges would interact with existing medical staff standards, and whether the bill could affect facility oversight or physician-supervised workflows. The bill attempts to narrow the scope of the mandate by limiting it to facilities that offer labor and childbirth services and by preserving the separate authority of other advanced practice registered nurses, but the committee’s decision to postpone indefinitely suggests the proposal remained controversial or lacked consensus.