Board Meeting
June 8, 2018
The Alabama State Board of Midwifery met on Friday, June 8, 2018, to conduct business. Those in attendance were Ms. Noel Leithart (Board Chair), Ms. Tori Dennis (Board Vice Chair), Ms. Kaycee Cavender (member), Ms. Stacey Bufkin (member), Ms. Marietta Nero (member) and Ms. Colleen Tullis (member). The meeting was held at Warren & Company, Inc. located at 2777 Zelda Road in Montgomery. Also present were Ms. Bettie Carmack, Assistant Attorney General and Ms. Renee’ Reames (Executive Secretary to Mr. Warren and recording secretary). Attorneys Christopher Richard representing AlaHA, Cheairs Porter representing MASA, and Nate Horsley representing UAB and USA were present as well. Hannah Ellis attended as a member of the general public. Ms. Leithart called the meeting to order at 3:04 p.m. indicating that a quorum of the Board was present.
The Board meeting was advertised on the Secretary of State’s website, www.sos.state.al.us, in accordance with the Alabama Open Meetings Act. Ms. Leithart welcomed both members and guests present at the meeting.
Ms. Leithart presented the May 4, 2018 meeting minutes for the Board’s approval. A copy of the minutes was provided to the members prior to the meeting for their review. Ms. Nero made the motion to adopt the May meeting minutes as presented. The motion was seconded by Ms. Dennis and unanimously approved by the Board.
The Rules Committee, comprised of a quorum of the Board’s members, had met prior to the Board meeting and the meeting had been advertised on the Secretary of State’s website, in accordance with the Alabama Open Meetings Act. The Board members expressed their views on remaining a part of the Rules Committee.
Mr. Warren reported on establishing an account to deposit the donated funds made to the Board. He reported that the Board, having been created this year, had not been included in the current year State’s budget. He explained the process of notifying the State’s Budget office and requesting that the Board be included in FY 2019 Appropriate Budget, which would create an accounting process to deposit and expend funds. He indicated that the Board was not authorized, in the meantime, to create another account on behalf of the Board and recommended that the donated funds be held by the donor until the budget and accounting system was authorized by the Legislature in the Supplemental Appropriations Budget. The Board discussed delaying licensure activities. Mr. Warren explained that if licensing fees were collected, they could be set aside in a State-established fund, but the Board was not eligible to expend the funds until approved through the legislative process. The Board discussed a recommended budget amount, which would include requesting pro bono legal services, negotiating STAARS accounting fees, cost for printing, Risk Management coverage, Board travel, etc. Ms. Dennis made a motion that Ms. Cavender write a letter to the State’s Executive Budget Office requesting that the Board’s budget of $25,000 be included in FY 2019 Legislative Supplemental Appropriations Budget. The motion was seconded by Ms. Cavender and unanimously approved by the Board.
Ms. Leithart reported that the Rules Committee had not completed their review of proposed rules. She explained that proposed Rules, Chapter 1-4 and forms, had been presented to the Rules Committee for review; however, review of Chapter 3 and 4 and forms were incomplete. It was the consensus of the Board to continuing the rules review process during the Board meeting. The Board reviewed the following rules and received verbal comments from the public attending the meeting:
582-X-3-.06 Termination of the Midwife-Client Relationship
582-X-3-.07 Transfer of Care in an Emergency Situation
582-X-3-.08 Risk Management
582-X-3-.09 Scope of Practice
582-X-3-.10 Newborn Transfer of Care or Consultation
The Board discussed the timetable necessary to make the modifications, circulate to Legal Counsel for comments, circulate to Board members, and distribute to interested parties prior to the next scheduled Board meeting of June 20, 2018.
It was the consensus of the Board to not meet on June 20th, but schedule the next meeting of the Board on July 13, 2018 and to schedule the Rules Committee earlier on the same date.
Ms. Leithart announced that the next meeting of the Board was scheduled on July 13, 2018 at 10:30 a.m.
She also announced that the next meeting of the Rules Committee was scheduled at 10:00 a.m. on July 13, 2018. She indicated that the proposed rules would be distributed to everyone prior to the July meetings.
There was no further business of the Board and Ms. Leithart adjourned the meeting at 5:20 p.m.
Respectfully Submitted,
Noel J. Leithart
Chair