Midwives sue to challenge Georgia laws restricting their ability to practice

Several lawsuit filed in recent years challenge state restrictions on the practice of midwifery. They argue that midwives are especially necessary in maternity care deserts.

Twice a month, Sarah Stokely travels 4½ hours from her home in Rome, Georgia, to work for a week at a birth center in Blountville, Tennessee.

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Stokely is a certified nurse-midwife — the title for registered nurses who specialize in midwifery. But Georgia laws make it difficult for her to practice there.

The state requires all nurse-midwives to have formal, written agreements with physicians that describe when physicians must intervene in evaluating or treating patients. Stokely said the agreement, which often requires midwives to pay physicians for their time and liability insurance, was too expensive. She was quoted around $500 per month, she said.