§ 4185. Director; duties
(a) The Director shall:
(1) provide general information to applicants for licensure as midwives;
(2) explain appeal procedures to licensed midwives and applicants and complaint procedures
to the public;
(3) administer fees as established by law;
(4) receive applications for licensure, administer examinations, provide licenses to applicants
qualified under this chapter, renew, revoke, and reinstate licenses as ordered by
an administrative law officer; and
(5) refer all disciplinary matters to an administrative law officer.
(b)(1) The Director shall adopt general rules necessary to perform his or her duties under
this chapter, maintain and make available a list of approved programs for continuing
education and, by January 1, 2001, in consultation with the Commissioner of Health,
the Vermont Medical Society, and the Vermont chapter of the American College of Nurse-Midwives,
adopt specific rules defining the scope and practice standards, including risk-assessment
criteria, based at a minimum, on the practice standards of the Midwives Alliance of
North America (MANA), and defining a protocol and formulary for drug use by licensed
midwives, including anti-hemorrhagic drugs and oxygen.
(2)(A) Once initially established by rule, the formulary for medication use by licensed midwives,
including anti-hemorrhagic agents and oxygen, shall be updated by the Director as
necessary, subject to the approval of the Commissioner of Health and notwithstanding
the provisions of 3 V.S.A. chapter 25.
(B) The Director shall update the protocol and formulary in consultation with the Commissioner
of Health or designee, the Vermont Midwives Association, the Vermont Medical Society,
and the Vermont chapter of the American College of Nurse-Midwives to ensure licensed
midwives have available those medications deemed necessary to maintain best practice
standards and deemed necessary for licensed midwives to provide prenatal and postpartum
care consistent with accepted and prevailing standards of care for mothers and their
babies.
(c)(1) The Director shall appoint an advisory committee to study and report to the Director
and to the Commissioner of Health on matters relating to midwifery, including recommendations
if necessary for revisions to the administrative rules. The Committee shall focus
on improving communication and collaboration among birth providers.
(2) The Committee shall be composed of at least six members: three midwives licensed under
this chapter, two physicians licensed by the Board of Medical Practice or the Board
of Osteopathic Physicians and Surgeons, and one advanced practice registered nurse
midwife licensed by the Board of Nursing.
(3) Members of the Committee shall be entitled to compensation at the rate provided in
32 V.S.A. § 1010. (Added 1999, No. 133 (Adj. Sess.), § 44, eff. Jan. 1, 2001; amended 2007, No. 29, § 68; 2013, No. 138 (Adj. Sess.), § 47; 2019, No. 178 (Adj. Sess.), § 21, eff. Oct. 1, 2020.)