Women's Health
MSDC has long advocated for women's health protections, the rights of women physicians, and affordable care for women's issues. MSDC works closes with ACOG, AAFP, AAP, and other specialty organizations to craft local legislation that allows DC to be the best place to practice women's and maternal medicine.
In the face of a maternal mortality crisis in the District, engagement in these issues is more important than ever. Learn more about how MSDC is working to protect the health of women, mothers, and babies in all wards in the city.
MSDC Statements and Testimony on Women's Health Issues
25th Council information coming soon!
DC Releases Post-COVID Healthcare Report
Last weekend, the District government released a new report with "lessons learned" from the COVID pandemic.
Entitled "District of Columbia Department of Health COVID-19 Pandemic Health and Healthcare Recovery Report", the report has two halves. The first details the District's response to the pandemic and outlines how the District government acted to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on health, the economy, and society.
The second half contains recommendations going forward, and this is the focus of the report. This section breaks into five components:
- Health Planning
- Public Health and Healthcare Workforce
- Health Information Technology
- Health Care Facilities
- Community Health Services
Each component has an analysis and listed recommendations for the Council and District government to consider. You can read the entire report here, but below are a few items of interests to the physician community:
- Explore regional licensure reciprocity to allow local healthcare professionals to more easily practice in the District
- Examine whether new licensure categories are needed to reflect new modules of care
- Explore whether "certain procedures" that "traditionally require specific oversight" should be "re-examined" for more flexible supervision options.
- Assess and potentially redefine training or supervision levels with "an emphasis of supervision truly required for safe patient care".
- Push for common telehealth scopes of practice across state lines
- Provide consumers with instruments and training for telehealth monitoring
What is not in this report?
- Resources to address healthcare provider burnout and behavioral health interventions
- Re-examining the impact of the District's medical malpractice laws and how they may harm medical care.
- Invest in local medical education and how to retain students from local medical schools and allied health schools
Sample of Legislation MSDC Followed in Women's Health and Maternal Health
(See the whole list of bills here)
What does the bill do? Extends postpartum inpatient and outpatient benefits to at least one year after childbirth
MSDC position: We support this legislation and the extension of insurance benefits to mothers and babies to help maternal health in the District
Current status: SUCCESS. The bill passed the Council and was signed into law by the Mayor on August 14, 2020.
What does the bill do? The bill prohibits the District government from interfering with patients' reproductive health decisions and prohibits employers from punishing physicians who perform abortions or sterilizations outside of their employment.
MSDC position: We support this legislation as it allows physicians freedom of practice.
Current status: SUCCESS. The bill passed the Committee on Government Operations in January. MSDC submitted testimony at the December hearing, and MSDC member Sara Imershein testified at the hearing. The Council passed the bill and the Mayor signed it into law on March 23, 2020.
What does the bill do? The bill extends coverage for maternal health issues and fertility preservation, creates a Maternal Health Center in the District, and mandates two hours of cultural competence CME for health care providers.
MSDC position: We oppose the bill without changes due to inclusion of mandatory CME and some of the definitions in the bill being medically questionable.
Current status: The bill had a hearing in the Committee on Health in December, with MSDC member Dr. Sara Imershein testifying for MSDC and ACOG.
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