Richmond Council Encourages Public Engagement
The Richmond City Council has urged residents to engage with local government by contacting their councilmembers. The council provided resources to help residents identify their voter districts. The initiative aims to increase public participation in shaping city policies.
- Virginia's maternal mortality rate was 24.5 per 100,000 live births in 2024, a notable decrease from a rate of 49.2 per 100,000 in 2021. The Virginia Department of Health has launched new data dashboards to track metrics like preterm births, infant mortality, and prenatal care by region and demographic. - In May 2025, Governor Glenn Youngkin signed House Bill 1923 into law, which ensures insurance reimbursement parity for Licensed Certified Midwives and Licensed Midwives, requiring they be paid at rates equivalent to Certified Nurse-Midwives for the same services. - A legislative package known as the "Virginia Momnibus" advanced during the 2025 General Assembly session, which included bills aimed at increasing Medicaid reimbursements for midwives and expanding doula coverage for postpartum support. - To address workforce shortages, especially in rural areas, a new state law (HB 1904) now allows certified nurse-midwives to staff the 24-hour on-call roster for newborn nursery care in hospitals if a physician is unavailable. - Since 2012, Virginia has experienced a 25% reduction in the number of hospitals offering birthing services, and approximately 30% of counties in the state are classified as "maternity care deserts." - In Richmond, local programs like the Healthy Start Initiative and Healthy Families Richmond provide intensive home-visiting services, case management, and parenting education to at-risk and low-income prenatal and postpartum families. - Virginia law recognizes various types of midwifery credentials, including Certified Nurse-Midwives (CNMs), who are educated in both nursing and midwifery, and Certified Professional Midwives (CPMs), whose credentialing specifically requires experience in out-of-hospital settings. - VCU Health has partnered with the nonprofit Urban Baby Beginnings to integrate community doulas at its downtown Richmond campus, following the state's 2021 decision to make doula services a covered benefit for Medicaid members through one-year postpartum.
