Ohio Birth Center, located in northwest Columbus, Ohio, a state-of-the-art freestanding birth center dedicated to providing exceptional and personalized care for pregnancy and birth, is seeking a waiver as part of its licensure application with the Ohio Department of Health. Currently, Ohio Birth Center can provide prenatal care and gynecological care but is unable to provide birth services until licensed by the State of Ohio.

Freestanding birth centers are a place for those with low-risk pregnancies who are seeking an unmedicated birth experience to give birth. Prenatal care, birth support, and postpartum care is provided by Certified Nurse Midwives in a homelike setting who practice the wellness model of birth where medical interventions are used when indicated. Care provided at Ohio Birth Center is evidence-based, trauma-informed, culturally aware, and inclusive care. 

Birth centers have been shown to improve outcomes, increase access to safe care, and lower the overall costs of healthcare. The American College of Obstetrics and Gynecologists and the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine recognize accredited birth centers as an integral component to care and list birth centers as a first line of care for low-risk women with uncomplicated pregnancies. Research has demonstrated that birth centers decrease the primary cesarean birth rate by 60%, decrease the preterm birth rate by 26%, and decrease the low birth weight rate by 56%. Preterm birth and low birth weight are two major contributing factors to infant mortality. Furthermore, those who receive prenatal care at a birth center are also more likely to be highly satisfied with their birth experience regardless of where they end up giving birth. According to the Strong Start Study by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, care provided by birth centers fully meets the “triple aim” vision of healthcare: improving the experience of care, improving the health of populations, and reducing per capita health costs. Ohio Birth Center alone has the potential to save the State of Ohio up to $1.4 million per year. 

Currently, Ohio law requires non-religious birth centers to be licensed by the Ohio Department of Health and one of the requirements for licensure is a written transfer agreement with a local hospital. Approximately 12% of laboring clients will transfer to a hospital during the course of labor; the vast majority of the 12% transfer for pain relief or prolonged labor and approximately 2% of people will transfer due to a medical emergency. Due to EMTALA law, hospitals cannot turn laboring patients away and must provide care to anyone who comes to the hospital in labor. At this time, no Central Ohio hospital is willing to engage in a signed transfer agreement with Ohio Birth Center, which prevents the birth center from becoming licensed by the state unless the Ohio Department of Health grants a waiver, which has been requested.

Ohio Birth Center seeks to offer a different type of pregnancy and birth care than what currently exists in our city. A type of care that is evidence-based, personalized, and compassionate. This model of care is utilized all over the developed world and across the United States and now it is time for Ohioians to have access to this type of care.

Please show your support of Ohio Birth Center by signing this petition to let the Ohio Department of Health and Ohio Hospitals know you want to see a birth center in our community.