Board Meeting
November 9, 2018
The Alabama State Board of Midwifery met on Friday, November 9, 2018, to conduct business. Board members physically present at the primary physical location were: (1) Ms. Noel Leithart (Board Chair), (2) Ms. Stacey Bufkin (member), (3) Ms Tori Dennis (member), (4) Marietta Nero (member). Board members in attendance electronically were: (1) Ms Kaycee Cavender (member), (2) Ms Colleen Tullis (member). Also in attendance was Bettie Carmack (attorney) and Leigh Moorer (Warren and Co). Absent was Keith Warren, executive director. The physical meeting was held at Warren and Company, 2227 Zelda Road in Montgomery.
Also present were attorneys Stephen McCormick representing the Alabama Hospital Association (AlaHA), Cheairs Porter and Niko Corley representing the Medical Association of the State of Alabama, Nate Horsley representing University of Alabama Hospital System and University of South Alabama, and Matt Hart with the Board of Medical Examiners. The member of the public at the physical location was Hannah Ellis.
The Board meeting had been advertised on the Secretary of State’s website, in accordance with the Alabama Open Meetings Act. There being a quorum of board members present electronically and at the physical location, Ms Leithart, Board Chairman, called the meeting to order at 11:13 a.m. and proceeded to preside over the meeting.
Ms. Leithart presented the September 8, 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. Bufkin made a motion to adopt the September meeting minutes. The motion was seconded by Ms. Dennis and unanimously approved by the Board.
Ms Bufkin made a motion to go into executive session for 15 minutes for the purpose of conferring with legal counsel regarding the legal ramifications and legal options as a result of accepting the amendments to the Rules presented by the Legislative Council. Ms Dennis seconded the motion. Roll Call vote was taken: Ms Bufkin voted aye; Ms Cavender voted aye; Ms Tullis voted aye; Ms Nero voted aye; Ms Dennis voted aye. The motion was unanimously approved by the Board. Executive session began at 11:15am.
The Board resumed the general meeting at 11:32am. Ms Bufkin made a motion to adopt the Rules as amended by Legislative Council and Joint Committee on Administrative Review. Ms Cavender seconded the motion. Roll Call vote was taken: Ms Bufkin voted aye; Ms Cavender voted aye; Ms Tullis voted aye; Ms Nero voted aye; Ms Dennis voted aye. The motion was unanimously approved by the Board.
Ms Leithart asked the Board for approval to appoint Ms Bufkin and Ms Dennis to the License Application Committee, to appoint Ms Nero, Ms Tullis and herself to the Complaint Review Committee, and to appoint Ms Cavender to the Legislative Committee. Ms Dennis made a motion to approve the appointments to the committees. Ms Cavender seconded. Verbal vote taken. All were in favor. None opposed
Discussion continued about logistics of applications. Warren and Company will receive the applications and forward to the Applications Committee. They will deposit checks into the STAARS account assigned to the Board. The Board is entertaining bids from various companies that do background checks. Ms Bufkin will present the findings at the next Board meeting. Further discussion continued regarding liability insurance, expiration dates on the license, and physical appearance of license.
Ms Leithart mentioned that work on the website continues. She reported that there will be a query search tab for looking up the status of a midwife’s license and whether the midwife has a disciplinary action against her. Application forms, Complaint forms, statistics forms, informed consent forms, midwife disclosure forms, emergency care forms, and minutes are also available on the website. When available, a copy of the statute and the rules will be accessible on the website.
Ms Leithart informed the Board that Mr Warren had sent her an email to say that he was following up on information from the Budget Office and the STAARS account.
The next meeting of the Board is scheduled for Nov 28, 2018 at 11:00 a.m. in Fairhope.
There was no further business of the Board. Ms. Dennis made a motion to adjourn. Ms. Cavender seconded, and the motion passed unanimously. Ms. Leithart adjourned the meeting at 12:36 p.m.
Respectfully Submitted,
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Noel J. Leithart
Chair