ATM holds to high professional standards for midwives in Texas. We believe a midwife must have thorough initial training, both academic and practical, and that she must participate in continuing education. Having said all that, we must also point out that ATM is not a policing organization.
We therefore have prepared this page for your benefit. In it, we provide helpful information and links for interviewing and choosing a midwife. We also provide information necessary for evaluating the services of a midwife and/or filing a complaint.
Choosing a Midwife
The privilege and responsibility of choosing a good midwife lies with the consumer. The listing of a midwife on the ATM web site does not necessarily mean that we endorse a particular midwife. We recommend that you be diligent and exercise due caution when making a decision as important as choosing your care provider.
How to check on the current status of midwife’s license
Texas Midwives are licensed and regulated by one of two boards. Certified Nurse-Midwives (CNMs) are regulated by the Board of Nurse Examiners. CNMs are licensed as registered nurses authorized to practice as a category of advanced practice nurse (APN).
Documented Midwives in Texas are regulated by The Texas Midwifery Board under the Texas Department of Health and Human Services Professional Licensing and Certification Division.
To check on the license status of a Certified Nurse Midwife (CNM), check with the Board of Nurse Examiners (BNE) for the state of Texas. www.bne.state.tx.us
On the home page for the BNE is a button for "online verification". CNMs are Advanced Practice Nurses, so you would have to select "Advanced Practice" and then type in the name, social security number, or license number. This will open another window that will tell you if the person is a nurse midwife. It will also tell how long the nurse midwife has had that "status", and if they are current, and if they have limited prescriptive authority.
To check on the license status of a Documented Midwife (or “documentation”) you need to contact the Texas Department of Health and Human Services Midwifery Program. www.tdh.state.tx.us/hcqs/plc/midwif.htm
Look for a link to the “Roster of documented midwives”. This list is only updated a couple of times a year. So if you do not find a name listed, it is recommended that you contact the Midwifery Program to double check on the midwife’s license status. (She may be a newly documented midwife.)
The Midwifery Program website also lists any disciplinary actions against documented midwives taken by the Texas Midwifery Board in response to a violation of the law or rules. You may also contact the Texas Department of Health and Human Services Midwifery Program to inquire about any complaints against a particular midwife (through the open records act).
The following is contact information for the Texas Midwifery Program
Texas Department of State Health Services
1100 West 49th Street
Austin, Texas 78756-3183
Phone: 512-834-4523 FAX: 512-834-6677 attn: Midwifery Program
Other Helpful Links
Tips for Interviewing a Prospective Midwife - coming soon
Evaluation Form for a midwife who is a member of ATM
(This is only an evaluation form for the midwife’s benefit to improve her services.
Please note: This is not the form to use for complaint procedures.)
Complaint Procedures:
If you believe a midwife has practiced in a dangerous or illegal manner or if you believe she is practicing without a license you may wish to file a formal complaint.
