Advocacy Correspondence: PA Senate, HAP Support for Senate Bill 507

October 20, 2025

Members of the Pennsylvania Senate:

On behalf of the more than 235 member hospitals and health systems, The Hospital and Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania (HAP) writes in support of Senate Bill 507, sponsored by Senator Rosemary Brown, which establishes a pathway to licensure for Certified Midwives (CM) in Pennsylvania.

HAP supports SB 507 as a key step toward expanding access to high-quality care, maternal health care, and improving maternal health outcomes across the commonwealth. Specifically, the legislation will:

• Bridge Workforce Gaps in Maternal Health Care:  Nearly all (97 percent) births in Pennsylvania occur in hospitals, yet the obstetrics and gynecology workforce faces severe and persistent shortages that jeopardize access to care. Hospitals report substantial vacancies among advanced practice providers, including certified nurse midwives (19 percent) and other perinatal professionals. This number is higher in rural communities. Establishing a licensure pathway for CMs will strengthen the perinatal workforce and expand access to safe, timely care for pregnant and postpartum patients.
• Address Behavioral Health as a Leading Cause of Maternal Mortality:  Substance use disorder and other behavioral health challenges are leading causes of maternal mortality in Pennsylvania. SB 507 establishes parameters for CMs to prescribe certain medications used to treat opioid use disorder (OUD), a vital tool in improving continuity of care during and after pregnancy. This provision will help to reduce risk of relapse, overdose, and death among pregnant and postpartum patients with OUD.

Improving maternal health outcomes in Pennsylvania will depend on strong partnerships between hospitals and policymakers to address the complex factors that impact care and access. SB 507 represents an important step in strengthening that partnership.

Please vote yes on SB 507, Printer’s No. 1158, as approved by the Senate Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure Committee on September 10.

Please feel free to reach out to me or Sarah Lawver, HAP’s senior director, state advocacy, if you have any questions.

Sincerely,

Arielle Chortanoff
Vice President, State Advocacy

 

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Topics: Behavioral Health, Public Health, State Advocacy

Revision Date: 10/20/2025

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